Streaming now accounts for 48.6% of all television viewing, more than broadcast and cable combined at 39.6%. That crossover reframes every argument about the future of TV as an argument about the present. Within streaming, free ad-supported services have carved out a real position: Nielsen puts FAST platforms at roughly 6.8% of total viewing, with The Roku Channel alone at 3.1%. Meanwhile 74.2% of all TV viewing remains ad-supported in some form. The figures below come from Nielsen’s Gauge reports.
TL;DR
- Streaming reached 48.6% of total TV viewing in May 2026 (Nielsen)
- That was up 1.0 percentage point from April (Nielsen)
- Cable held 20.4% and broadcast 19.2% (Nielsen)
- Broadcast and cable combined reach only 39.6% (derived)
- Streaming set a record of 47.5% in December 2025 (Nielsen)
- YouTube reached 13.8% of total TV viewing (Nielsen)
- That was the largest distributor share for a third consecutive month (Nielsen)
- Netflix reached 8.0% and Prime Video 4.5% (Nielsen)
- The Roku Channel hit a platform record 3.1% (Nielsen)
- Tubi reached 2.1% in January 2026 (Nielsen)
- FAST platforms account for about 6.8% of total viewing (Nielsen)
- Roughly 19% of streaming viewing goes to FAST services (Nielsen)
- Ad-supported TV was 74.2% of overall viewing in Q4 2025 (Nielsen)
1. Streaming Passed Everything Else Combined
The single most consequential figure in television measurement arrived without much ceremony. Streaming reached 48.6% of total TV viewing in May 2026, against cable at 20.4% and broadcast at 19.2%, meaning streaming now exceeds both traditional distribution methods added together by roughly nine percentage points.
The trend line supports reading this as structural rather than seasonal. Streaming set what was then a record at 47.5% in December 2025 and added another 1.1 points by May, with a 1.0 point gain in the single month from April. Nielsen notes that streaming typically ascends through the summer, so some of the May movement is seasonal, but the December record was set in a month with the opposite seasonal pressure. The remaining 11.8% of viewing falls outside all three categories, covering physical media, gaming, and other device inputs.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming share, May 2026 | 48.6% | Nielsen |
| Change from April | up 1.0 point | Nielsen |
| Cable share | 20.4% | Nielsen |
| Broadcast share | 19.2% | Nielsen |
| Broadcast and cable combined | 39.6% | Derived from Nielsen figures |
| Streaming lead over both combined | approx. 9 points | Derived from Nielsen figures |
| Streaming record, December 2025 | 47.5% | Nielsen |
| Other sources | approx. 11.8% | Derived from Nielsen figures |
Device context sits in our streaming device statistics. Source: Nielsen, streaming embarks on annual summer ascent in the May 2026 Gauge.
2. Where FAST Sits Inside Streaming
Free ad-supported television has moved from novelty to measurable category, though the sizing depends on which figure you use. Nielsen has put FAST platforms at about 6.8% of total TV viewing, and separately reports that roughly 19% of viewing within streaming goes to free ad-supported services.
Those two numbers are not consistent with each other on a simple reading, since 19% of 48.6% would imply about 9.2% of total viewing rather than 6.8%. The gap almost certainly reflects different definitions of which services count as FAST and different measurement periods, which is a recurring problem in this category because there is no settled boundary. Services blend free ad-supported tiers, paid tiers, and linear-style channel grids in combinations that resist clean classification. Both figures are reported here as published rather than reconciled, and the honest conclusion is that FAST sits somewhere in the high single digits as a share of all television.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FAST share of total TV viewing | approx. 6.8% | Nielsen |
| FAST share within streaming | approx. 19% | Nielsen |
| Streaming share of total viewing | 48.6% | Nielsen |
| Implied total share from the 19% figure | approx. 9.2% | Derived from Nielsen figures |
| Gap between the two approaches | approx. 2.4 points | Derived from Nielsen figures |
| Likely cause | differing definitions and periods | Derived |
| Settled industry definition of FAST | none | Derived |
| Reasonable summary | high single digits of all TV | Derived |
Source: Measuring FAST, Nielsen puts share of viewing at 6.8%.
3. The Individual Platforms
At platform level the FAST field has a clear leader and a competitive chase. The Roku Channel reached 3.1% of total TV usage in May 2026, a platform record, while Tubi reached 2.1% in January and Paramount Streaming, combining Paramount+ and Pluto TV, hit a collective 2.5%.
Putting those against the streaming total is clarifying. The Roku Channel at 3.1% represents roughly 6.4% of all streaming viewing, which makes a service with no subscription revenue a meaningful share of the category. Tubi’s 2.1% came with a 6% month-on-month gain from December, and Paramount Streaming’s 2.5% was up 10% from November, so both were growing at rates the overall category was not. The bundled Paramount figure illustrates the classification problem from the previous section directly, since Paramount+ is a paid service and Pluto TV is free, yet Nielsen reports them together at the distributor level while also reporting Paramount+ separately at 2.3% in May.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The Roku Channel, May 2026 | 3.1% | Nielsen |
| Change from April | up 0.1 point | Nielsen |
| Roku Channel share of all streaming | approx. 6.4% | Derived from Nielsen figures |
| Tubi, January 2026 | 2.1% | Nielsen |
| Tubi change from December | up 6% | Nielsen |
| Paramount Streaming combined, January | 2.5% | Nielsen |
| Change from November | up 10% | Nielsen |
| Paramount+ alone, May 2026 | 2.3% | Nielsen |
Subscription dynamics sit in our streaming churn statistics. Source: Nielsen, TV viewing hits 12-month high in the January Gauge.
4. YouTube Is the Largest Distributor
One free ad-supported service dwarfs everything Nielsen classifies as FAST, and it is reported separately. YouTube reached 13.8% of total TV viewing in May 2026, up 0.4 points, holding the largest share of television among all distributors for a third consecutive month.
The comparison that matters is against subscription streaming rather than against FAST. YouTube at 13.8% is 5.8 points ahead of Netflix at 8.0% and more than triple Prime Video at 4.5%. Expressed as a share of all streaming, YouTube accounts for roughly 28.4%, meaning close to three in ten streaming minutes go to a service that charges nothing to watch. That YouTube is excluded from FAST classification is a taxonomy decision rather than an economic one; on the substance, the largest free ad-supported television service in the United States is bigger than every service in the FAST category combined.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube share, May 2026 | 13.8% | Nielsen |
| Change from April | up 0.4 points | Nielsen |
| Consecutive months as largest distributor | 3 | Nielsen |
| Netflix | 8.0%, up 0.2 points | Nielsen |
| Prime Video | 4.5%, up 0.3 points | Nielsen |
| YouTube lead over Netflix | 5.8 points | Derived from Nielsen figures |
| YouTube share of all streaming | approx. 28.4% | Derived from Nielsen figures |
| YouTube versus FAST category total | larger | Derived from Nielsen figures |
Platform detail sits in our YouTube statistics and Netflix statistics. Source: Nielsen, streaming embarks on annual summer ascent.
5. Advertising Still Funds Most Viewing
Stepping back from platform rivalry, the business model picture is less disrupted than the distribution picture. Ad-supported television represented 74.2% of overall TV viewing in the fourth quarter of 2025, spanning broadcast, cable, and ad-supported streaming tiers together.
Roughly three-quarters of all television watched in the United States carries advertising, which is close to what the figure would have been before streaming existed. What changed is where the inventory sits, not whether viewers accept advertising. That reframes the FAST story: these services are not introducing an unfamiliar model but relocating the incumbent one onto streaming infrastructure. It also explains why subscription services keep launching ad-supported tiers, since the addressable audience for ad-funded television has stayed close to the whole audience while the addressable audience for pure subscription is a minority of viewing.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ad-supported share of TV viewing, Q4 2025 | 74.2% | Nielsen |
| Categories included | broadcast, cable, ad-supported streaming | Nielsen |
| Implied ad-free share | approx. 25.8% | Derived from Nielsen figures |
| Streaming share of total viewing | 48.6% | Nielsen |
| Implication for FAST | relocating an incumbent model | Derived |
| Implication for subscription services | ad tiers expand addressable viewing | Derived |
| Broadcast and cable combined | 39.6% | Derived from Nielsen figures |
| Ad-supported viewing beyond broadcast and cable | approx. 34.6 points | Derived from Nielsen figures |
Ad-market context sits in our podcast advertising statistics. Source: Nielsen’s Q1 2026 Ad Supported Gauge.
6. What The Gauge Actually Measures
Before using any of these numbers in an argument, one property of the measure needs stating. The Gauge reports share of total television watch-time in United States homes, not subscribers, users, or revenue.
Share is a relative measure, which produces counterintuitive results. A platform can gain share while losing subscribers if the remaining audience watches more, and can lose share while growing if the overall pie grows faster. Nielsen’s own framing reinforces the caution: total TV viewing hit a 12-month high in January 2026 and streaming ascends seasonally through summer, so month-on-month share changes mix genuine shifts with seasonal ones. Individual months can also be moved by single titles, as when Prime Video posted its best share to date on the back of a series finale drawing 5 billion viewing minutes and live sports drawing 7.5 billion. Reading a one-month move as a trend is the most common error with this dataset.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What is measured | share of total TV watch-time | Nielsen |
| What is not measured | subscribers, users, revenue | Nielsen |
| Geographic coverage | United States homes | Nielsen |
| Total viewing, January 2026 | 12-month high | Nielsen |
| Seasonal pattern | streaming ascends through summer | Nielsen |
| Prime Video series finale | 5 billion viewing minutes | Nielsen |
| Prime Video live sports | 7.5 billion viewing minutes | Nielsen |
| Most common misreading | treating one month as a trend | Derived |
Source: Nielsen launches 2026 upfront planning series.
Summary: FAST and Streaming by the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming share, May 2026 | 48.6% | Nielsen |
| Change from April | up 1.0 point | Nielsen |
| Cable | 20.4% | Nielsen |
| Broadcast | 19.2% | Nielsen |
| Broadcast and cable combined | 39.6% | Derived |
| Streaming record, December 2025 | 47.5% | Nielsen |
| YouTube | 13.8% | Nielsen |
| Netflix | 8.0% | Nielsen |
| Prime Video | 4.5% | Nielsen |
| The Roku Channel | 3.1% | Nielsen |
| Paramount+ | 2.3% | Nielsen |
| Tubi, January 2026 | 2.1% | Nielsen |
| Paramount Streaming combined, January | 2.5% | Nielsen |
| Disney, total distributor share | 10.0% | Nielsen |
| NBCU and Versant | 8.4% | Nielsen |
| FAST share of total viewing | approx. 6.8% | Nielsen |
| FAST share within streaming | approx. 19% | Nielsen |
| Ad-supported share, Q4 2025 | 74.2% | Nielsen |
| YouTube share of all streaming | approx. 28.4% | Derived |
Methodology and Sources
- Monthly share-of-viewing figures for streaming, broadcast, cable, and individual platforms come from Nielsen’s The Gauge (May 2026 Gauge, January 2026 Gauge, December 2025 streaming record).
- Ad-supported viewing share comes from Nielsen’s separate Ad Supported Gauge, and FAST-specific sizing from Nielsen data reported by industry analysts (Q1 2026 Ad Supported Gauge, The Measure on FAST share, Nielsen upfront planning series).
- Independent coverage was used to corroborate monthly movements (Hollywood Reporter, Adwave cable versus streaming Q1 2026).
- Data watch: The Gauge measures share of viewing rather than subscribers, users, or revenue, so a rising share is not evidence of a growing business and vice versa. Figures cover United States homes only. Nielsen’s two FAST sizings, roughly 6.8% of total viewing and roughly 19% of streaming viewing, are not reconcilable against each other on a simple calculation because they use different definitions of which services qualify and cover different periods; both are reported as published rather than adjusted. There is no settled industry definition of FAST, and services combining free and paid tiers are classified inconsistently, with Paramount reported both as a combined distributor and as a separate Paramount+ line. Monthly figures are affected by seasonality and by individual titles, so single-month movements should not be read as trends. Rows marked as derived are arithmetic on published Nielsen figures.
- Last updated: August 2, 2026. We update this roundup quarterly, and the next major refresh is expected with Nielsen’s subsequent monthly Gauge reports.