NEW YORK—Ad-supported television represented 74.2% of overall TV viewing in the fourth quarter 2025, according to Nielsen’s newly released Q4 Ad Supported Gauge, hitting a peak for the viewing share of ad-supported content in 2025.
Compared to Q3 2025, ad supported viewing was up 9%, outpacing the 7% increase in total TV viewing, as football and young adults helped drive upticks.
Audiences spent 45.6% of their ad supported viewing time with streaming, 29.6% with broadcast, and 24.8% with cable. Broadcast experienced the largest quarterly jump of any ad supported viewing category throughout all of 2025 in Q4, capturing a 22% increase and adding 3.2 share points. Football was a major driver for broadcast, as sports viewing surged by 135%, almost doubling its Q3 share of the category to 34% .
Overall, the ad supported broadcast category saw its biggest increase among 25-34 year olds (up 41%), but the key demographic groups of 18-49 and 25-54 also saw increases of 31% and 29%, respectively.
Now in its fourth edition, Nielsen’s Ad Supported Gauge, an extension of The Gauge™, provides the industry with the broadest view of the portion of television that delivers advertising across broadcast, cable and streaming. These new insights provide advertisers and agencies with an essential, up-to-date view of opportunities to connect with consumers across ad-supported platforms.
