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How Do Americans Watch TV in 2024?
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When Netflix launched its online streaming service in 2007, there were originally 1,000 titles available in its content library through the $5.99 monthly disc plan. That same year, the first iPhone hit the market, President George W. Bush was in office, and the subprime mortgage crisis was upending financial markets. A lot has changed since then.
After launching its own production company in 2011 and releasing “House of Cards”, Netflix played an even greater role in shaping how Americans view TV today.
This graphic breaks down U.S. TV viewing by platform, based on data from Nielsen.
U.S. TV Viewership by Platform
Below, we show the share of Americans that watch TV through each major platform category:
| Platform | Share of ViewingApril 2024 |
|---|---|
| Streaming | 38.4% |
| Broadcast | 22.2% |
| Cable | 29.1% |
| Other | 10.4% |
Other includes TV usage with other tuning sources, unmeasured video on demand, audio streaming, gaming, and other device (like DVD playback) use.
Today, broadcast and cable still account for the majority of TV viewership, making up more than half of total usage as of April 2024.
However, streaming services are capturing a near-record share of total U.S. TV viewership, at 38.4% overall. For perspective, just 26% of Americans had a video-on-demand subscription in 2014 and 81% paid for traditional TV. Now, 83% of households pay for streaming services.
The Top Streaming Service Providers in 2024
Overall, YouTube makes up the highest share of online streaming, with 238 million users in America, comprising a 9.6% share of total TV viewership as of April 2024.
| Platform | Share of ViewingApril 2024 |
|---|---|
| YouTube | 9.6% |
| Netflix | 7.6% |
| Prime Video | 3.2% |
| Hulu | 3.1% |
| Disney+ | 1.8% |
| Other Streaming | 13.1% |
Falling next in line is Netflix, with 174 million viewers in the U.S. this year, and millennials making up the biggest share of its audience.
Beyond the American market, Netflix was the top streaming provider by number of subscribers in 78 countries worldwide in 2023.
With 3.2% of total TV usage, Amazon Prime Video ranks in third. The platform has one of the highest share of subscribers watching ad-supported content, at 80% of viewers as of February 2024. By contrast, 7.5% of Netflix subscribers and 25% of Disney+ viewers watch ads.
YouTube is the only platform to surpass Amazon Prime Video in ad-supported content, which the company first began introducing in 2007.
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