Streaming reaches 47.5% of US TV viewing as ad-tier hits 46% of SVOD subs

A Viaccess-Orca data report circulating at NAB 2026 provides the latest benchmark for the US streaming market. Streaming accounted for 47.5% of all US television viewing in December 2025 — a new record — and is projected to exceed 50% on a sustained monthly basis by mid-2026. The data, drawing on Nielsen measurements, puts streaming past a symbolic threshold that broadcasters and pay-TV operators have watched as a long-term inflection point.

The monetization picture is shifting alongside audience numbers. Ad-supported tiers now represent 46% of premium SVOD subscriptions in the US, up from 33% in 2023, and accounted for 71% of net subscriber additions over the past nine quarters. The finding confirms that the streaming industry's growth engine has moved from subscriber acquisition to ad-revenue scaling. FAST services are now used by 69% of US households, with FAST alone accounting for 5.7% of total US TV viewing.

The data provides context for the dominant conversation on the NAB 2026 floor, where ad-tech, monetization tools, and FAST channel infrastructure are generating more exhibitor activity than pure subscription-streaming platforms. For broadcasters weighing their own FAST and AVOD strategies, the numbers offer a current baseline against which to measure projections for ad-tier growth over the next two years.