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Football Fever Drives Broadcast TV Viewership Surge in September
28 Oct
Summary
- Broadcast TV viewership spiked in September due to return of football
- Disney, Fox, NBCUniversal, and Paramount saw double-digit viewership gains
- YouTube remained the top distributor with 12.6% of total TV watch time
The month of September 2025 saw a significant boost in TV viewership, primarily driven by the return of football. Major broadcast networks, including Disney, Fox, NBCUniversal, and Paramount, experienced double-digit spikes in viewership, with Fox leading the charge with a 20% increase.
Disney added 1 share point, climbing to 10.7% of total TV viewership, with ESPN accounting for half of the network's share. NBCUniversal also gained 1 share point, reaching 8.6% of TV viewership, while Paramount saw an 11% bump, finishing the month at 7.7%.
The broadcast affiliates of these networks also saw substantial gains, with Fox leading the pack with a 59% viewership increase, followed by NBC (37%), CBS (29%), and ABC (24%). These football audiences provided broadcasters with the opportunity to promote their new, non-sports content slates, setting the stage for more premieres in the months ahead.
Despite the broadcast gains, YouTube remained the dominant distributor, capturing 12.6% of total TV watch time. The streaming giant's gap with Disney narrowed to just 1.9 points, but it was not enough to topple YouTube's position as the leading platform.
