NEW YORK—Nielsen’s Q2 2026 edition of the Ad Supported Gauge shows that ad-supported TV captured a 71.5% share of total viewing, which represents a 1.3 share point decline from the first quarter of the year, and that live sports programming boosted broadcast’s share of ad-supported TV viewing.
Broadcast viewing followed its typical seasonal decline from Q1 to Q2, though the drop was softer than the same period last year. Sports programming, notably the NBA playoffs and early World Cup coverage, helped broadcast gain 0.6 share points year-over-year, rising to 26.6% from 26.0% in Q2 2025.
Meanwhile streaming continued its upward trajectory, expanding its lead within ad-supported TV by 1.6 share points to reach a 48.2% share. Cable held steady, retaining the 25.2% share it established in the first quarter.
The report also noted that when the focus is shifted from total viewing (Persons 2+) to adults 18 and older (Persons 18+), traditional TV gains notable ground.
The Persons 18+ segment reallocates 3.8 share points away from streaming down to 44.4%, while boosting broadcast to 28.6% (+2.0 points) and cable to 27.0% (+1.8 points).
Nielsen stressed that the published version of The Ad Supported Gauge has not migrated to the ARF DASH-based media related universe estimates which is planned for the fall. This is significant because this approach, while consistent with previous months of the Gauge, will have different results.
