May served as a watershed month for US viewing habits, as streaming surpassed the combined share of broadcast and cable for the first time in Nielsen measurement. Still, among television viewing share last month, Warner Bros. Discovery and FOX were the big winners in terms of growth.
Streaming accounted for 44.8% of total television usage, edging out the combined 44.2% share held by linear TV. Nielsen called it a “historic milestone” that underscores how rapidly consumer behavior has shifted since The Gauge debuted in 2021. While broadcast and cable have declined 21% and 39% respectively over four years, Nielsen noted that linear platforms have maintained a measure of resilience even as streaming surges ahead.
According to Nielsen’s latest Media Distributor Gauge report period from April 29 to May 26, Warner Bros. Discovery led all distributors across streaming, broadcast, and cable in growth, increasing its total television usage share by 0.3 points to reach 7.0%. The rise was driven largely by TNT’s coverage of the NBA Playoffs, which lifted TNT’s viewership 69% compared to April. Eight New York Knicks games broadcast by TNT generated nearly 7 billion viewing minutes combined.
Across Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney properties, the NBA Playoffs delivered a combined 31.4 billion minutes of viewership, with Knicks games accounting for nearly a quarter of that total.
FOX posted a 0.2 point increase in its share, aided by a strong month for Tubi, its free ad-supported streaming service. Tubi reached a record 2.2% share of total TV usage, fueled by a 25% spike in viewership among adults aged 18-24. Tubi now represents nearly one-third of FOX’s overall viewing total for the month. FOX’s linear networks, including NASCAR coverage on FOX Sports 1, also contributed to the company’s May growth. FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery both closed the month with a 7.0% share of total TV, though Warner Bros. Discovery edged slightly ahead in unrounded totals, securing sixth place in the distributor rankings.
With streaming’s victory, YouTube remained the top media distributor for the fourth consecutive month, inching up 0.1 points to hold a 12.5% share of total TV viewing. Despite declines across most demographic groups, with the exception of viewers 65 and older, YouTube’s rate of decline was smaller than overall TV usage, resulting in another monthly share gain and a platform record.
Among other distributors, NBCUniversal moved into third place with an 8.0% share. Paramount slipped to fourth after dropping a full share point as viewership declined following the conclusion of March Madness and The Masters. The Roku Channel reached a new high of 2.5% total TV share, boosted by double-digit gains among viewers aged 12-17 and 25-34.
The Media Distributor Gauge, part of Nielsen’s expanded Gauge report since April 2024, offers a comprehensive view of viewing activity across platforms as audiences continue to shift between streaming, cable, and broadcast television.
