Streaming giant Netflix ascends to the third spot among leading media distributors for the first time.
In a dynamic month for streaming services, Netflix made a notable entry into the top three media distributors, according to Nielsen's June 2025 Media Distributor Gauge rankings.
Leading the pack was YouTube, maintaining its first-place position for the fifth consecutive month with a share of 12.8% of total TV usage. YouTube's 6% monthly viewing increase over May marked its largest share of television to date.
In second place, Disney (group) held onto its No. 2 ranking with a share approximately 10%, albeit with a slight decline (-0.2%) compared to May. YouTube's 2.8-point lead over Disney is its largest lead among media distributors to date.
Making a significant stride, Netflix posted the largest monthly increase among all media companies, gaining 0.8 percentage points from May to June 2025, which represented a 13.5% surge in viewership over that period. This growth was driven by a packed slate of fresh content and an influx of viewers aged 6-17 during the summer. As a result, Netflix's June viewing represented 8.3% of total TV usage, which is its largest share since January 2025.
NBCU, under which Peacock falls, notched a 13.4% monthly viewing increase in June, contributing to its overall viewing total that was up slightly compared to May, although it gave up some share this month (down 0.2 share points).
The surge in Netflix viewership and Peacock's viewership increase were significant contributors to Peacock's and ABC's viewership increases in June, respectively. The NBA Finals were a significant contributor to ABC's top telecasts in June, while "Love Island USA" was a significant contributor to Peacock's viewership increase.
The Walt Disney Co. represented 10% of total TV viewing in June and held onto its No. 2 ranking among media distributors. ABC affiliates accounted for the top 33 broadcast telecasts in June, driven largely by the NBA Finals and "ABC World News Tonight With David Muir."
In the June 2025 interval, which ran from May 26 through June 29, Netflix has moved into the top three, marking the first time it has been in the top three, as reported by Nielsen. YouTube remained atop the Media Distributor Gauge rankings for a fifth consecutive month. NBCU posted the fourth-largest total among media companies with 7.8% of TV viewing.
[1] Source: Nielsen's The Gauge [2] Source: Variety [4] Source: Deadline Hollywood
- Netflix's surge in viewership in June, driven by new content and an increase in young viewership, moved them into the top three media distributors for the first time, according to Nielsen's June 2025 Media Distributor Gauge rankings.
- YouTube, as reported by Nielsen, maintained its leading position for five consecutive months with a share of 12.8% of total TV usage, marking its largest share in June 2025 and a 6% increase compared to May.
- Disney (group) held the No. 2 spot with a share of approximately 10%, despite a slight decline compared to May. The company's share was surpassed by Netflix's significant growth.
- The increase in Netflix's and Peacock's viewership significantly contributed to the viewership increases for these streaming services in June, as reported by Nielsen. Other contributors included the NBA Finals for ABC and "Love Island USA" for Peacock.
