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YouTube has taken the top spot as the most-watched streaming platform on American television sets, pulling ahead of subscription services like Netflix. According to viewership figures gathered by Nielsen, YouTube secured 14.2 percent of total US television viewing time, nearly doubling Netflix’s share of 7.8 percent.
Free Platforms Compete with Major Media Brands
Nielsen’s measurements track actual watch time on television screens rather than mobile devices, download tallies, or total subscriber counts. Overall streaming accounted for 49 percent of all TV viewing time. Live television watched through YouTube TV is classified under broadcast or cable metrics, ensuring that standalone pay TV consumption does not inflate YouTube’s main streaming figures.
Behind the lead platforms, several free, ad-supported options outperformed well-known paid streaming brands. Disney’s combined platforms—Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+—reached a 4.7 percent viewing share, while Amazon Prime Video recorded 4.2 percent. The Roku Channel placed fifth overall with 2.9 percent, placing it ahead of Peacock’s 2.6 percent. Paramount’s offerings, which include Paramount+ and Pluto TV, reached 2.2 percent. Tubi generated a 2 percent share, surpassing the 1.4 percent achieved by Warner Bros. Discovery’s services, which include HBO Max and discovery+.
Sports, Reality Content, and Viewing Features
Despite staying behind top competitors, Peacock saw its viewership grow 15 percent over the previous month. The platform benefited from World Cup broadcasts, while the reality program Love Island USA accumulated 4.9 billion viewing minutes during the month. Nielsen noted that it continues to evaluate the effects of a measurement system adjustment implemented for Tubi earlier in June.
Ad-supported platforms operate under different business structures. Tubi provides its catalog entirely for free without a subscription tier, attracting viewers who seek hard-to-find titles and classic television broadcasts. The Roku Channel offers its free catalog via web browsers and compatible Samsung or Fire TV devices without requiring Roku hardware, while also selling optional subscriptions to third-party services.
Diversified Revenue and Media Industry Deals
Mainstream platforms use various monetization strategies alongside ad revenues. YouTube reported that living-room device podcast consumption reached over 700 million hours in October 2025, up from 400 million hours the year prior. It also generates revenue through movie rentals, YouTube Premium accounts, and channel memberships. Netflix primarily relies on standard subscription plans, whereas Prime Video incorporates channel add-ons and digital rentals.
The July viewing figures captured consumer habits prior to significant media consolidation. Following the reported metrics, Paramount, now operating as Skydance, acquired Warner Bros. Discovery on October 6. Meanwhile, Tubi owner Fox agreed in June to buy Roku for approximately $22 billion, a transaction that Roku confirmed was still pending as of October 19.
