Cable Surges 9% on Strength of College Football Playoffs and News, while NFL Delivers Top 15 Broadcast Telecasts
ESPN (+86%) and FOX News Channel (+17%) Combine to Represent 21% of January Cable Viewing
ABC’s ‘High Potential’ and ‘ABC World News Tonight’ Lead Broadcast Dramas and News Programs
‘Stranger Things’ Tops Streaming Programs Again with 15.4 Billion Viewing Minutes in January
NEW YORK – February 17, 2026 – Television viewing climbed to a 12-month high in January 2026, according to Nielsen’s latest report of The Gauge™, the media industry’s leading snapshot of total TV and streaming consumption. Overall viewing was up 3.7% over December, fueled by a 9% monthly increase in cable viewership, in combination with high-stakes sports, returning broadcast dramas and colder winter temperatures that kept audiences indoors.
Cable captured the largest monthly viewing increase across The Gauge in January and represented 21.2% of total TV (+1.0 pt.). Cable sports viewing surged 49% over December, propelled by ESPN’s coverage of the College Football Playoffs, which included the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship games. ESPN alone saw an 82% monthly viewing uptick. Meanwhile, cable news benefited from an active news cycle in January and rose 13% versus December, largely driven by a 17% viewership gain for FOX News Channel, plus a 29% gain for CNN. Notably, ESPN and FOX News Channel each represented 2.2% of total TV usage in January, and together, the two networks comprised 21% of this month’s cable viewing.
Sports remained the anchor for broadcast viewership in January as football continued to dominate the category. NFL games accounted for the top 15 broadcast telecasts, and the sports genre represented the largest share of the category’s viewership (30%). Broadcast dramas were also on the rise (up 24% vs. December), and High Potential on ABC emerged as the most-watched drama program of the month. Similar to cable, the busy news cycle boosted broadcast news viewing by 10% compared to last month, led by ABC World News Tonight. Overall, broadcast viewership was up 4.2% versus December and represented 21.5% of TV.
Following record viewing levels in December, streaming proved its resilience in January. Time spent streaming increased 2.7% month-over-month and the category continued to represent the lion’s share of TV usage with 47.0%. Across the category:
- Netflix mirrored the resilience of streaming following its best monthly performance to date. The platform achieved a steady 1% viewing increase (8.8% of TV) versus December, and owned the top streaming program for a second consecutive month, as Stranger Things tallied 15.4 billion viewing minutes in January.
- Peacock viewership was up 10% in January, bringing the streamer to 1.8% of TV. Peacock’s monthly uptick was driven primarily by the new season of its original series The Traitors, and by audiences watching simulcasts of NFL games carried on NBC. This cross-platform amplification was most noticeable on Sunday, January 18 during NBC’s broadcast of the NFL Divisional Playoff matchup between the L.A. Rams and Chicago Bears, which fueled a 78% boost in viewership over its monthly average.
- Across the free ad-supported streaming platforms, Tubi and The Roku Channel each claimed monthly increases. Tubi was up 6% versus December to notch 2.1% of TV, and Roku Channel increased 5% to maintain its platform-best 3.0% share of TV for a second consecutive month.
The January 2026 interval spanned four weeks, from 12/29/2025 through 01/25/2026. Nielsen reporting follows the broadcast calendar, with weekly intervals beginning on Monday.
About The Gauge™
The Gauge™ is Nielsen’s monthly snapshot of total broadcast, cable and streaming consumption that occurs through a television screen, providing the industry with a holistic look at what audiences are watching. The Gauge was expanded in April 2024 to include The Media Distributor Gauge, which reflects total viewing by media distributor across these categories. Read more about The Gauge methodology and FAQs.
About Nielsen
Nielsen is a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviors across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and engage with their global audiences—now and into the future. Learn more at www.nielsen.com and connect with us on social media (X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram).
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Lauren Pabst
lauren.pabst@nielsen.com
