Sports Programming Makes Up Nearly 30% of All Ad-Supported TV Viewing, According to Nielsen
Recent figures from Nielsen highlight the significant impact of sports programming on television viewing habits, revealing that sports accounted for 29.2% of all advertising-supported TV viewership among individuals aged 25 to 54 in the fourth quarter of 2025.
This statistic encapsulates data from broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms, part of a broader report on viewership trends released in advance of upcoming advertising upfronts. Notably, outside of sports, broadcast television captured only 9.8% of viewership, while cable secured 18%. Streaming emerged as the most prominent source for non-sports viewing, representing 43% of the total, demonstrating the escalating growth of advertisements on platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and HBO Max.
For adults aged 18 to 49, 63.8% of overall viewing was ad-supported, compared to 36.2% that was ad-free. Streaming dominated the ad-supported viewing landscape at 66.7%, with broadcast and cable sharing the remaining audience fairly evenly. Despite the buzz around FAST channels, which have gained attention in recent years, they accounted for only 18.9% of all ad-supported programming on streaming. The majority of ad-supported viewing, as categorized by Nielsen, stems from platforms like YouTube, Hulu, Prime Video, Peacock, and Paramount+.
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These findings align with the recent presentations made by various media and streaming companies at the upfronts. Last year, Netflix hosted NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at its event in New York, while YouTube announced its own live NFL game. Additionally, Amazon and NBCUniversal showcased their new agreements with the NBA. Disney notably focused on promoting sports, highlighting the anticipated mid-2025 rollout of the enhanced ESPN app, which will integrate linear feeds with streaming and ESPN+ content.
Nielsen’s analysis draws from national TV panel data and ratings from streaming platforms, covering the period from September 29 to December 28 of the previous year.
