YouTube Leads Disney and Netflix in TV Viewership, Nielsen Says

Nielsen’s recent report underscores YouTube’s swift rise in the TV industry.

On Tuesday, Nielsen published its April 2025 “Media Distributor Gauge” report, revealing that YouTube has held the top spot in TV viewership for three months in a row, capturing 12.4% of total audience TV watching time.

This represents a notable rise from 12% the month before and an even sharper increase from 9.6% a year earlier.

YouTube Strengthens Lead Over Major Media Competitors

The figures highlight YouTube’s growing dominance in the living room, outperforming major media companies like Disney, Paramount, and Netflix. In April, Disney ranked second with a 10.7% share of total TV viewing.

Furthermore, YouTube’s internal data reveals that viewers primarily used TVs to watch YouTube in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2025.

YouTube Secures Exclusive NFL Streaming Deal, Boosting Future Growth

Additionally, YouTube’s TV viewership share is expected to grow further. At its annual Upfront event for advertisers earlier this month, the company revealed a major deal with the NFL. Under this agreement, YouTube will exclusively stream the season’s first Friday game worldwide, marking its debut as a live broadcaster of NFL games.

Read the original article on: Techcrunch

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