According to Nielsen’s new Q3 2025 Ad-Supported Gauge, football season drove a sharp increase in ad-supported TV viewing, which peaked at 74.7% of total TV usage in September — the highest monthly share of the year.
For the full third quarter (June 30 – September 28, 2025), ad-supported television accounted for 72.9% of all TV viewing. Within that ad-supported total:
- Streaming led with 46.4%
- Cable took 27.2%
- Broadcast captured 26.4%
Nielsen highlighted clear seasonal swings in the data. July was one of the strongest months of the year for streaming (48% of the ad-supported pie) because children and teens were on summer break and many viewers shifted to ad-free streaming options during a lighter period for traditional TV.
When live sports — especially football — returned in September, broadcast surged, lifting the overall ad-supported share while streaming dropped 3.6 points to 44.4%. Broadcast gained 4.4 points, rising to 29.1%, fueled by a robust sports lineup. Cable stayed relatively steady throughout the period.
Among adults 18+, ad-supported TV performed even stronger, claiming 75.1% of total viewing. In this demographic, streaming’s share within ad-supported viewing fell four points to 42.4%, with those points evenly split between broadcast (+2 to 28.4%) and cable (+2 to 29.2%).