蘑菇AV

The over-the-top (OTT) streaming landscape is rapidly becoming as crowded as the early days of cable TV. It is vital that marketers understand the scale, reach, and prospects of the various players in the industry.

US Black adults spend the greatest share of their total TV time watching cable (22.4%), followed by broadcast (21.8%), according to a 2025 Nielsen report.

NBCU highlights sports, streaming at Upfront event: The presentation outlined NBCU鈥檚 plan to offset declining traditional TV revenues.

WBD is distancing itself from declining cable networks, reportedly laying groundwork for a possible separation of its cable TV unit, per CNBC and later cited by Reuters. This follows similar moves by competitors like Comcast. Separating business units would allow WBD to grow its streaming segment without the burden of linear鈥檚 continued losses.

US connected TV (CTV) ad spend will continue to grow through 2027, when it will reach $40.90 billion, according to our forecast. Apart from a small bump next year, ad spend on TV (including broadcast and cable TV) will decline over the next few years. Still, TV鈥檚 share of total ad spend is larger than CTV鈥檚, indicating it remains a key player in marketers鈥� ad strategies.

The news: Streaming outperformed broadcast and cable TV for the second month in a row in March despite an anticipated 6% seasonal decline in total TV consumption, reaching a new milestone in overall share of TV viewing, per a new Nielsen report. Streaming achieved its largest share to date, accounting for 43.8% of TV consumption, up from 43.5% in February.

Which country watches more cable TV? A) United States B) Poland. In Poland, traditional cable TV represents 33.2% of total TV viewing time, while streaming represents just 8.2%, according to Nielsen data. In the US, streaming commands a 38.3% share of TV viewing time, while cable comes in at 28.1%. April 17, 2025. Which generation are the most frequent users of voice assistants?

Both Paramount and WBD saw TV revenues decline in Q4, with WBD鈥檚 dropping 5% to $4.77 billion. In response, WBD is separating its assets into two divisions: Streaming & Studios and Cable TV Networks, a move that mirrors broader industry trends toward consolidation. As legacy media struggles, the ability to transition to streaming-first strategies will determine long-term success.

CTV time鈥攚hich does not include traditional cable TV viewed via a CTV, but does include all forms of OTT streaming, digital pay TV, digital audio, and other apps accessed via a CTV鈥攈as risen rapidly in recent years. We project it will finally catch up with old-fashioned linear TV in 2026. Click here to view our various forecasts for US time spent with media, by device.

Paramount performed similarly, with TV media down 13% YoY and ad revenues declining 21%, largely driven by losing the Super Bowl to Fox. Legacy players are combatting these losses by shuffling assets. WBD may separate its cable TV unit, Comcast is spinning off its linear assets, and Paramount is banking on a merger with Skydance.

The trend: Paramount is following TV giants鈥� shift toward live sports. NBCUniversal is eyeing a dedicated sports cable network to showcase sports content available on Peacock, like NBA games, to a linear audience鈥攃ombining the growing reach of digital with the enduring relevance of cable.

MS NOW rebrand targets broader news reach: MSNBC aims to scale beyond its niche as TV audiences fragment globally.

Nexstar is acquiring Tegna in a $6.2 billion deal that would expand its reach to 265 stations and 39% of US TV households, pending FCC approval. CEO Perry Sook says the merger is essential for competing with Big Tech, while critics warn it could weaken local journalism. The timing comes as regulators signal openness to loosening ownership caps. Local TV ad spending is projected at $17.27 billion in 2025, with broadcast accounting for most of it, but growth lags digital channels. Nexstar is betting that consolidation and scale will help protect broadcast revenue against mounting digital competition.

The traditional TV bundle will further decay as more live sports embrace streaming.

Comcast gives details on its spinout of several NBCU cable networks: As Peacock takes center stage, legacy TV networks must adapt to stay relevant.

Prediction: Paramount will divest from some cable assets. Following in the footsteps of Comcast/NBCUniversal and Warner Brothers Discovery spinning off cable assets, Paramount could divest from networks like BET and Nickelodeon. For media companies, these divestitures represent a focus on digital growth areas rather than maintaining declining legacy businesses.

Linear still generates significantly more ad inventory than streaming, with cable and broadcast linear TV accounting for nearly 90% of time viewers spent watching ads on TV screens in Q2 2024. This is due to higher ad loads, as linear averages about 15 minutes of ads per hour, while streaming ad loads range from nine minutes to as low as one minute per hour.

The news: The 2025 NBA Finals drew just 10.2 million viewers on average, among the weakest results in two decades鈥攜et Game 7 peaked at 19.3 million, the highest since 2019. Traditional ratings miss the full picture, though: social views on NBA Finals content soared 215% year over year to 5 billion. Our take: Gen Z sports fans are watching differently鈥攙ia highlights, short clips, and mobile-first formats on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. TV still matters, but leagues like the NBA must master new distribution models. With streaming growth and a massive $76B media deal in place, the future is already digital.

TV networks rely on Netflix for distribution: A deal between Netflix and French broadcaster TF1 is a clear sign of how video power dynamics have shifted.

Looking at advertisers: As streaming platforms continue to erode traditional TV viewership, the merger positions the combined entity to better compete by offering bundled services and enhanced content delivery鈥攑otentially opening avenues for advertisers to engage audiences as they shift away from traditional TV.

"Cable TV is too expensive, so we've had cord-cutting for years. Digital pay TV we thought maybe was going to be competitive. Now that's too expensive. These things are free, and they're just sitting there waiting for you," said Cramer-Flood. Reddit defies social media stagnation.

Netflix sets record with 8.6% of TV viewing as sports fuel broadcast growth: While streaming dominated at 42.6% market share, NFL and college football content helped push broadcast TV up 5% in January.

WBD grows streaming profits as TV revenues decline: It added 6.4 million Max subscribers, but TV ad declines and cord-cutting continue.