Streaming Accounts for Over 22% of US TV Ad Exposure
The new report provides transparency into where ads are consumed across linear and streaming channels, revealing a gap between viewership and ad exposure
Streaming accounted for 22.3% of measured US television ad exposure in August 2026, compared with 43.2% for broadcast and 34.5% for cable, according to Comscore’s inaugural monthly Score Report.
The findings highlight a gap between how audiences consume television and how advertising exposure is distributed across viewing platforms, creating opportunities for advertisers to reassess their media investments.
The report measures the share of total television ad exposure time attributed to each provider, offering a view of where audiences encounter advertising beyond traditional viewership figures. As streaming continues to gain ground, the data provides advertisers and content providers with additional insight into audience reach and the distribution of advertising across platforms.
More than 74% of US households stream content on connected TV, while 130.6 million US adults used a free or ad-supported streaming video service in the three months leading up to August 2026. That represents 47% of the country’s adult population, according to the figures cited in the report.
Despite this adoption, broadcast and cable together accounted for 77.7% of measured television ad exposure in August. The disparity points to an opportunity for advertisers to explore streaming inventory while evaluating how audiences are distributed across traditional television and digital viewing environments.
Streaming’s Share of TV Ad Exposure Increases
Streaming’s share of measured television ad exposure rose from 16.1% to 22.3% over the 12 months ending in August 2026, a gain of 6.2 percentage points.
The increase was sustained throughout the year. From February 2026, streaming accounted for at least one-fifth of measured ad exposure each month, following a five-month period in which its share remained around 19%.
In August, streaming’s share increased to 22.3%, up from 21.9% in July and 21.1% in June. The figures indicate that streaming is capturing a growing proportion of television advertising exposure, with its share increasing as advertisers navigate an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
For advertisers, the trend reinforces the importance of looking beyond overall viewership when planning campaigns. Understanding where advertising is actually delivered can help marketers evaluate the balance between traditional television placements and streaming inventory.
YouTube and Tubi Lead Streaming Ad Exposure
Competition among streaming providers remains concentrated at the top, although the platforms securing the third-largest share of ad exposure have changed from month to month.
YouTube accounted for 44.4% of measured streaming ad exposure in August, followed by Tubi at 11.6% and Hulu at 8.5%.
Hulu’s third-place position followed a series of monthly changes in the ranking. Peacock held the position in July with 7.2%, while Netflix ranked third in June with 8.0% and Amazon Prime Video did so in May with 7.4%.
The report noted that Hulu expanded its ad-supported streaming catalogue in August with a selection of popular films, nostalgic titles and documentaries. This expansion may have contributed to its performance, although the figures do not establish a direct causal link.
The changing rankings reflect the competitive nature of ad-supported streaming, where content availability and audience engagement can influence the distribution of advertising exposure.
As providers expand their catalogues and develop their advertising offerings, marketers face a wider range of platforms to consider when allocating budgets.
Viewership Alone Does Not Capture Advertising Reach
Comscore’s Score Report is designed to address a limitation in conventional television measurement: overall viewership does not necessarily indicate how much of an audience is reachable through advertising.
“The Score Report measures where audiences are actually reachable with advertising and gives brands an understanding of how ad viewership is changing as the media landscape continues to transform,” said Kevin Burns, Interim Chief Revenue Officer at Comscore.
“The report seeks to address the challenge of viewership no longer serving as a sufficient proxy for ad-addressable audiences, as audiences migrate across channels, platforms, and devices.”
The distinction matters as television consumption spreads across broadcast networks, cable services and streaming platforms. Audience size alone may not provide advertisers with a complete picture of the advertising opportunities available within each environment.
Dan Lanzano, President of National Ad Sales at Nexstar, also highlighted the importance of transparency across television platforms.
“Nexstar welcomes greater transparency into how advertising reaches audiences across broadcast TV, cable, and streaming,” Lanzano said. “By providing a clearer picture of advertising exposure across platforms, The Score Report delivers valuable insights that empower advertisers to make more informed investment decisions and better understand the evolving media landscape.”
By tracking ad exposure across these environments, the report offers an additional measurement layer for advertisers evaluating where their campaigns reach audiences. As streaming’s share continues to increase, such insights could help marketers assess the relationship between viewing behaviour, advertising delivery and media investment.
Key Findings From the August 2026 Score Report
- Broadcast leads overall TV ad exposure: Broadcast accounted for 43.2% of measured television ad exposure in August, followed by cable at 34.5% and streaming at 22.3%.
- Streaming continues to gain share: Streaming’s share of total US television ad exposure rose to 22.3% in August, compared with 21.9% in July and 21.1% in June.
- YouTube leads streaming advertising exposure: YouTube accounted for 44.4% of measured streaming ad exposure, followed by Tubi at 11.6% and Hulu at 8.5%.
- Competition for streaming ad exposure remains fluid: Hulu, Peacock, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have each held the third position in the monthly rankings between May and August 2026.
The findings suggest that television advertising is increasingly distributed across viewing environments with different audience and advertising dynamics.
While broadcast and cable continue to account for most measured TV ad exposure, streaming’s rising share and the competition among individual providers make cross-platform measurement increasingly relevant to media planning.
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