Streaming on Roku Surpasses Broadcast Viewership in the U.S. for Third Consecutive Month

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09/03/2025 - 09:00 AM

Data from Nielsen shows that streaming on Roku-powered devices accounted for 21.4% of all TV viewing in July, compared to 18.4% for broadcast TV

Roku leads the way as the cultural shift from broadcast to streaming continues

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU), the #1 selling TV operating system (OS) in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico*, announced a major industry milestone: For the third consecutive month, U.S. viewers spent more time streaming content on Roku-powered devices than watching traditional broadcast television.

According to Nielsen data**, streaming on Roku-powered devices accounted for 21.4% of all TV viewing time in the U.S. during July, surpassing broadcast TV’s 18.4% share. This continues a trend from May and June, when streaming on the Roku platform also outpaced broadcast. Roku’s share of TV viewing has grown steadily throughout 2025 — up 14% year-over-year — reflecting not just a shift in technology, but how audiences discover and engage with the entertainment that shapes today’s culture.

While Nielsen’s monthly The Gauge report measures viewing for the top streaming services including The Roku Channel — Roku’s free, ad-supported service, which alone accounts for 2.8% of all TV viewing — it doesn’t represent the scale of streaming on Roku-powered devices. Today’s milestone reflects viewing across thousands of apps and live TV services on the entire Roku platform, offering a more complete picture of how Americans spend their time streaming.

“When we first said that all TV would be streamed, it was a bold prediction. That day is closer than ever,” said Anthony Wood, Founder and CEO of Roku. “Now that the shift to streaming is well underway, with Roku at the forefront, we’re focused on the next chapter: making streaming easier, more personal, and more impactful for viewers, creators, and all our partners.”

Beyond surpassing broadcast viewership, Roku remains the leading destination for streaming overall, by usage and TV unit sales. The Roku OS powers streaming on smart TVs and devices in over half of all internet-enabled households in the U.S., underscoring Roku’s central role in the streaming ecosystem and its ability to connect tens of millions of viewers to the content they love. It also is the #1 selling TV OS in the U.S., with TV unit sales greater than the next two TV operating systems combined*.

“In broadcast’s heyday, TV guides directed us to ‘must-see’ television and the pop cultural moments we shared,” said Charlie Collier, President, Roku Media. “Today, the streaming platform is the guide, and the moments shaping culture are happening on Roku. We’re the ‘lead-in’ to TV for millions of viewers’ and partners’ journeys, connecting them to the content, live events, and experiences that define the streaming era.”

*Source: Circana, LLC, Retail Tracking Service, U.S., CA, and MX, Smart TV by Software Service, Unit Sales, January – June 2025

**The data analyzed from Nielsen is representative of all apps on the Roku platform including apps that contain Live TV such as YouTube TV and Hulu Live.

About Roku

Roku pioneered streaming on TV. We connect users to the content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers with unique capabilities to engage consumers. Roku-made TVs, Roku TV™ models, Roku streaming players, and TV-related audio devices are available in various countries around the world through direct retail sales and/or licensing arrangements with TV OEM brands. Roku Smart Home products are sold exclusively in the United States. Roku also operates The Roku Channel, the home of free and premium entertainment with exclusive access to Roku Originals, and the #2 app on our platform in the U.S. by streaming hours. The Roku Channel is available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Roku is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., U.S.A.

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements that are based on our beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to us on the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements include but are not limited to those related to trends in TV viewership; the shift to TV streaming; and the features, benefits, and reach of The Roku Channel and the Roku platform. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially are detailed from time to time in the reports Roku, Inc. files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on Roku’s website and are available from Roku without charge.

Roku is a registered trademark, and Roku TV is a trademark of Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries.