TV viewing in the U.S. reached a 12-month high in January 2026, rising 3.7% from December, according to Nielsen's Gauge report. The surge was driven by strong sports programming, returning broadcast dramas, a 9% jump in cable viewership, and cold weather keeping people indoors.
Cable posted the largest monthly gain among platforms, climbing to 21.1% (or 21.2% in some reports) of total TV time. Sports viewing on cable surged 49% month-over-month, fueled by ESPN's coverage of the College Football Playoffs, including quarterfinals, semifinals, and the championship, which drove an 82% increase in ESPN's viewing. Cable news rose 13%, boosted by an active news cycle, with Fox News up 17% and CNN up 29%. ESPN and Fox News each captured 2.2% of total TV usage, combining for 21% of cable viewing.
Broadcast viewing increased 4.2% to 21.5% of total TV time. NFL games dominated, claiming the top 15 broadcast telecasts and accounting for 30% of the category's viewership. Broadcast dramas jumped 24%, led by ABC's "High Potential" as the most-watched drama. Broadcast news gained 10%, headlined by ABC's "World News Tonight."
Streaming held a leading 47% share of TV viewing (slightly down from December's record 47.5%), with time spent up 2.7% month-over-month. YouTube led with 12.5% share. Netflix posted its strongest month yet at 8.8% share (up 1% from December) and topped streaming programs for the second straight month with "Stranger Things" amassing 15.4 billion viewing minutes.
Other streaming highlights:
- Disney+ (plus Hulu and ESPN+) combined for 4.9% share.
- Prime Video held 4.1%.
- The Roku Channel grew 5% to 3%.
- Paramount+ and Pluto TV together reached 2.3%.
- Tubi rose 6% to 2.1%.
- Peacock surged 10% to 1.8%, powered by the new season of "The Traitors" and NFL simulcasts on NBC; a January 18 Rams-Bears Divisional Playoff game boosted Peacock viewership 78% above its monthly average.
- Warner Bros. Discovery rounded out major players at 1.4% share.
The rebound in linear TV (cable and broadcast) came amid streaming's continued dominance, with sports and seasonal factors playing key roles in January's overall viewing spike.