Comscore Says Linear Holds 78% of TV Ad Time. Streaming Just Took Most of the Primetime Upfront.

Unmeasured, from ADOTAT · By Pesach Lattin · October 27, 2026

Comscore's new Score Report says linear TV holds 77.7% of measured TV ad exposure time, and its release says streaming's rise is coming out of cable. Its own chart shows cable rose from 34.2% to 34.5% over the summer while broadcast fell from 44.7% to 43.2%.

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What the issue found

Comscore's August Score Report: broadcast 43.2%, cable 34.5%, streaming 22.3% of TV ad exposure time.
Streaming took more of the 2026-27 primetime upfront than linear, $17.2 billion to $16.6 billion, per Media Dynamics.
Nielsen's Gauge had streaming at 49.6% of all TV viewing in the same month.
Comscore credits YouTube TV, Sling and Hulu Live ads to the originating network; counted as streaming, 22.3% lands closer to 30%.
The release cites a streaming plateau around 19%, but the chart shows 16.1% to 18.5% for September through January.

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Comscore Says Linear Holds 78% of TV Ad Time. Streaming Just Took Most of the Primetime Upfront.

What the issue found

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