Competitive Info: Streaming Surpasses Broadcast And Cable Combined In Historic TV Viewing Milestone.

For the first time ever, streaming has overtaken the combined share of broadcast and cable TV, marking a major milestone in television history. According to Nielsen’s May 2025 edition of The Gauge, streaming accounted for a record 44.8% of total TV usage — outpacing the combined 44.2% share of broadcast (20.1%) and cable (24.1%).

RAB President and CEO Mike Hulvey is confident that radio — which is seeing relatively stable audiences as television’s audiences continue to erode — is poised to fill the void.

“Radio continues to collaborate as an industry on enhancing our measurement capabilities,” he tells Inside Radio. “At the same time, we are working together to engage with and ensure the advertising community’s understanding of the medium’s strength — from a listening perspective and, more importantly, from an ROI one. We will continue to seize and leverage radio’s stability to drive growth and share that it is commensurate with its offerings to all our advertisers whether they be local or national in scope.”

Streaming usage has surged 71% over the past four years, while broadcast and cable have declined by 21% and 39%, respectively.

The rise of streaming is also evident in the growing number of platforms exceeding a 1% share of total TV time. What began with five major players — Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Prime Video, and Disney+ — has grown to 11 platforms as of May 2025.

Netflix remains the top subscription streaming service, maintaining the lead for four consecutive years. Since May 2021, its viewership has grown 27%, boosted by high-profile events like the two exclusive NFL games it streamed on Christmas Day 2024 — marking the most-watched day in streaming history.

Free streaming options have also played a key role in the format’s dominance. YouTube (excluding YouTube TV) has seen a 120% jump in usage since 2021 and claimed 12.5% of total TV viewing in May — the highest share ever recorded for a single streaming platform. Meanwhile, ad-supported services like Pluto TV, Roku Channel, and Tubi collectively captured 5.7% of total TV viewing, surpassing any individual broadcast network during the month.

Those streaming options, however, have routinely been accompanied by rising prices, consistent churn and the absence of a local community presence.

“Radio has long been aware of a consumer’s needs to access the content they want wherever and whenever they want it,” Hulvey says. “The radio industry has made its content available without the need for multiple subscription levels. Radio’s reach and ability to deliver messaging and results continue to evolve to meet the needs of the advertising community. As an amplifier, broadcast radio can also help our video brethren to drive interest in their programming and subscription offerings.”