Verified Confidence: high
Primary source found; it says the same thing, the scope matches, and it is reasonably current.
Safe rephrasing
Nielsen's Gauge for July 2026 put YouTube at a record 14.2% of US TV viewing and streaming overall at 49.0%.
What the source says
YouTube Captures a Record 14.2% of TV as Overall Streaming Rises to 49.0%
Nielsen — July 2026 The Gauge (Sept. 10, 2026)
- Commonly cited as
- "Streaming is half of TV" / "YouTube is the biggest TV network"
- True origin
- Nielsen — July 2026 The Gauge (Sept. 10, 2026)
- Type
- Stat check: A widely repeated statistic traced back to its origin.
- Year
- 2026
- Data as of
- July 2026
- Last checked
- Method & sample
- Nielsen panel measurement of US TV-set viewing by platform and distributor (The Gauge).
- Drift between quote and source
- TV-set viewing only, not phones or computers
- Summer months usually lift streaming share
- Interest
- n/a (Nielsen sells audience measurement).