Nielsen: Ad-supported TV accounted for 74.2% of US viewing in Q4
February 5, 2026
Ad-supported television represented 74.2 per cent of overall TV viewing across the US 2025, according to Nielsen’s newly released Q4 Ad Supported Gauge. This percentage marked the highest the medium hit throughout all of 2025.
Compared to Q3 2025, ad supported viewing was also up 9 per cent, outpacing the 7 per cent increase in total TV viewing, as American football and young adult audiences helped drive upticks.
Audiences spent 45.6 per cent of their ad supported viewing time with streaming, 29.6 per cent with broadcast, and 24.8 per cent with cable. Broadcast experienced the largest quarterly jump of any ad supported viewing category throughout all of 2025 in Q4, capturing a 22 per cent increase and adding 3.2 share points.
American football was a major driver for broadcast, as sports viewing surged by 135 per cent, almost doubling its Q3 share of the category to 34 per cent .
Overall, the ad-supported broadcast category saw its biggest increase among 25-34 year olds (up 41 per cent), but the key demographic groups of 18 but the key demographic groups of 18-49 and 25-54 also saw increases of 31 per cent and 29 per cent, respectively.