New Study Reveals America’s Real And Surprising TV Viewing Habits
Survey By Optimum Finds 90% Of Us Do Something Else While Watching Our Shows
Most Watched Sports: Football, Basketball and Baseball - And Nearly Everyone Prefers to Watch Games Live
Over 66% of Us Say We Watch TV All or Most of the Time
NEW YORK, NY (June 26, 2025) - A new national study from Optimum reveals that television is still central to American life, but the way people watch it has changed dramatically. Viewers are no longer sitting quietly on the couch, focused on just one screen. Instead, they are multitasking, with almost 90% of survey respondents doing something else while watching.
The study is based on over 2,000 participants nationwide1.
What are some of the things people are doing while watching television? The study ranked common activities among Americans which include, in order:
- Eating
- Browsing on their phone or the Internet
- Texting or talking on the phone
- Enjoying company of friends and family
- Scrolling social media
- Cooking
The survey found that, on average, Americans watch 24 hours of television every week. Two thirds of us say we watch TV all or most of the time. In terms of sports, viewers favor football, basketball, and baseball - and most prefer to watch games live. When given a choice, sports fans pick their favorite team over their favorite sport.
“This poll hits home for everyone across the country,” said Eric Bruno, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Optimum. “We all have busy lives, but in between family, work and school, we all have unique television habits, and it’s interesting to hear about them.”
If you are always asking your friends and family about what’s the next best show to watch, you are not alone. The survey found nearly 40% of us rely on these suggestions to decide what to watch next.
The survey also discovered insights into how we watch television, including:
- Almost 75% of Americans use Amazon Prime and Netflix, more than other streaming services.
- Americans prefer to stream movies and shows more than sports and political news.
- Only 25% of households have streaming services alone.
“At Optimum, we are using data like this to make better products for our customers. We’ve reaffirmed that Americans want both streaming and traditional television options, but they want those services to be accessible and easier to understand. By listening closely to consumers and staying flexible to evolve with their habits in mind, we’re working to better meet the needs of our customers and the realities of an ever-changing TV landscape,” said Bruno.
For additional insights into Optimum’s TV viewership study, click here.
About Optimum
Optimum is a brand of Altice USA, one of the largest broadband communications and video services providers in the United States, delivering broadband, video, mobile, proprietary content and advertising services to approximately 4.5 million residential and business customers across 21 states. The company operates Optimum Media, an advanced advertising and data business, which provides audience-based, multiscreen advertising solutions to local, regional and national businesses and advertising clients. Altice USA also offers hyper-local through its News 12 Networks.
1 All data cited in this piece was taken from a survey with respondents sourced from a third party on behalf of Optimum between February 26 – March 13, 2025. Over 2,000 U.S. adult TV service decision-makers were surveyed.