A trifecta of things led tv viewing in January to a document 12-month excessive, in accordance with Nielsen’s month-to-month gauge report.
The report, which gives a snapshot of complete TV and streaming consumption, revealed that total TV viewing was up +3.7% in comparison with the final month of 2025. This was resulting from win-or-go-home sporting conditions, returning broadcast dramas, and colder winter temperatures that saved audiences indoors.
The cable section was the most important beneficiary throughout this era, seeing a +9% enhance in viewership in comparison with December. It additionally had the most important month-to-month viewing enhance throughout Nielsen’s The Gauge, rising +1.0% to 21.2% from December’s 20.2%.
ESPN accounted for the majority of cable sports activities viewership, with a +82% month-to-month viewing enhance, pushed by its protection of the Faculty Soccer Playoffs, together with the quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship video games.
An lively information cycle additionally gave cable information networks a lift in January, with viewership up +13% from December. Fox Information had a +17% achieve, and CNN recorded a +29% achieve throughout this era.
Streaming remained the popular TV viewing format, accounting for 47% of utilization in January. Sadly, it was down -0.5% from its December displaying.
The mixed linear section of broadcast and cable had a share of 42.7%, up +1.1% from the earlier month. The 2 segments have been the one ones to see month-to-month will increase, and, as talked about earlier, the cable section completed up +1% from December to 21.2%. The printed section was up +0.1% to 21.5% in January.
As with cable, sports activities dominated the published viewing section, accounting for 30% of complete viewership, with NFL video games rating among the many high 15 telecasts of the month. Broadcast dramas have been up +24% from December, and broadcast information was up +10% from final month, led by ABC World Information Tonight.
Lastly, the Different class decreased by -0.6% to face at 10.3% for the month.
A more in-depth have a look at the streaming class for January exhibits YouTube remained in first place amongst streaming companies, accounting for 12.5% of all viewing, down -0.2% from the earlier month.
Netflix continues to carry agency in second place, with 8.8% of all streaming consumption. This represented a -0.2% lower over December.
The Disney group of streaming channels, comprising Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu SVOD, accounted for 4.9%, up +0.2% from the earlier month. It was adopted by Amazon’s Prime Video, which completed at 4.1%, down -0.2 from the ultimate month of 2025.
The Roku Channel remained regular at 3.0%, adopted by the Paramount+ and PlutoTV consortium, which contains Paramount World’s streaming platforms, ending January at 2.3%, down -0.2%.
Tubi grew by +0.1% to 2.1% of all streaming consumption, adopted by NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, which had a +0.1% achieve to complete with 1.8%.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming companies, comprising HBO Max and Discovery+, remained regular with a 1.4% share in January.
