Streaming has finally eclipsed traditional TV in watch time share, outpacing broadcast and cable platforms combined last month for the first time in history.

These findings come from Nielsen’s monthly The Gauge report, which unveiled that streaming accounted for 44.8% of all TV usage in the US market in May. By comparison, broadcast (20.1%) and cable (24.1%) represented a combined total of 44.2%. 

According to Nielsen, what makes this new result so significant is that streaming has grown 71% within four years. Netflix is one of the key drivers of this growth, with the streamer holding the title as the leading SVOD provider for four straight years. The platform’s viewership has increased by 27% since 2021 and now accounts for 7.5% of all TV usage. 

Another major driver in streaming’s corner is top free service provider YouTube, which Nielsen says controlled 12.5% of all stateside TV viewership in May. This is the fourth consecutive month that YouTube’s results have grown, and its share has increased by 120% since 2021. 

Rounding out the list of streaming’s most valuable players are Disney (5%), Prime Video (3.5%), Roku Channel (2.5%), Paramount (2.2%), Tubi (1.5%) and Warner Bros. Discovery (1.5%), which have all made The Gauge‘s list for representing more than 1% of US TV usage.