Disney continues to dominate the TV viewing landscape in the United States, according to new data from Nielsen. For the past six months, Disney has held the top spot among all media companies, with a whopping 11.5 percent share of all TV use in April.
This figure includes the streaming platforms Hulu and Disney+, which accounted for 4.9 percent of TV viewing during the reporting period. Additionally, ABC, ESPN, and other Disney-owned cable and streaming properties contributed to Disney’s overall dominance.
The highlight of Disney’s April performance was the NCAA women’s basketball championship game, which aired on ABC and ESPN and drew a record-breaking 18.87 million viewers. This event helped solidify Disney’s position as the leading media distributor in the country.
Following closely behind Disney is YouTube, which captured 9.6 percent of TV viewing in April. NBC Universal, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery round out the top five media distributors, with Netflix coming in sixth at 7.6 percent.
The rankings also revealed some surprises, with Scripps Networks and Weigel Broadcasting making significant contributions to TV viewing in April. The Roku Channel, a standalone FAST service, also made the list at 1.4 percent.
Overall, the top 14 media distributors accounted for 72.6 percent of all TV viewing in April. Disney’s consistent performance over the past six months underscores its strong position in the competitive media landscape.
In terms of platform breakdown, cable saw a slight increase in share of viewing in April, while streaming and broadcast experienced slight declines. Sports programming played a significant role in driving cable’s growth, with the conclusion of various tournaments and the start of playoff games across different leagues.
The rankings of individual streaming services further highlight the popularity of platforms like YouTube, Netflix, and Prime Video among viewers. Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, also made a strong showing, underscoring the company’s multi-platform success in the evolving TV landscape.