Streaming now accounts for nearly half of all television viewing in the United States. According to a report by The Wrap, streaming platforms reached a record 48.6% share of total TV viewership in May 2026, surpassing all previous highs as summer began and sports programming dominated the month.
Broadcast television came in at 19.2% for the month, and cable followed at 20.4%. Broadcast saw a slight 3% rebound in sports viewership, but that gain was offset by sharp declines in other categories. Broadcast dramas fell 13% and sitcoms dropped 10%, tied to the end of the traditional broadcast season.
Cable's 20.4% share was propped up largely by the NBA playoffs. Even so, a 16% drop in cable news viewership weighed heavily on the overall numbers for that category.
YouTube led all streaming platforms and distributors with a record 13.8% of total TV viewing. That number marks a new high for the platform, which has steadily grown its share of living room screen time over the past several years.
Netflix finished second among individual streaming platforms with an 8% share of TV viewership but dropped to fourth place in the broader Media Distributor Gauge. The service got a boost from the acquired series "La Brea," which ranked as the second most-streamed title of the month with over 4 billion viewing minutes.
Disney finished second in the distributor rankings with a 10% share of TV viewing, combining Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. ESPN itself was up 16% for the month and owned the top six cable telecasts in May. All six were driven by NBA Playoffs coverage.
NBCUniversal and Versant finished third among distributors with a combined 8.4% share. NBC held the top two broadcast telecasts for the month. The Kentucky Derby drew over 18 million viewers, and Game 7 of the NBA Western Conference Finals pulled in more than 12 million. Peacock accounted for 1.8% of NBCU's 6.2% share.
Paramount finished fifth overall with a 7.7% share of total TV viewership. Its streaming services reached a 2.3% share, a 7% increase over April and the largest usage gain among streaming platforms for the month. New Paramount+ original series "Dutton Ranch" and library content like "Spongebob Squarepants" drove those gains.
Amazon Prime Video posted its best share of total TV to date at 4.5%, finishing fourth among individual streaming platforms. An 18% increase in viewership among 18 to 24 year olds helped push those numbers. Sports coverage contributed 7.5 billion viewing minutes combined, including 12 NBA Playoff games, six WNBA games, and two NASCAR Cup Series races. "The Boys" added another 5 billion viewing minutes and ranked as the most-watched streaming title of the month across all platforms.
Warner Bros. Discovery finished May with a 5.7% share of total TV viewership, with streaming making up 1.5% of that total. David Ellison's $110 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery remains tied up in litigation with a group of 12 state attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America.
The Roku Channel also recorded a new platform best in May, reaching 3.1% of total TV usage.
