STREAMING NEARS HALF OF ALL U.S. TV VIEWING IN DECEMBER

Streaming platforms accounted for a record 47.5% of total television viewing in the United States in December, marking the strongest showing ever recorded for the category, according to new data from Nielsen.

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The milestone reflects a combination of seasonal viewing habits, major live sports events, and renewed interest in blockbuster streaming series, underscoring how firmly streaming has reshaped the American TV landscape.

The December figure represents the highest share since Nielsen launched its monthly Gauge report in 2020. Compared with the same period a year earlier, streaming's share rose by more than four percentage points, continuing a steady, multiyear erosion of traditional broadcast and cable television.

STRANGER THINGS AND HOLIDAY SPORTS DRIVE VIEWING

A major contributor to December's surge was renewed engagement with Stranger Things, which alone generated roughly 15 billion viewing minutes during the month. The series helped Netflix increase its overall viewing share by about 10% compared with November, according to Nielsen's platform-level breakdown.

Live sports also played a significant role. Nielsen noted that December 13 marked a symbolic turning point, with streaming surpassing 50% of total TV usage on a single day. Additional momentum came later in the month, when three NFL games on December 25 were made available via streaming platforms, pulling in large holiday audiences that historically would have been split between broadcast and cable.