YouTube Dominates TV Viewing, Outperforming Netflix and Disney
According to Nielsen's April 2025 Media Distributor Gauge report, YouTube has secured the largest share of TV viewing for the third straight month. The platform now accounts for 12.4% of total TV viewing time.
This represents a significant increase from 12% in March and a substantial jump from 9.6% a year ago. This data solidifies YouTube's growing dominance in the living room, surpassing major media companies like Disney (10.7%), Paramount, and Netflix.
YouTube's Rise in TV Viewership
Internal YouTube data reveals that TVs were the primary viewing device in the US during the first quarter of 2025. This trend is expected to continue, especially with YouTube's recent deal to exclusively stream the first NFL Sunday Ticket game of the season globally. This marks YouTube's first foray into live NFL game broadcasting.
This landmark deal, announced during YouTube's Upfront event for advertisers, further strengthens YouTube's position in the competitive streaming landscape.
For more information on Nielsen's findings, visit their official report (Nielsen Report).
