TV watching moved even more toward streaming in July 2026. Cable TV viewership dropped to a record low. Nielsen reported that streaming captured 49% of household TV share. YouTube led all on-demand platforms with 14% of TV viewership. The previous records fell as more viewers chose on-demand content.
Separately, cable news got no lift from Donald Trump's GOP midterm convention. The event failed to produce a viewership bounce. Ratings for cable news remained unchanged after the convention. These numbers highlight the ongoing slide of traditional cable TV.