Roku streaming surpasses broadcast TV viewership for third month

The milestone announcement from San Jose-based Roku represents a significant shift in television consumption patterns, as streaming platforms continue gaining market share at traditional broadcasters' expense. Roku's platform saw 14% year-over-year growth in television viewing share throughout 2025, reflecting broader industry trends toward on-demand content consumption.

Nielsen's The Gauge report measures viewing for top streaming services including The Roku Channel, which alone accounts for 2.8% of all television viewing. However, the 21.4% figure encompasses viewing across thousands of apps and live television services operating on Roku-powered devices, providing comprehensive insight into the platform's total reach across American households.

"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. Wood emphasized the company's focus on the next phase: "making streaming easier, more personal, and more impactful for viewers, creators, and all our partners."

The announcement carries substantial implications for advertising professionals and media buyers who have increasingly allocated budgets toward connected television platforms. Roku operates the leading television streaming platform by usage and unit sales, with devices and smart televisions powered by Roku OS reaching over half of all internet-enabled households throughout the United States.

Roku's dominance extends beyond viewership metrics to hardware sales performance. The company maintains the number one position in television operating system sales across the United States, with unit sales exceeding the next two television operating systems combined, according to Circana retail tracking data from January through June 2025.

Charlie Collier, President of Roku Media, drew parallels between traditional television guides and modern streaming platforms. "In broadcast's heyday, TV guides directed us to 'must-see' television and the pop cultural moments we shared," Collier explained. "Today, the streaming platform is the guide, and the moments shaping culture are happening on Roku."

The data analyzed from Nielsen represents all applications on the Roku platform, including services containing live television such as YouTube TV and Hulu Live. This comprehensive measurement approach provides advertisers with more accurate audience reach calculations compared to individual service metrics alone.

For marketing professionals, Roku's continued growth reflects broader free ad-supported streaming television expansion, with platforms like The Roku Channel demonstrating significant viewer engagement. The service achieved record performance levels throughout 2025, indicating sustained audience appetite for ad-supported streaming content.

The technical infrastructure supporting Roku's growth includes partnerships with major advertising technology providers. Recent collaborations with measurement companies like iSpot.tv enhance campaign tracking capabilities while data partnerships with retailers like Instacart enable shoppable advertising experiences.

Nielsen's methodology encompasses viewing across broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms through television screens, excluding mobile device consumption. The measurement company's monthly reports have consistently shown streaming gaining market share since early 2024, with June 2024 marking the first time streaming reached 40.3% of total television usage.

Advertising industry analysts note that Roku's sustained viewership growth creates opportunities for performance-focused marketers seeking television advertising scale. The platform's launch of Ads Manager in September 2024 demonstrated commitment to attracting digital advertising professionals accustomed to self-service campaign management tools.

Connected television advertising represents one of the fastest-growing segments within digital advertising expenditures. Market research indicates streaming platforms increasingly compete for advertising dollars traditionally allocated to broadcast and cable television networks, with programmatic buying capabilities enabling precise audience targeting previously unavailable in linear television.

The July 2025 viewing data shows Roku-powered devices maintaining consistent growth despite increased competition from other streaming platforms. Major services including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ continue expanding their advertising inventory, yet Roku's aggregated platform approach provides advertisers access to multiple content sources through unified campaign management.

Roku's business model centers on advertising revenue rather than subscription fees, distinguishing the company from content-focused streaming services. This approach aligns with growing advertiser interest in free ad-supported television platforms where audiences demonstrate higher engagement with commercial messaging compared to traditional broadcast environments.

The company operates The Roku Channel as its free, ad-supported service, featuring exclusive Roku Originals content alongside licensed programming from major studios. The service ranks as the number two application on Roku's platform by streaming hours, demonstrating audience acceptance of advertising-supported content consumption models.

Technical implementation of Roku's advertising capabilities includes enhanced data sharing partnerships that enable advertisers to measure campaign performance across multiple phases of the marketing funnel. These tools address measurement fragmentation challenges that have historically limited connected television advertising effectiveness.

Industry observers note that July's 21.4% viewing share for Roku-powered devices represents just television screen consumption, excluding mobile phones, tablets, and computer viewing. This limitation suggests actual streaming consumption may exceed reported figures when accounting for cross-platform viewing behavior among younger demographics.

The announcement coincides with Roku's continued expansion of advertising products, including Home Screen ad placements and interactive shoppable ad formats. These innovations reflect the platform's strategy to capture larger portions of television advertising budgets through enhanced targeting and measurement capabilities unavailable in traditional broadcast television.

For broadcasting companies, Roku's sustained growth presents both challenges and opportunities. While traditional broadcast viewership continues declining, content producers can reach audiences through Roku's platform via direct app distribution or licensing arrangements with The Roku Channel.

Market dynamics indicate streaming platform competition will intensify as audiences fragment across multiple services. However, Roku's operating system approach provides the company with a unique position, enabling monetization regardless of which specific streaming applications users access on their devices.

The September 3 announcement reinforces Roku's position as the leading connected television platform in the United States. With over 80 million households accessible through various advertising technology partnerships, the company maintains significant leverage in negotiations with both content providers and advertising clients.

Looking ahead, sustained viewership growth on Roku-powered devices suggests traditional broadcast television faces continued pressure from streaming alternatives. The platform's aggregation model, combining thousands of streaming applications with sophisticated advertising tools, positions Roku to benefit from ongoing shifts in television consumption patterns throughout the remainder of 2025.

Timeline

• January-June 2025: Roku maintains #1 TV OS sales position with unit sales exceeding next two competitors combined
• March 2025: Amazon introduces Complete TV within DSP platform signaling increased CTV advertising investment
• May-June 2025: Roku streaming viewership first surpasses broadcast television according to Nielsen data
• June 16, 2025: Amazon Ads and Roku announce largest authenticated CTV partnership providing 80M household access
• July 2025: Roku-powered devices reach 21.4% of total TV viewing time vs 18.4% for broadcast
• August 2025: FAST channels surge 42% as programmers shift content strategies
• September 3, 2025: Roku announces third consecutive month of streaming dominance over broadcast television

Summary

Who: Roku Inc. (NASDAQ: ROKU), the leading TV operating system company, announced the milestone alongside CEO Anthony Wood and President of Roku Media Charlie Collier.

What: Streaming on Roku-powered devices captured 21.4% of all U.S. television viewing time in July 2025, surpassing broadcast television's 18.4% share for the third consecutive month according to Nielsen data.

When: The announcement was made September 3, 2025, reporting July 2025 viewing data that shows continued streaming growth throughout the year.

Where: The milestone applies to United States television viewing across Roku-powered smart TVs and streaming devices in over half of all internet-enabled households nationwide.

Why: The shift reflects changing viewer preferences toward on-demand streaming content, Roku's platform growth strategy, and the company's position as the aggregated destination for thousands of streaming applications and live TV services.