By Michaela Gordoni
A recent Nielsen report shows that viewers turn to older and familiar shows instead of newer ones, primarily because they can watch them for free.
Of the 10 most-watched original shows, none of them are new, and three of them — THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY, SQUID GAME and YOU — ended in 2025, TV Insider reported.
The growth of free streaming services is also higher than paid ones. YouTube is the fastest grower and streamer currently, while Tubi and Roku fall in second and third place.
From 2020 to 2025, NCIS had the most minutes of view time, followed by GREY’S ANATOMY and BLUEY, which was also the most-watched show of 2025. OZARK was the most watched original streaming show.
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS was the most-watched movie of 2025 at 17.4 billion minutes. HAPPY GILMORE 2 came in second but still way behind at 6.2 billion.
Related: Just How Close Is Streaming to Overtaking Linear Viewership?
The two most-watched streaming movies were MOANA and ENCANTO. All of the other top 10 most watched streaming movies are all family-friendly — no surprise there.
THE OFFICE, PARKS AND RECREATION and SUITS frequently ranked in the top 10 during their times on Netflix but not during their times on Peacock.
The Current reported that Americans between 50 and 64 have watched the most free ad-supported TV (FAST) since spring 2024.
“We don’t see any slowdown in the future as more and more people have adopted this,” Nielsen’s Brian Fuhrer said at the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement this year.
“With the rise of premium content on free streaming has come the equalization in attention paid between free and paid streaming TV,” Zoe Zirlin, ad research manager at Roku, said at the conference.
Tubi gained great success earlier this year when it streamed the Super Bowl for over 13 million viewers.
CEO Anjali Sud called it “a watershed moment for Tubi and a big milestone for live sports and free ad-supported streaming.”
“People used to cut the cord, now they’re canceling subscriptions. And is that driving more consumption into free streaming? Absolutely,” Tubi Chief Content Officer Adam Lewinson said.
One 23-year-old fan of free streaming told CNBC, “With Tubi, it’s completely free — you know you’re getting ads, but it’s promoted in a way where you can watch old movies, new movies, or Tubi originals, so that’s why I’m a big fan of the platform, mainly because of the fact that it’s cost-effective.”
It may be that as these free streaming services continue to soar, they will push paid platforms to adapt quickly.
Read Next: Is Tubi Topping the Streaming Totem Pole?
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