Broadcast and cable TV post first gains since April amid football season kickoff

Traditional television saw its first share increase since April, fueled by the start of the college football season and back-to-school scheduling shifts, according to Nielsen’s August edition of The Gauge, released Sept. 16.

Broadcast and cable combined for a one-point share gain in August, accounting for 19.1 percent and 22.5 percent of total TV usage, respectively. The increase follows three consecutive months of decline across both categories.

Broadcast TV registered a 1.1 percent increase in viewership over July, reaching its highest share since May. The five-week measurement period ended Aug. 31, with the final week marking the peak of broadcast viewership. That timing aligned with the return of college football.

The most-watched telecast in August was Fox’s “Big Noon Saturday” game between Ohio State and Texas on Aug. 30, which drew more than 16.6 million viewers. ABC aired the next three most-viewed games, each surpassing 10 million viewers. Matchups included Notre Dame vs. Miami, Alabama vs. Florida State, and LSU vs. Clemson.

Cable viewing also rose, gaining 0.3 share points from the previous month. Viewership was highest among adults 18 to 49 during the last week of August, driven by ESPN’s coverage of college football. Sports viewing on cable increased by 30 percent from July and accounted for over 9 percent of total cable watch-time.

Streaming declined by more than 4 percent in August compared to July, representing 46.4 percent of total TV usage, a drop of 0.9 share points. Prime Video was the only major streaming service to increase its share, gaining 0.1 point to finish at 3.9 percent—the platform’s best monthly performance of 2025 to date.

Netflix maintained an 8.7 percent share of TV usage, down 0.1 point from July.

Overall television consumption fell by 2 percent from July. Among viewers aged 6 to 17, viewership dropped 9 percent month over month. Weekly analysis within this demographic showed a 21 percent decline in viewing from the first to the last week of August. Streaming usage among school-aged viewers also fell, decreasing 8 percent for the month and 22 percent between the start and end of the five-week interval.

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Nielsen’s August 2025 reporting period spanned July 28 through Aug. 31, consistent with the broadcast calendar.