MUMBAI: Class is in session and Netflix is teaching everyone a lesson in domination. In Nielsen’s 50th The Gauge report for June 2025, streaming flexed its muscle once again, accounting for a record 46.0 per cent of total TV usage in the US. Leading the binge brigade was Netflix, which saw a 13.5 per cent surge in viewership over May, grabbing an 8.3 per cent share of total television minutes. That’s 0.8 points up month-on-month and enough to account for 42 per cent of streaming’s total gain in June.

The platform’s winning streak was powered by its usual bag of tricks: original series Ginny & Georgia was crowned the most-streamed title of the month with a jaw-dropping 8.7 billion viewing minutes, while acquired shows Animal Kingdom and Blindspot together clocked 11.4 billion minutes. And just to put a cherry on top, Squid Game Season 3 dropped in the final three days of the month and still managed nearly a billion viewing minutes per day.

Peacock wasn’t far behind on the podium, notching a 13.4 per cent usage rise fuelled largely by the new season of Love Island USA, which bagged 4.4 billion viewing minutes and ranked fourth overall. The streamer finished June with a 1.5 per cent TV share, up from 1.2 per cent in May.

Much of the streaming spike can be chalked up to school being out. Kids and teens (aged 6–17) increased their TV usage by 27 per cent in June, with streaming accounting for 66 per cent of their total watch time. Netflix and Peacock saw viewership from this age group climb 32 per cent and 37 per cent, respectively.

This cohort also powered up consoles and cable boxes, leading to a 41 per cent jump in the “Other” category home to video games and set-top box viewing far above the overall 14 per cent gain in that segment.

Meanwhile, traditional TV continued its summer slump. Broadcast viewership dipped 5 per cent to an all-time low share of 18.5 per cent, slipping below the 20 per cent mark for the first time. Cable remained mostly flat but still ceded 0.7 share points to end at 23.4 per cent. Combined, cable and broadcast dropped from 44.2 per cent in May to 41.9 per cent in June.

That said, the NBA Finals threw broadcasters a lifeline, ABC aired all seven of the month’s most-watched telecasts, including the NBA Trophy Presentation. On cable, Conference Finals on ESPN and TNT scored big, while news and special programming like Fox News’ Army 250 Parade and CNN’s Goodnight and Good Luck helped shore up ratings.

With summer holidays in full swing and streamers rolling out irresistible content, one thing is clear: viewers are switching channels literally and figuratively. And if June is any indication, traditional TV might need more than just a timeout to catch up.