Television viewing in the United States reached historic levels in November 2025, driven by a powerful combination of live sports, blockbuster streaming debuts, and holiday traditions. According to the latest Nielsen Media Distributor Gauge, Paramount and Netflix emerged as the month’s dominant growth leaders, capitalizing on high-demand content to reshape the competitive TV landscape.
Paramount secured the largest share gain of the month, climbing to the No. 3 position in the overall rankings. Meanwhile, YouTube and Disney successfully defended their titles as the most-watched distributors in the nation.
The month of November was defined by double-digit growth for the industry’s biggest players. Paramount saw a 14% surge in viewing, reaching an 8.9% share of total television watch-time—its highest since April. This momentum was split between its broadcast and streaming arms, with both CBS affiliates and Paramount+ recording viewership increases of over 18%.
Netflix also enjoyed a blockbuster month, with viewing up 10% over October. The streaming giant captured 8.3% of total TV usage, propelled by massive titles:
- Stranger Things: Generated nearly 12 billion viewing minutes alone.
- The Beast in Me & Frankenstein: The Guillermo del Toro reimagining and new original series contributed a combined 7 billion viewing minutes.
Despite the aggressive gains from competitors, YouTube remains the undisputed king of US television, maintaining a steady 12.9% share. Disney followed in second place with 10.5%, although it experienced a 0.9 share point decline. Nielsen analysts attributed this dip to a carriage dispute with YouTube TV that impacted viewership for ABC affiliates and ESPN.
The “holiday effect” was most visible in the performance of Hallmark and Peacock. Hallmark recorded the highest percentage growth of any distributor, with a 28% surge in viewing driven by its signature festive movies and the series Mistletoe Murders.
NBCUniversal also hit a milestone, reaching an 8.8% share. Its streaming platform, Peacock, soared 22% thanks to a potent mix of NFL Sunday Night Football, Thanksgiving Day specials, and the drama All Her Fault. Peacock achieved a non-Olympic record high, accounting for 1.9% of all television viewing.
Key Highlights:
- Top Performers: YouTube (12.9%) and Disney (10.5%) remain the top two US media distributors, while Paramount (8.9%) climbed to third place following a 14% growth spurt.
- Streaming Giants: Netflix reached an 8.3% share, fueled by the return of Stranger Things, which amassed 12 billion viewing minutes.
- Holiday Momentum: Hallmark saw a massive 28% viewing increase due to festive programming, while Peacock hit a record 1.9% share on the back of NFL and Thanksgiving content.
- Live Sports Impact: Sports accounted for 37% of all broadcast viewership in November, driving significant gains for NBCUniversal and Paramount.