Nielsen Gauge Ratings November 2025
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Broadcast TV Viewership Rebounds in November 2025, Driven by Sports
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November 2025 saw a resurgence in broadcast television viewership, reaching its highest point since November 2024, fueled primarily by live sports events like NFL games, college football, and teh MLB World Series. Nielsen’s latest data reveals a slight increase in the broadcast share, while streaming platforms also benefited from sports programming.
total television consumption in the United States remained robust in November 2025,with the broadcast segment showing a positive trend. According to Nielsen’s monthly “The Gauge” report, the broadcast segment increased by +0.3% from October to 23.2% of total TV time. while this represents growth, it remains slightly below the strong performance of November 2024, which saw a 23.7% share.
Thanksgiving Day Drives Peak Viewing
November’s peak viewing day was Thanksgiving, November 27, 2025, with a staggering 103.4 billion minutes of television consumption. This surge was largely attributed to the popularity of NFL games and the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The combination of family gatherings and traditional programming created a powerful draw for broadcast television.
Football and Baseball Lead the Charge
Live sports where the dominant force behind the broadcast segment’s gains. NFL and college football games on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC consistently drew large audiences. The final games of the MLB World Series, broadcast on Fox in early November, contributed to a +30% increase in sports viewing within the broadcast segment. This highlights the enduring appeal of live sporting events for television viewers.
The CBS Sports broadcast of the Thanksgiving Day matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys was the most-watched broadcast telecast of the month, garnering 11.7 billion viewing minutes.
Streaming Benefits from Sports Programming
The streaming segment also experienced gains in November, largely due to the inclusion of sports programming. Peacock and Paramount+ saw particularly significant boosts in viewership.
Peacock led the growth among streaming platforms, increasing by +22% thanks to its exclusive coverage of NFL Sunday Night Football and its thanksgiving Day programming. This demonstrates the power of live sports rights in attracting and retaining streaming subscribers.
The following table illustrates the broadcast share of total TV viewing from October 2024 to November 2025, based on Nielsen data: