Observed Signal · May 4, 2026 · Measurement Report · Source: Cord Cutters News · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
US Viewers Watched 33 Billion Star Wars Minutes in 2025
Cord Cutters News reports on a Nielsen analysis showing U.S. audiences watched over 33 billion minutes of Star Wars content in 2025 across linear TV and streaming. The live-action series Andor was the single most-watched title with 7.4 billion minutes; films accounted for the largest share of total viewing time. Nielsen noted nearly 637 million minutes of Star Wars content were streamed on May 4, 2025. Demographic breakdowns show Andor leading among Millennials and Gen X, Gen Z favoring Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Baby Boomers and Gen Alpha leaning toward The Mandalorian. Disney+ hosts the franchise’s streaming catalog.
Nielsen viewing metrics quantify large-scale audience demand for Star Wars IP across linear and streaming, informing content strategy, ad inventory planning and CTV/streaming measurement, but do not represent a platform policy or industry-shifting change.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Nielsen reported U.S. viewers watched over 33 billion minutes of Star Wars content in 2025 across linear TV and streaming.
- Andor was the most-watched individual title in 2025, earning 7.4 billion minutes of viewing and spending six weeks on Nielsen’s Original Top 10.
- Films made the highest percentage of total Star Wars viewing time in 2025.
- Nearly 637 million minutes of Star Wars content were streamed on May 4, 2025 (May the 4th).
- Demographic preferences: Andor led Millennials and Gen X; Gen Z preferred Star Wars: The Clone Wars; Baby Boomers and Gen Alpha watched The Mandalorian most.
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Stranger Things Shatters Holiday Streaming Records
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YouTube Leads TV Viewership as Disney Gains Ground
Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge for January 2026 shows YouTube remained the most-watched media distributor with a 12.5% share, while Disney closed the gap to within 0.6 share points after posting 11.9% of TV usage. Disney’s performance was driven by ESPN’s College Football Playoffs and Championship (an +82% monthly viewing lift for ESPN) and stronger viewing on ABC affiliates (+10% month). Netflix finished third at 8.8%. The top-10 ranking also listed NBCU and Versant (combined) at 8.5%, Paramount 8.2%, Fox 7.4%, Warner Bros. Discovery 5.5%, Amazon 4.1%, The Roku Channel 3.0%, and Scripps 1.6%. Nielsen treats NBCU and Versant as one entity for ad-sales handling.
Streaming Made Up 48.6% of TV Viewing in May 2026
Nielsen's The Gauge reports that streaming accounted for 48.6% of all TV viewing in May 2026, exceeding combined cable (20.4%) and broadcast (19.2%). Nielsen's service-level breakdown shows YouTube at 13.8%, Netflix at 8.0%, Disney services at 4.9%, Prime Video at 4.5%, The Roku Channel at 3.1%, Tubi at 2.3%, Paramount services at 2.3%, Peacock at 1.8%, Warner Bros. Discovery services at 1.5%, and 6.6% from other services. Nielsen noted this was YouTube's highest monthly share and reported a month-over-month increase for Prime Video, which Nielsen attributes to events including The Boys finale, NBA and WNBA games, and two NASCAR races. Nielsen also said typical seasonal declines affected broadcast and cable viewing while sports drove a small uptick.
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