NBCUniversal and Versant Surpass YouTube in February TV Viewing

In February 2026, NBCUniversal and its spinoff company Versant captured a combined 13.1% of total TV viewing, overtaking YouTube, which held 12.7%. This shift was largely attributed to high-profile events such as the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics, which significantly boosted viewership for NBCUniversal's platforms. The Nielsen Media Distributor Gauge report, which tracks TV viewership by company, highlighted this notable change after a delay in its release due to client concerns over methodological adjustments.

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The Super Bowl, which aired on February 8, was a major contributor to NBCUniversal's success, accounting for over 125 million viewers and driving a 60% increase in viewership for NBC affiliate stations during the month. Additionally, the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina further enhanced NBCUniversal's ratings, with its streaming service, Peacock, experiencing a 64% increase in viewership, reaching its highest share since its launch. Peacock's simulcast of the Super Bowl alone accounted for 20% of the game's audience.

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Peacock's performance was particularly notable, achieving a 3% share of total TV viewing, its highest since the Gauge's inception in 2021. The platform attracted a younger demographic, with 73% of its Super Bowl audience under the age of 50. Other streaming platforms, such as Netflix and Disney+, saw declines in their viewing shares, with Netflix capturing 8.4% and Disney's bundle at 5%. Tubi was the only other streaming service to report an increase, rising to 4.1%.

The Wrap

Nielsen's report was delayed due to backlash from clients regarding proposed changes to its methodology, which would have shown a decline in streaming's share of total TV use. In response to this criticism, Nielsen decided to maintain its existing methodology for the February report, which was released in April. The company plans to implement changes in the fall of 2026, aligning its Gauge data more closely with its currency ratings products used for ad pricing.

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The initial plan to alter the methodology raised concerns among Nielsen's clients, who feared that the changes would misrepresent the viewing landscape by favoring traditional cable and broadcast networks over streaming platforms. This led to significant pushback, prompting Nielsen to delay the report's release multiple times before reverting to its previous methodology.

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While NBCUniversal and Versant reported a significant increase in viewership, the overall landscape for streaming platforms showed mixed results. YouTube's slight increase in share, from 12.5% in January to 12.7% in February, contrasted with declines for other major platforms. The discrepancies in reported viewership figures highlight the ongoing shifts in consumer viewing habits.

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• “Watch on Deadline The Super Bowl was a key driver for Peacock, whose simulcast of the game accounted for more than 20% of total viewership, Nielsen said.” — Nielsen Report

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• “Nielsen is working on updates to The Gauge and MDG reports to better reflect and include currency enhancements for the Fall TV season, at which time Nielsen will provide additional back data to clients to assist in the transition.” — Nielsen Statement

Hollywood Reporter

• “Peacock’s viewers were also notably younger as 73% of its Super Bowl audience were 50 years old or younger compared to 54% of NBC’s audience.” — Nielsen Report

The Wrap

This analysis of February's viewing data illustrates the dynamic nature of the television landscape, particularly in the context of major sporting events and the evolving role of streaming platforms.

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