How many Americans don't watch TV?

Approximately 28% of Americans do not watch live, traditional television (cable or broadcast) on an average day in 2025. While many have shifted to streaming—with 83% of adults using streaming services—a growing number, especially 41% of Gen Z, completely bypass traditional TV, according to Forbes and Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center +3
Takedown request View complete answer on pewresearch.org

What percentage of people don't watch TV?

Forty-one percent of those under 30 years old, also known as Generation Z, say they don't typically watch live TV. That compares to 27% of adults 31-49 and just 20% of those over 50. Among those Gen Zers who do watch live TV, they are most likely to watch only 30 minutes to an hour per day.
Takedown request View complete answer on forbes.com

Do I really need cable TV anymore?

There little to no content unique to cable anymore. Everything is in streaming and far more in streaming than cable. Prices aren't bad if you simply cancel everything and pick a different service to subscribe to and just watch that. The olympics are on peacock, it might be a good time to do a month of that.
Takedown request View complete answer on reddit.com

What percent of Americans watch TV daily?

Not everyone watches TV on a given day, but most people do. Of the population ages 15 and older, 79.2 percent spent some time watching TV on a given day in the period from 2013–17.
Takedown request View complete answer on bls.gov

Are Americans watching less TV?

Americans are watching more television than ever, but the screen they turn to increasingly isn't wired for cable. According to Bank of America Institute, streaming platforms officially overtook traditional “linear” television in viewership share this spring, marking a historic shift in how people spend their downtime.
Takedown request View complete answer on fortune.com

5 Reasons Why I Do Not Watch TV Anymore

Has Jimmy Kimmel's rating dropped?

Yes, Jimmy Kimmel's ratings saw a massive surge after his brief suspension in September 2025, achieving record numbers, but then dropped significantly in the following weeks, falling back towards his pre-suspension averages and even below some quarterly figures, though they remained strong compared to a year prior, with a 37% drop from his 2015 highs by late 2025. The huge initial viewership from his return, boosted by affiliate blackouts, quickly faded, but his online presence remained strong, with YouTube views soaring. 
Takedown request View complete answer on latenighter.com

Who has higher ratings, CNN or Fox News?

Fox News consistently has significantly more viewers than CNN, often averaging millions more in both total day and primetime, leading the cable news genre for years, although CNN sees viewership spikes during major news events and political coverage. For instance, recent February 2026 ratings show Fox News with roughly 2.6 million primetime viewers versus CNN's 807,000, demonstrating Fox's dominant lead. 
Takedown request View complete answer on press.foxnews.com

What is the #1 show in the US right now?

The number one show in America right now depends on the platform, but Bridgerton (Season 4) is dominating Netflix, while ABC's World News Tonight leads broadcast news in total viewers, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a top popular streaming series on Rotten Tomatoes. For overall streaming minutes, Nielsen shows Bridgerton is far ahead of others like Stranger Things. 
Takedown request View complete answer on editorial.rottentomatoes.com

What do most Americans do in their free time?

The average American spent over 20 percent of their day engaging in leisure and sports in 2023. Excluding the personal care activities group (which includes sleeping), Americans spend most of their time engaging in leisure and sports activities, the most common activity being watching TV at 2.67 hours per day.
Takedown request View complete answer on michigan.gov

Is TV viewership declining?

Yes, traditional TV viewership (broadcast and cable) is declining significantly as audiences shift to streaming, with broadcast TV falling below 20% of total viewing in the U.S. for the first time in mid-2025, while streaming now captures over 40%. This shift is driven by the flexibility of on-demand streaming, impacting traditional networks with lower ratings, though some news and sports still retain audiences, albeit with fluctuations. 
Takedown request View complete answer on mindmatters.ai

What is the best alternative to cable TV?

The best cable TV alternatives are live TV streaming services like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and Sling TV, offering varying channel lineups, prices, and features for live news, sports, and entertainment, alongside on-demand options, with options like DIRECTV via Internet for traditional channel surfing and free services like Pluto TV for minimal cost. The "best" choice depends on your priorities: YouTube TV for overall value and multi-view, Fubo for sports, Hulu for bundled entertainment, and Sling for budget-friendly customization.
 
Takedown request View complete answer on elderlifefinancial.com

What percentage of Americans still pay for cable?

With all of the streaming services out there, why are people still paying for cable TV? Live sports and comfort are the big reasons. Earlier this year, we surveyed 11,000 Americans about their TV and internet plans and discovered that around 51% of people still pay for cable TV.
Takedown request View complete answer on cabletv.com

How can seniors lower their cable bill?

To lower a cable bill for seniors, negotiate with your provider for basic packages, bundle services, cut unnecessary premium channels/DVR, use auto-pay/paperless billing, check for low-income internet programs like Xfinity Internet Essentials, and explore cord-cutting with streaming/antennas for potential big savings. 
Takedown request View complete answer on theseniorlist.com

What age group watches the most TV?

Media habits by generation

Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) remain the most devoted TV watchers, with 82% tuning in at least monthly to either linear or streaming TV and spending almost 5 hours per day in front of the TV according to eMarketer.
Takedown request View complete answer on marketingarchitects.com

Is the NFL gaining or losing popularity?

NFL viewership is up significantly, with the 2025-2026 regular season averaging 18.7 million viewers per game, a 10% increase from the prior season and the second-highest on record, driven partly by new Nielsen measurement changes (including out-of-home and smart TV data) and big gains on platforms like Prime Video. This marks a major rebound after a slight dip in the 2024-2025 season, with all major broadcast packages seeing growth, according to January 2026 reports. 
Takedown request View complete answer on spglobal.com

Do successful people not watch TV?

They don't watch TV, they read

According to Thomas Corley, author of “Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits Of Wealthy Individuals,” 67 percent of rich people only watch TV for one hour or less per day. Corley also found only 6 percent of the wealthy watch reality shows, while 78 percent of the poor do.
Takedown request View complete answer on entrepreneur.com

What is the number one hobby in America?

According to Statista (our statistics database) - the most popular hobby in the U.S. is cooking and baking. About 41% of survey respondents in 2024 fill their spare time in the kitchen. The second most popular hobby is reading at 36% (we in the library approve of that one).
Takedown request View complete answer on library.tamuv.edu

What are the 5 biggest time wasters?

The five biggest time-wasters generally include Multitasking, Excessive Notifications (emails/messages), Social Media/Internet, Procrastination, and Unnecessary Meetings/Interruptions, all of which disrupt focus, slow progress, and prevent deep work by constantly pulling attention away from important tasks.
 
Takedown request View complete answer on organizingmoms.com

How much does the average person live on per day?

Between housing, food, cellphone bills and other expenses, Americans shell out $164.55, on average, in a given day.
Takedown request View complete answer on cnbc.com

What is the highest rated TV show ever?

The highest-rated TV shows of all time consistently feature Breaking Bad, The Wire, The Sopranos, and miniseries like Band of Brothers and Chernobyl, often topping lists from IMDb and Reddit for their exceptional storytelling and high user scores, with Breaking Bad often holding the top spot due to its consistent excellence and impactful finale. 
Takedown request View complete answer on imdb.com

What older TV shows are making a comeback?

revived tv shows
  • Family Guy. 1999– 506 epsTV-MATV Series. ...
  • Futurama. 1999– 180 epsTV-14TV Series. ...
  • Will & Grace. 1998–2020246 epsTV-PGTV Series. ...
  • Roseanne. 1988–2018230 epsTV-PGTV Series. ...
  • Arrested Development. 2003–201984 epsTV-14TV Series. ...
  • Full House. 1987–1995193 epsTV-GTV Series. ...
  • The X-Files. ...
  • 2001–2010192 epsTV-14TV Series.
Takedown request View complete answer on imdb.com

What is the number one morning show in America?

ABC NEWS' 'GOOD MORNING AMERICA' IS AMERICA'S MOST-WATCHED MORNING NEWS PROGRAM. “Good Morning America” ranked No. 1 in Total Viewers (2.878 million) for the week of Jan. 12, 2026, based on Live+Same Day Big Data Plus Panel Program Ratings from Nielsen Media Research.
Takedown request View complete answer on detpress.com

Who is the most watched news anchor?

Wherever news breaks, David Muir will take you there. 'ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir' - America's most trusted & most watched newscast.
Takedown request View complete answer on facebook.com

What is the #1 news channel in the USA?

As of early 2026, Fox News Channel (FNC) consistently ranks as the #1 cable news channel in the U.S., leading in total viewers for weekday primetime and total day, marking over two decades at the top, while ABC World News Tonight often leads broadcast news. Ratings vary slightly by month, but FNC has maintained dominance in cable, attracting a significant share of the audience, with networks like CNN and MSNBC often trailing in overall viewership, though specific programming can shift. 
Takedown request View complete answer on nielsen.com

What cable news station has the highest rating?

FOX NEWS CHANNEL SHATTERS RATINGS RECORDS MARKING 24 CONSECUTIVE YEARS AS THE NUMBER ONE NETWORK IN CABLE NEWS.
Takedown request View complete answer on press.foxnews.com