The End of Cable TV: YouTube TV is Now Larger Than Comcast & Spectrum Combined, According to Nielsen – Cord Cutters News

The End of Cable TV: YouTube TV is Now Larger Than Comcast & Spectrum Combined, According to Nielsen

By Luke Bouma, on December 21, 2025, in All News, News

In a move that sparks the end of cable TV’s control of your TV, YouTube TV has emerged as the dominant force in live TV, eclipsing the combined watch time of two of the largest traditional cable providers, Spectrum and Comcast, according to the latest Nielsen data for November 2025. This milestone underscores the accelerating migration of viewers away from legacy cable bundles toward flexible, app-based streaming services, signaling potential challenges for the old guard of the industry as digital platforms continue to redefine how Americans consume entertainment. Many will still point to cable TV companies having more total subscribers, but the most important data point is watch time as Nielsen looks primarily at that. Increasingly, many people are being forced to pay for cable TV through HOAs and apartments, but do not use it.

The Nielsen report, released earlier this month, highlights a pivotal moment where YouTube TV captured 2.39% of total television viewership across the United States during the measured month. This figure alone positions it as the clear leader among pay-TV providers. In stark contrast, Spectrum and Comcast—longstanding behemoths in the cable sector—together accounted for just 2.14% of viewership. Spectrum trailed with 1.57%, while Comcast lagged further behind at 0.64%. The gap, though narrow at 0.25 percentage points, represents a symbolic and substantive victory for Google’s streaming arm, which has aggressively expanded its offerings to include local channels, sports packages, and unlimited cloud DVR storage at competitive price points.

This development comes amid broader trends in media consumption. Traditional cable subscriptions have been hemorrhaging for years, with cord-cutting accelerating post-pandemic as households prioritize on-demand access and cost savings. YouTube TV, launched in 2017, has capitalized on this by integrating seamlessly with Google’s ecosystem, allowing users to access content across devices with minimal friction. Its growth trajectory has been fueled by exclusive deals for major sports leagues, such as NFL Sunday Ticket, which drew massive audiences during the fall season. November’s data, encompassing a period rich in football playoffs and holiday previews, likely amplified these effects, drawing in both casual viewers and die-hard fans who value the service’s multiview features and 4K streaming capabilities.

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