Sports Programming Accounts For Almost 30% Of All Ad-Supported TV Viewing, Nielsen Says
By Dade Hayes
Published on March 12, 2026.
New figures from Nielsen reveal that sports programming accounted for 29.2% of all advertising-supported TV viewing by people 25 to 54 years old in the fourth quarter of 2025. This figure includes broadcast, cable and streaming, with broadcast accounting for 9.8% and cable accounting for 18%. Streaming was the most popular viewing site, accounting for 43% of non-sports viewing. The report was part of a report on viewership trends ahead of upfronts.
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