YouTube's Lead Over Netflix in TV Viewing Keeps Growing. Is Netflix Stock a Sell?
YouTube's share of U.S. TV viewing time has grown to 14.2%, widening its lead over Netflix, which currently holds 7.8%. While Netflix's viewing growth has slowed, management argues that engagement metrics like subscription sign-ups are more critical than raw viewing hours.
Why it matters
The shift in viewing habits reflects the ongoing competition between user-generated content platforms and traditional subscription-based streaming services.
YouTube keeps grabbing a bigger share of Americans' TV time. In Nielsen's newest monthly Gauge report, YouTube made up a record 14.2% of all U.S. TV viewing in July. Netflix ( NFLX -1.16% ) , the second-biggest streaming service, held 7.8%.
A year before, the gap was far smaller. In July 2025, YouTube took 13.4% of TV time and Netflix set what was then a platform record of 8.8%. In 12 months, YouTube's lead widened from 4.6 percentage points to 6.4.
And Netflix's own share of TV time fell by over a tenth.
The stock has struggled, too. Shares of the streaming giant trade near $68 as of this writing, about 4% over their 52-week low and about 46% off their 52-week high of $124.86.
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