The streaming wars have a clear winner, and it is not Netflix. YouTube has held the top spot among all streaming platforms for the better part of two years now, and the latest data shows no sign of that changing.
According to Nielsen’s monthly Gauge report, YouTube commanded 13.4% of all TV viewing in July 2025, its highest share ever recorded and its sixth consecutive month at number one. To put that in perspective, Disney’s combined Hulu and Disney+ platforms came in second at 9.4%, while Netflix trailed at 8.8%. That is a four-point gap between YouTube and its nearest rival, the widest lead any platform has held since Nielsen began tracking the metric.
By December 2025, YouTube was still at the top with 12.7% of all TV viewing, holding number one for more than eight consecutive months. Into 2026, the trend has continued, with YouTube leading all platforms with 4.3 billion hours of watch time in just the first few weeks of the year.
Why YouTube Keeps Winning
A large part of the answer is simple: it is free. Unlike Netflix, Disney+ or Max, there is no subscription fee, no password-sharing crackdown, and no content library that runs out. Anyone with an internet connection can open it and watch for hours, which is exactly what hundreds of millions of people do every day.
The variety of content also helps. YouTube’s most-watched categories span gaming, general entertainment, and news, a spread that no single subscription service can match. Netflix makes prestige dramas. YouTube makes everything.
It is also worth noting that Nielsen only measures viewing on television screens. YouTube picks up a huge chunk of its audience on mobile phones, meaning its real share of total streaming is likely even bigger than the numbers suggest.
The Bigger Picture
YouTube’s dominance is occurring as the way people watch TV is shifting permanently. Streaming reached a record 47.5% of all U.S. TV viewing in December 2025, exceeding broadcast and cable combined for the first time.
In that new world, YouTube sits firmly at the top, not by spending billions on original content, but simply by being the platform where people already are.
