The July 2025 edition of Nielsen’s The Gauge, which meticulously tracks US television consumption across all platforms, reveals a significant shift in viewing habits. Streaming has undeniably taken center stage, achieving a record-breaking 47.3% of all TV viewing – a notable increase from June's 46%.
YouTube maintains its leading position, capturing 13.4% of total viewing. Netflix follows closely behind with an 8.8% share, significantly boosted by the new season of Squid Game, which amassed an impressive 5.4 billion viewing minutes. Peacock also performed well, tying its non-Olympic record at 1.6% thanks to the success of Love Island USA (5.3 billion viewing minutes). The Roku Channel experienced the most substantial monthly growth, surging 7.5% to reach a 2.8% share.
In contrast, traditional television experienced a decline. Broadcast TV dipped slightly to 18.4%, although ABC World News Tonight maintained its dominance, securing 19 out of the top 20 telecasts. Cable TV suffered a more significant drop to 22.2%, largely attributed to summer slumps in news (-11%) and sports (-17%). A noteworthy exception was the MLB Home Run Derby on ESPN, which attracted 5.3 million viewers. The combined share of broadcast and cable television now stands at 40.6%. The substantial gap between streaming and linear TV – nearly 7 percentage points – represents the widest margin recorded to date.