Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

The Gauge: FOX's Successful Cross-Platform Super Bowl Strategy Drives A Huge Day in Television Viewing

18/03/2025

Sunday, Feb. 9 becomes the second most-watched day of TV in Gauge history with over 110 billion total day viewing minutes.

Tubi represented a third of all streaming during the Big Game.

Streaming notches the largest share of TV to date with 43.5%; traditional TV leads by less than a share point with 44.4%.

NEW YORK - March 18, 2025 - Super Bowl Sunday ranks as one of the most heavily viewed days of television each year, and this year's Super Bowl Sunday, February 9, tracked with historic trends as TV viewing across the day exceeded 110 billion viewing minutes. This total day viewership milestone has been reached just one other time since The Gauge launched in May 2021, with Super Bowl Sunday on February 11, 2024, leading by a relatively slim margin of about 500 million minutes.

A record-breaking 127.7 million viewers watched FOX's broadcast of Super Bowl LIX, including a simulcast streamed on Tubi (FOX's free streaming service), which clearly resonated with consumers and further illustrated how cross-platform distribution has materialized into real world success. While previous Super Bowls have offered alternative streaming options, Tubi's free and subscriptionless features provided a means for the Big Game to reach even more viewers. As the game aired live, Tubi represented a third of all streaming usage and multiplied its audience to nearly 16 times its January 2025 average. Viewers that watched Tubi during the Super Bowl were 38% more likely to be 18-34 than the total game average, and also skewed slightly female. Overall, Tubi's February usage was up 17% over January to finish with 2.0% of total TV watch-time, its largest share since July 2024.

Following typical seasonal trends, time spent watching television decreased from January to February. Streaming was least impacted, however, and the category gained 0.9 share points versus January to account for 43.5% of total viewing time this month, marking its largest share of the TV viewership pie to date. By comparison, broadcast (21.2%) and cable (23.2%) combined to account for 44.4% of TV in February.

Time spent watching YouTube on TV in February was up 2.5% versus last month to represent 11.6% of total TV viewing-a record for YouTube and the streaming category overall. Additionally, nearly 27% of time spent streaming in February was dedicated to watching YouTube.

Following its platform-best performance achieved last month, Netflix represented the second largest share among streaming services in February with 8.2% of TV. Netflix also owned the top streaming program in February with its original action-thriller series The Night Agent, which captured 6 billion viewing minutes across the month. Bluey on Disney was second with 4.2 billion minutes.

Among cable viewing, the championship game in the inaugural NHL 4 Nations Face-Off drew this month's largest cable audience, with 9.3 million viewers on ESPN. FOX News Channel represented the next 13 top cable telecasts, as cable news gained 8% over January to represent 27% of all cable viewing in February.

On broadcast, the Super Bowl and its pregame and postgame programs on FOX were followed by NBC's Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special with 16.5 million viewers, and The Grammys on CBS with 16.2 million viewers. Broadcast dramas, which accounted for the largest share of broadcast viewing in February (27%), were up 15% versus last month and led by CBS' Tracker (10.6 million) and Matlock (9.4 million).

Last month's post-season success for the NFL and College Football Playoffs meant an even steeper decline for traditional TV viewing in February. This was most obvious among sports events viewership, which fell 54% on broadcast and 42% on cable versus January. Despite strong showings by the Super Bowl and aforementioned top telecasts, total broadcast fell by 10% to account for 21.2% of TV (-1.3 pts.). Meanwhile, cable declined 9% and totaled 23.2% of TV (-1.2 pts.).

The February 2025 interval dates included 01/27/2025 through 02/23/2025. Nielsen reporting follows the broadcast calendar with measurement weeks that run Monday through Sunday.

-- Note: As of the January 2025 Gauge report, Disney , Hulu and ESPN viewing are aggregated into a single total represented as Disney Streaming. Learn why.

About The Gauge The Gauge is Nielsen's monthly snapshot of total broadcast, cable and streaming consumption that occurs through a television screen, providing the industry with a holistic look at what audiences are watching. The Gauge was expanded in April 2024 to include The Media Distributor Gauge, which reflects total viewing by media distributor across these categories. Read more about The Gauge methodology and FAQs.

About NielsenNielsen is a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviors across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and engage with their global audiences-now and into the future. Learn more at www.nielsen.com and connect with us on social media (X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram).

Press ContactLauren Pabst

lauren.pabst@nielsen.com
LINK: https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2025/the-gauge-foxs-successful-cro...
See more stories from arbitron

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

06/04/2026

Fab Five' Reunion Drives TNT and CBS's Experimental Final Four Altcast Built on REMI Workflow

Michigan legends bring a new voice to the broadcast as TNT Sports and CBS Sports...

06/04/2026

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Optikka CEO Daniel Evans on Scaling Sports Content with Programmatic Graphics

From high school sports all the way up to the major leagues, building high-quali...

06/04/2026

Quickplay and TwelveLabs Join AWS Business Outcomes Xcelerator Program

Quickplay, an AI company for the media and entertainment industry, has been accepted into the Advanced tier of the TwelveLabs Ecosystem Partner Program. Quickpl...

06/04/2026

Grass Valley Launches Future Playmakers Program for Students in Sports Production and Media Technology

Grass Valley has announced the Future Playmakers Program, a global initiative to...

06/04/2026

SVG All-Stars: Raasean Robinson, Gerente de Posproduccin y Operaciones de Estudio, FOX Deportes

El l der de operaciones impulsa la producci n en estudio mientras encuentra insp...

06/04/2026

SVG All-Stars: Raasean Robinson, Manager, Post Production and Studio Operations, FOX Deportes

The ops leader helps lead the charge in studio for the Spanish-language broadcas...

06/04/2026

Behind The Mic: SiriusXM Shares 2026 Masters Broadcast Team; ESPN to Produce Over 140+ Hours of Masters Live Coverage

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

06/04/2026

NHL Opens Innovation Lab in Partnership with Verizon, New Jersey Devils

The National Hockey League (NHL), in partnership with Verizon and the New Jersey Devils, today announced the opening of the NHL Innovation Lab powered by Verizo...

06/04/2026

ESPN+ To Stream Inaugural Rock League Curling Season

Rock League, a new professional curling league, has announced that ESPN+ will stream its inaugural 2026 season for fans in the United States. The first Rock Lea...

06/04/2026

ASG Appoints Andrea Cummis as VP of Systems Design and Engineering

Advanced Systems Group has announced the appointment of Andrea (Andy) Cummis as Vice President of Systems Design and Engineering. In this role, she will lead de...

06/04/2026

Source Media Group Launches Source Golf, a Creator-Driven YouTube Network Targeting Next-Gen Fans

Backed by Bolt Ventures, the venture brings Bryson DeChambeau, Grant Horvat, and...

06/04/2026

How the NHL's Innovation Lab Will Take Broadcast, Fan, and Team Tech to New Heights

With this environment we can start that collaboration even earlier because we ca...

06/04/2026

K-Pop Artist ENHYPEN Host The Blood Diary,' a New Video Podcast Series From HYBE

Like the immortal lives of vampires, some stories never really end. That's t...

06/04/2026

From Audio to IRL: How Let's Get Haunted' Is Building Community With Spotify RADAR

As podcasting continues to evolve, growth increasingly means building beyond aud...

06/04/2026

FSK Audio update Bark24 Dyn

Multiband dynamics plug-in enhanced California-based developer FSK Audio have released a significant update for their innovative multiband dynamics processo...

06/04/2026

IK Multimedia introduce ToneNET Preset Sharing

Share official & user-created full-rig presets IK Multimedia's latest TONEX update makes it possible for users of the popular amp and effects modelling ...

06/04/2026

Baseball 2026: More AI, Better Viewing Choices

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/04/2026

JB&A Announces Details for its Pre-NAB 2026 Event

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/04/2026

Dalet Showcases Dalia Agentic AI and End-to-End Media Workflows at NAB Show 2026

Dalet Showcases Dalia Agentic AI and End-to-End Media Workflows at NAB Show 2026 Brie Clayton April 6, 2026 0 Comments Dalet, a leading technology and...

06/04/2026

OpenDrives Shows Off Sports Expertise in Sports Business Hub located in NAB Show's West Hall

OpenDrives Shows Off Sports Expertise in Sports Business Hub located in NAB Show...

06/04/2026

Proton to Demonstrate 3D Application at NAB 2026

Proton to Demonstrate 3D Application at NAB 2026 Brie Clayton April 6, 2026 0 Comments Yet further creative potential unleashed through innovation in ...

06/04/2026

Autoscript Highlights Voice-Driven Prompting and PTZ Solutions at NAB 2026

Autoscript Highlights Voice-Driven Prompting and PTZ Solutions at NAB 2026 Brie Clayton April 6, 2026 0 Comments Experience Autoscript Voice, PTZ prom...

06/04/2026

Mediaproxy Highlights Significant Enhancements to its LogServer suite at NAB Show 2026

Mediaproxy Highlights Significant Enhancements to its LogServer suite at NAB Sho...

06/04/2026

Netflix Expands Kids Entertainment Lineup With Playground App for Games, New Shows & Returning Favorites

Back to All News Netflix Expands Kids Entertainment Lineup With Playground App ...

05/04/2026

Latest SoundBridge update now live

Tackles all reported bugs! SoundBridge have just announced the launch of a new update that introduces a couple of minor changes to their remote collaboratio...

04/04/2026

Don't Be Lame: Arizona Men's Basketball Social Team Aims To Catch the Attention of Wildcats Fans

The University of Arizona's Men's Basketball team has only loss twice th...

04/04/2026

HDR Makes Its Men's Final Four Debut as CBS Sports and TNT Sports Collaborate on New Camera Tools and an IP-Powered Compound

1080p HDR arrives, a new generation of storytelling tools takes center stage, an...

04/04/2026

Fab Five Reunion Drives TNT and CBS's Experimental Final Four Altcast Built on REMI Workflow

Michigan legends bring a new voice to the broadcast as TNT Sports and CBS Sports...

04/04/2026

Flock Audio's latest Patch App DX update

Faster, cleaner and more intuitive than ever The control software for Flock Audio's digitally controlled patchbay systems has just been treated to an up...

04/04/2026

Sinclair to FCC: Broadcast Sports Drives Investment in Local News

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/04/2026

Study: Worldwide Telecom Capex to Decline in 2026,

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/04/2026

Ateme Delivers Full End-to-End Streaming Platform to Moldtelecom

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/04/2026

FCC Plans Spending, Regulatory Fee Revenue Reductions in FY 2027

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/04/2026

DHD Introduces AI-Based Audio Noise Reduction to XD3 IP Core

DHD Introduces AI-Based Audio Noise Reduction to XD3 IP Core Brie Clayton April 3, 2026 0 Comments The accompanying image shows the rear panel of the ...

04/04/2026

Macnica Redefines ST 2110 Flexibility with Two Speeds on One Card

Macnica Redefines ST 2110 Flexibility with Two Speeds on One Card Brie Clayton April 3, 2026 0 Comments New for NAB Show 2026, MEP100 SmartNIC now sup...

04/04/2026

Unified Media Workflows for Story-Centric Production

Unified Media Workflows for Story-Centric Production Brie Clayton April 3, 2026 0 Comments Framelight X unifies field capture, editing and publishing ...

03/04/2026

TNT Sports and CBS Sports To Reunite Michigan's Iconic Fab Five' for Special NCAA Men's Final Four Altcast on truTV and HBO Max

Michigan's Fab Five will reunite for an alternate presentation of the Mich...

03/04/2026

NAB 2026: Avid To Showcase Content Core and AI Workflow Innovations

Avid will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (April 18-22, Booth N2226, Las Vegas Convention Center), demonstrating its Content Core platform and new AI-driven workflow c...

03/04/2026

MRMC Appoints Nick Barthee as Chief Operating Officer

Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) has announced the appointment of Nick Barthee as Chief Operating Officer. The announcement follows MRMC's transition fro...

03/04/2026

Elite Media Technologies Selects Interra Systems' BATON for File-Based QC

Interra Systems has announced that Elite Media Technologies has selected its BATON file-based QC solution for media workflows. Elite Media Technologies speciali...

03/04/2026

Moldtelecom Deploys Ateme Technologies Across Full Streaming Workflow

Ateme has announced that Moldtelecom has deployed Ateme technologies across its streaming workflow, covering encoding, delivery, operations, and analytics. Mol...

03/04/2026

NAB 2026: Grass Valley To Demonstrate Framelight X Content Management

Grass Valley will demonstrate Framelight X, its content management platform, at NAB Show 2026. The platform connects capture, ingest, editing, and publishing in...

03/04/2026

NAB 2026: Encompass Digital Media and Techex Launch Cloud-Based Master Control Service for Live Events

Encompass Digital Media and Techex have announced a cloud-native Master Control ...

03/04/2026

Peacock Debuts Its New Vertical-Video Experience for Live NBA Games on Monday

Live Vertical Video automatically track the action on the court via AI technology and delivers a fully optimized, 9 16 live feed for viewers...

03/04/2026

Illinois Creative Team Captures Men's Final Four Run With Trust, Timing, and a Few Water Guns

As the Illini make their first trip to college basketball's biggest stage si...