Unveiling America’s Streaming Giants: Surprising Leaders in the Digital Realm

In July 2026, YouTube emerged as the most viewed streaming service on American televisions, capturing 14.2 percent of viewing time—almost double the 7.8 percent of Netflix. Other notable competitors included The Roku Channel surpassing Peacock, and Tubi outpacing Warner Bros. Discovery’s offerings, including HBO Max. These statistics are sourced from Nielsen’s The Gauge, which measures TV viewing time, rather than subscriber counts or app downloads. Overall, 49 percent of television viewing time in July was dedicated to streaming, although live content through YouTube TV is counted within traditional TV metrics, thus providing a clearer picture of YouTube’s dominance in streaming.

In the same month, Disney’s various streaming platforms, including Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, accounted for 4.7 percent of the streaming market. Prime Video followed closely with 4.2 percent, while The Roku Channel secured 2.9 percent, just edging out Peacock at 2.6 percent. Paramount’s streaming options, such as Paramount+ and Pluto TV, contributed 2.2 percent, and Tubi attracted a viewing share of 2 percent, outperforming Warner Bros. Discovery’s services at 1.4 percent. It’s noteworthy that Disney, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery have multiple platforms bundled together, whereas The Roku Channel and Tubi are tracked separately. These figures are from July, prior to the merger of Paramount with Warner Bros. Discovery in early October.

Despite a lower ranking, Peacock experienced a 15 percent increase in viewership from June, aided by its World Cup coverage, with its show *Love Island USA* accumulating nearly 5 billion viewing minutes during July. Nielsen is still reviewing changes made in June regarding Tubi’s measurement metrics.

Both The Roku Channel and Tubi provide access to live channels, shows, and movies without any charge, relying on ad revenue to support their services. Some users on platforms like Reddit have praised Tubi for its library featuring older and hard-to-find content, though there are concerns about potential increases in advertising. Tubi does not offer paid subscriptions, while Roku provides optional subscriptions to third-party services. Users can also access The Roku Channel’s free offerings online or on compatible devices without needing to purchase Roku hardware.

YouTube users engaged with over 700 million hours of podcasts on TV devices in October 2025, an increase from 400 million hours the previous year. While its regular videos are free with advertisements, YouTube also provides various paid options, such as renting movies, subscribing to YouTube Premium, and supporting individual creators. In contrast, Netflix predominantly relies on subscription fees, while Prime Video features rental and add-on channel options.

Fox’s acquisition of Tubi and a pending deal worth around $22 billion to purchase Roku highlights ongoing shifts in the streaming landscape.