The most popular streaming services in 2026
YouTube gets the most viewing time on US TVs. Netflix has the most paying subscribers. Here is how every major service ranks on each.
By viewing time, YouTube is the most popular streaming platform in the US, with 15.8% of all TV viewing in August 2026, about twice Netflix at 7.7%, according to Nielsen. By paid subscribers, Netflix leads worldwide with more than 325 million. Disney's services, Prime Video, The Roku Channel, and Peacock round out the US top tier.
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"Most popular" depends on what you count. Nielsen's monthly report, The Gauge, measures how much of all TV time Americans spend on each service, which favors free, always-on platforms like YouTube. Subscriber counts measure how many people pay, which favors Netflix and the big studio services. This page ranks both, and we update it as new numbers come out.
Ranked by US TV viewing time
Nielsen, The Gauge, August 2026 (released Oct 22, 2026), except The Roku Channel and Peacock, from the July 2026 report. Shares are of all TV viewing, including broadcast and cable.
Streaming made up 49.6% of all TV viewing in August, ahead of cable and broadcast. YouTube's share was a record for the platform, up from 13.1% a year earlier, while Netflix fell from 8.7%. Nielsen counts YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and other live TV services as cable or broadcast viewing, not streaming, so they don't appear here; see the best live TV streaming services for those.
Nielsen hasn't released its September report yet. It's changing how The Gauge is calculated to match its TV ratings, and plans to publish September and October together later this year. The new method may lower streaming's share somewhat.
Ranked by paid subscribers
Company earnings releases as compiled by TheWrap (May 2026); HBO Max from Warner Bros. Discovery's Q1 2026 results, as reported by Deadline (May 6, 2026). Netflix, Disney, and Warner Bros. Discovery have stopped reporting quarterly subscriber counts, so these are their last disclosed figures.
Together, Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ had 219.8 million subscriptions at Disney's last count. Amazon doesn't break out Prime Video viewers, since the service comes with every Prime membership.
Free streaming services are catching up
Two of the top six services by viewing time are free. YouTube, The Roku Channel, Tubi, and Pluto TV make money from ads, need no subscription, and are often built into smart TVs, which is a big reason they win on viewing time without a signup. If you're cutting costs, they're worth adding before you pay for another service. For the devices that run them, see the best streaming devices.
What the most popular services cost
US monthly prices after Netflix's and Peacock's fall 2026 increases, as reported by American TV in October 2026. Check each service for current pricing.
Do you have the internet for it?
More streaming at once means more bandwidth. Netflix recommends 15 Mbps for a 4K stream, so a home running a few TVs at once needs a plan well above that, and live sports stutter first when Wi-Fi is weak. See how much speed 4K streaming needs and the best internet for streaming.
Questions
What is the #1 TV streaming service?
By viewing time, YouTube, with 15.8% of all US TV viewing in August 2026 according to Nielsen. By paid subscribers, Netflix, with more than 325 million worldwide.
What is the most viewed streaming platform?
YouTube. It had about twice Netflix's share of US TV viewing time in Nielsen's August 2026 report: 15.8% vs. 7.7%.
Which streaming service has the most subscribers?
Netflix, with more than 325 million paid subscribers worldwide as of its last disclosure in January 2026.
Which streaming service is losing subscribers?
It's hard to tell, because Netflix, Disney, and Warner Bros. Discovery no longer report quarterly subscriber counts. By viewing time, Netflix's share of US TV fell from 8.7% to 7.7% over the year to August 2026, while YouTube's rose.
Why is Netflix the most popular paid streaming service?
It's available in more than 190 countries, releases original shows and movies every week, and offers a cheaper ad-supported plan, which together give it the largest paid subscriber base.
- Nielsen, The Gauge, July and August 2026 editions, as reported by Barrett Media, Tubefilter, and TheStreet (Sept–Oct 2026)
- TheWrap, "How the Streamers Stack Up in Subscribers, Revenue and Profits" (May 2026), compiling company earnings
- PPC Land, on Nielsen's September 2026 methodology change (Oct 2026)
- American TV, Netflix and Peacock Q3 2026 results and prices (Oct 2026)
- Deadline, "HBO Max Beats Internal Forecasts, Topping 140M Subscribers In Q1" (May 6, 2026); Variety, HBO Max subscribers at 131.6 million, Warner Bros. Discovery Q4 2025 earnings (Feb 26, 2026)
Rankings are based on Nielsen's published viewing data and the companies' own subscriber disclosures, as reported by the outlets named above.
Prices and plans change often; confirm before you sign up or buy. How we research
Jean founded ShopHighSpeed after trying to find one straight answer about business internet in his own town. He has been a Comcast and Verizon Fios customer, and ranks providers on what they actually deliver, not on what they advertise.