How did broadcast TV's share of overall TV viewing compare to cable in September 2025?

Broadcast TV finished the month with a 22.3% share, tying it with cable for the first time ever.

What was the impact of the NFL and college football on the most-watched telecasts in September 2025?

15 NFL telecasts across CBS, FOX, and NBC outpaced the previous month's most-watched telecast, with September's biggest audience more than doubling it.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Broadcast TV Viewership Surges 20% in September Amid Sports Boom

Broadcast TV Viewership Surges 20% in September Amid Sports Boom

Q: What drove the surge in broadcast TV viewership in September 2025?

The return of the NFL and college football seasons, which tripled sports viewership to represent 33% of broadcast's total.

21 Oct

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Summary

Broadcast TV viewership spiked 20% in September
Sports viewership tripled to 33% of broadcast's total
Streaming still dominates with 45.2% share of TV viewing

Broadcast TV Viewership Surges 20% in September Amid Sports Boom

In September 2025, broadcast TV experienced a remarkable resurgence, with viewership spiking 20% compared to the previous month. This surge was primarily driven by the return of the NFL and college football seasons, which tripled sports viewership to represent 33% of broadcast's total, up from 11% in August.

The increased sports viewership, particularly for 15 high-profile NFL telecasts, helped broadcast TV finish the month with a 22.3% share of overall television viewing, tying it with cable for the first time ever. This marked the largest monthly increase in volume and share for any category since Nielsen began tracking the data in May 2021.

Despite the gains in broadcast and cable, streaming continued to dominate TV usage, accounting for 45.2% of total watch time in September. However, the streaming category saw fewer billion-minute titles in Nielsen's weekly Streaming Top 10 compared to the previous month.

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