Streaming Is Now Just As Crowded With Ads As Broadcast TV & Cable

Streaming platforms once offered ad-free viewing, but now most major streamers rely on ad-supported income. Nielsen revealed that in the first quarter of 2025, 72.4% of TV viewing in the U.S. was on ad-supported platforms. While streaming leads, traditional cable and broadcast networks still see substantial ad-supported viewership. Streaming makes up 42.4% of ad-supported TV use, translating to 30.7% of total TV consumption. Despite streaming averaging 43.3% viewership share, about 70% of streaming content includes commercials. Cable and broadcast networks had 28.9% and 28.7% ad-supported viewing, respectively, higher than their overall TV usage statistics. (THR)