More Americans are streaming.

For the first time streaming services, like Netflix and Disney+, have gained the largest share of U.S. TV viewing, according to Nielsen. 

That’s been a trend for a long time, with steady declines in traditional TV usage as more people choose to cut the cord and turn to streaming instead.  

For the month of July, streaming among American TV households represented a record 34.8% share of total consumption, while cable and broadcast came in at 34.4% and 21.6%, respectively. 

Although streaming usage had surpassed broadcast usage before, this marks the first time that it also exceeded cable viewing. 

Netflix continued to hold the largest share of overall TV viewing among streaming platforms, fueled by popular shows like Stranger Things and Virgin River, as well as new original movie releases, like The Gray Man which recently made its premiere at the world famous TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood and started streaming. 

Hulu and Amazon’s Prime Video also topped the list of streaming services for total viewing minutes in the month of July. 

It is worth mentioning that Nielsen is tracking data from viewing on actual TVs, so reporting doesn’t take into account streaming on mobile devices or computers, which would likely boost streaming even further.

Cable vs. Streaming TV: Which is Better

There’s a reason why streaming continues to gain fans, leading to more people choosing to cut cable. Generally, streaming services are more affordable, flexible, and customizable.

It’s easy to start saving without the monthly equipment fees, taxes, and hidden fees that often come with cable.

All of TCL’s smart TVs, for example, provide THOUSANDS of streaming services to choose from. You can even go all-in with free streaming options, like The Roku Channel, Tubi, and more. With a TCL TV, you even have the option of connecting an HD antenna to see your local network channels.

Cord Cutting Becomes the Norm

These latest stats and figures just reinforce how the future of TV is streaming. 

More than 27% of households have cut the cord completely opting for streaming only, while 78% have a streaming service of some type. 

We know that finding the shows you want to watch when you want can be tough sometimes, given the many streaming options available. That’s why the OS choices available on TCL TVs make it easy to find what to watch.

With a TCL TV, you can even curate watchlists or save movies and shows so that you can keep track of what you want to watch next. 

We know you have plenty of options. At TCL, we want to inspire your next great binge session, or family movie night, all tailored to how you want to watch.