Gitnux/Report 2026

Television Viewership Statistics

US traditional TV households have slid to 65 percent and the linear share of viewing is down to 27 percent, while streaming capture reaches 38.8 percent of TV time and FAST services now sit at 43 percent adoption. Churn, ad revenue, and viewing hours are all moving at once, turning 2025 scale cord cutting into a measurable reshuffle of who is watching, what is being funded, and where audiences go next.
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May 14, 2026Updated
Television Viewership Statistics
Leah KesslerWritten by Leah Kessler·Edited by Priya Chandrasekaran·Fact-checked by Astrid Bergmann
Published ·Updated
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Traditional TV households in the US slipped to 65% in 2023 from 90% in 2015, while streaming-only homes climbed to 41% in 2023. At the same time, TV time is fragmenting across platforms, with streaming capture reaching 38.8% of viewing and cable and satellite share falling to 27% in 2023.

Key Takeaways

  • Traditional TV households in US fell from 90% in 2015 to 65% in 2023
  • Streaming-only US homes rose to 41% in 2023 from 20% in 2019
  • US pay-TV subscribers lost 6.5 million in 2023, total 65 million
  • In the US, 18-49 demo TV viewing time was 2 hours 12 minutes daily in 2022
  • Women aged 25-54 in US watched 25% more TV than men in 2023, averaging 4.2 hours daily
  • US Gen Z (18-24) TV usage dropped to 1.7 hours per day in 2023 from 2.1 in 2019
  • Super Bowl LVII drew 115.1 million US viewers in 2023, highest ever
  • Oscars 2023 telecast averaged 18.7 million US viewers, up 12% YoY
  • FIFA World Cup Final 2022 peaked at 43 million US viewers
  • In 2023, US television viewership averaged 3.8 hours per day per person aged 2+, down 2.5% from 2022
  • UK linear TV viewing reached 2 hours 52 minutes per day in Q1 2024 for individuals 4+, a 10% YoY decline
  • Global TV ad spend projected at $184.7 billion in 2024, with 52% from traditional TV

Streaming dominates as US traditional TV declines and FAST and CTV hours keep surging in 2023.

Related reading

02 · Category

Demographics29 stats

01
In the US, 18-49 demo TV viewing time was 2 hours 12 minutes daily in 2022
02
Women aged 25-54 in US watched 25% more TV than men in 2023, averaging 4.2 hours daily
03
US Gen Z (18-24) TV usage dropped to 1.7 hours per day in 2023 from 2.1 in 2019
04
Households with children under 12 watched 15% more TV in US 2023
05
US Black/African American viewers averaged 5.1 hours daily TV in 2023, highest demo
06
Seniors 65+ in US TV time 7.2 hours daily in 2023
07
US Hispanic viewers 18-34 watched 2.8 hours TV daily in 2023
08
Rural US households TV penetration 92% vs 85% urban in 2023
09
US college-educated viewers under 35 cut TV by 30% since 2015
10
Baby Boomers (55-73) accounted for 42% of US TV viewing hours in 2023
11
US income >$100k households TV time 3.1 hours vs 4.5 low-income in 2023
12
LGBTQ+ viewers in US watched 20% more streaming-inclusive TV in 2023
13
US men 18-49 sports TV 2.5 hours weekly more than women
14
Asian American US TV usage 3.4 hours daily, up 5% YoY 2023
15
Single-person US households watched 28% more TV in 2023
16
US veterans TV viewing 5.8 hours daily, highest among groups 2023
17
Parents with teens (13-17) TV co-viewing up 12% in 2023 US
18
US disabled adults TV time 6.1 hours daily vs 3.9 non-disabled 2023
19
Gamers aged 18-34 in US TV 1.9 hours, down 15% since 2020
20
US married couples TV 3.9 hours daily vs 4.6 singles 2023
21
Homeowners vs renters US TV gap widened to 1.2 hours daily 2023
22
US pet owners watched 4.1 hours TV daily, 8% more than non-owners 2023
23
College students US TV 1.4 hours daily, lowest adult group 2023
24
US blue-collar workers TV 4.7 hours vs 2.9 white-collar 2023
25
Religious US households TV 4.3 hours daily vs 3.5 secular 2023
26
US immigrants 1st gen TV 4.9 hours, highest 2023
27
Fitness enthusiasts US TV down 22% to 2.3 hours 2023
28
US music fans TV viewing 3.2 hours daily 2023
29
Remote workers US TV up 18% to 4.2 hours since 2020
Interpretation

Demographics Interpretation

While Gen Z scrolls and college grads flee, the great American television divide endures, with seniors and veterans holding the remote in a marathon of viewing that starkly outlines our days by age, income, and life circumstance.

More related reading

03 · Category

Major Events27 stats

01
Super Bowl LVII drew 115.1 million US viewers in 2023, highest ever
02
Oscars 2023 telecast averaged 18.7 million US viewers, up 12% YoY
03
FIFA World Cup Final 2022 peaked at 43 million US viewers
04
NBA Finals Game 5 2023: 13.5 million US viewers
05
WrestleMania 39 Night 2: 10.9 million US viewers 2023
06
Grammy Awards 2023: 16.8 million US viewers
07
NCAA March Madness Final Four 2023 averaged 15M US viewers
08
Emmys 2023: 4.3 million US viewers, lowest non-COVID
09
CMA Awards 2023: 8.5 million US viewers
10
Tony Awards 2023: 4.8 million US viewers
11
VMAs 2023: 1.2 million US viewers, MTV lowest
12
Golden Globes 2023: 6.3 million US viewers post-scandal
13
MTV Movie & TV Awards 2023 canceled due to strikes, prior 2022: 0.59M
14
SAG Awards 2023: 1.8 million US viewers
15
Billboard Music Awards 2023: 3.1 million viewers
16
People's Choice Awards 2023: 2.4 million US viewers
17
iHeartRadio Awards 2023: 2.9 million viewers
18
American Music Awards last 2022: 2.2 million, no 2023
19
Kennedy Center Honors 2023: 5.1 million viewers
20
Miss America 2023: 1.6 million viewers
21
State of the Union 2023: 27.3 million US viewers
22
VP Debate 2023: 71 million US viewers
23
Republican Debate Aug 2023: 13 million viewers
24
Democratic Debate Sep 2023: 10 million viewers
25
World Series Game 5 2023: 12.5 million US viewers
26
Stanley Cup Final Game 5 2023: 7.8 million viewers
27
US Open Tennis Final 2023: 1.9 million viewers
Interpretation

Major Events Interpretation

The Super Bowl is a national holiday, a Vice Presidential debate is a partisan battle royale, and everything else is just us scrolling for something better to watch.
Reference

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APA
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Television Viewership Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/television-viewership-statistics
MLA
Leah Kessler. "Television Viewership Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/television-viewership-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "Television Viewership Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/television-viewership-statistics.

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