Television usage reached a 12-month high in January 2026, according to the latest edition of The Gauge™ from Nielsen, the media industry’s benchmark report tracking total TV and streaming consumption.
Total television viewing increased 3.7% compared to December. The growth was driven primarily by a 9% surge in cable viewing, major sporting events, the return of broadcast dramas, and colder winter weather that kept more viewers indoors.
Cable Leads Monthly Gains
Cable delivered the largest monthly increase among viewing categories, rising to 21.2% of total TV usage (+1.0 share point).
Sports programming was the primary driver, with cable sports viewing up 49% month-over-month. ESPN coverage of the College Football Playoffs — including the quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship — fueled the growth, with ESPN posting an 82% increase in viewing compared to December.
Cable news also benefited from a busy January news cycle, rising 13% month-over-month. Fox News Channel recorded a 17% increase in viewership, while CNN posted a 29% gain. Notably, ESPN and Fox News Channel each accounted for 2.2% of total TV usage in January and together represented 21% of all cable viewing for the month.
Broadcast Driven by Sports and Dramas
Broadcast viewing rose 4.2% compared to December and represented 21.5% of total TV usage.
Football remained the primary driver, with NFL games accounting for the top 15 broadcast telecasts. The sports genre captured 30% of total broadcast viewing. Broadcast dramas also experienced strong growth, increasing 24% month-over-month. High Potential on ABC emerged as the most-watched broadcast drama in January.
News programming saw gains as well, rising 10% compared to December, led by ABC World News Tonight.
Streaming Maintains Market Leadership
Following record-breaking levels in December, streaming continued to show strength in January. Viewing time increased 2.7% month-over-month, and streaming maintained its dominant position with 47.0% of total TV usage.
Netflix posted a 1% increase in viewing and represented 8.8% of total TV usage. For the second consecutive month, Stranger Things ranked as the top streaming title, generating 15.4 billion viewing minutes in January.
Peacock saw viewing rise 10% to reach 1.8% of total TV usage. Growth was driven by the new season of The Traitors and simulcasts of NFL games carried on NBC. A notable spike occurred on Sunday, January 18, during NBC’s Divisional Playoff broadcast between the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears, which generated a 78% increase over Peacock’s monthly average.
Among free ad-supported streaming platforms, Tubi increased 6% to capture 2.1% of total TV usage, while The Roku Channel rose 5% to maintain a 3.0% share — its highest platform performance for the second consecutive month.
