Market researchers: Streaming usage reached new record numbers in December 2025

In December, and especially on Christmas Day last year, streaming providers in the United States set records. Market researchers at Nielsen measured 55.1 billion viewing minutes on streaming services on December 25, 2025, exceeding the previous record from the same day the year before by 8 percent. This was primarily due to three games from the North American Football League NFL and the finale of the TV series “Stranger Things,” which was available for the first time on that day.

At the same time, this means that 54 percent of all TVs in the US were used for streaming on that day, also a record for daily streaming usage. Overall, streaming accounted for 47.5 percent of television time in December, while traditional television (broadcast) accounted for 21.4 percent and cable television for 20.2 percent. However, Nielsen includes not only Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon's Prime Video in streaming, but also YouTube. Google's video platform is the provider with the most viewing minutes at 12.7 percent.

Netflix benefited not only from “Stranger Things,” one of the most successful English-language series of all time, but also from the two NFL games that the streaming market leader has been showing live since Christmas last year. At the end of 2024, Netflix likely gained 19 million new customers with this. In December 2025, Netflix was able to increase viewership by 10 percent compared to the previous month, with “Stranger Things” being the most-watched streaming title of the month, reaching 9 percent of the television market.

Sports programs as viewership magnets for all providers

Amazon is also increasing its focus on live sports for Prime Video and had therefore secured the Thursday NFL games. Since Christmas Day 2025 was a Thursday, Amazon was also able to contribute to streaming consumption on that day and recorded a record game. In the entire month of December, Prime Video achieved 4.3 percent of the TV ratings, an increase of 12 percent month-on-month, representing a new platform record, 0.3 percent higher. In addition to the NFL Thursday games, Amazon also benefits from the new season of the TV series “Fallout,” Nielsen writes.

Traditional and cable television also achieve the highest ratings with live sports broadcasts in the USA. Two NFL games on December 28 and 21 occupy the top spots in the programming of the CBS and FOX channels, and on cable television, five NFL games are the most-watched programs of the month on ESPN and NFL Network. Overall, cable television sports programs saw 16 percent more viewers in December, according to market researchers.

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