Insights
August 03, 2025
What is Hulu's share of TV viewing? (Q2 2025)
Table of Contents
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2.1%
Hulu share of total TV viewing
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51M
Hulu subscribers in the U.S.
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#4
Rank among streaming platforms
Hulu commands approximately 2.1% of total TV viewing time in the United States, according to Nielsen's Gauge report. This positions Hulu as the fourth most-watched streaming platform, behind YouTube (approximately 12.5%), Netflix (approximately 8.5%), and Amazon Prime Video (approximately 3.4%). With approximately 51 million U.S. subscribers and a long history of ad-supported streaming, Hulu represents a significant and mature advertising opportunity for businesses seeking to reach streaming audiences.
Hulu's position in the streaming landscape is unique. As the only major streaming service offering next-day access to current broadcast television programming alongside its original content library, Hulu serves as a bridge between traditional TV and pure streaming services. This hybrid positioning, combined with its ownership by Disney and integration with the broader Disney streaming ecosystem, makes Hulu a distinctive option for advertisers looking to reach cord-cutters who still want access to broadcast content.
What the data shows
Understanding Hulu's position in the streaming market requires examining multiple metrics: viewing share, subscriber counts, and competitive positioning.
TV viewing share
According to Nielsen's monthly Gauge report, Hulu maintains steady viewing share in the streaming landscape:
2.1%: Hulu's share of total U.S. TV viewing
#4 rank: Among streaming platforms by viewing share
Stable: Viewing share has remained consistent over recent months
Part of Disney: Combined with Disney+ (1.8%), Disney's streaming properties represent approximately 3.9% of TV viewing
Hulu's 2.1% share, while smaller than the top three streamers, represents substantial reach. With streaming capturing over 45% of total TV viewing, Hulu's 2.1% translates to significant audience access for advertisers.
Subscriber and household metrics
Hulu's subscriber base provides context for its advertising reach:
51 million: Estimated U.S. subscribers (including bundled subscriptions)
36%: Approximate U.S. household penetration
Hulu + Live TV: Approximately 4.6 million subscribers include live TV package
Disney bundle: Many subscribers access Hulu through Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ bundles
Hulu's subscriber count includes multiple tiers: ad-supported Hulu, ad-free Hulu, Hulu + Live TV (with ads), and Hulu + Live TV (no ads). For advertisers, the ad-supported tiers represent the addressable audience, which comprises the majority of Hulu's subscriber base.
Viewing behavior
Hulu's content mix creates distinctive viewing patterns:
Next-day TV: Current season broadcast programming available day after airing
Original content: Hulu Originals drive significant viewing
Library content: Extensive back catalog of TV series and movies
Live TV: Sports and news for Hulu + Live TV subscribers
This content diversity means Hulu viewers engage with multiple content types, creating various advertising contexts and targeting opportunities.
Breaking down the numbers
Hulu's market position reflects its unique history, content strategy, and corporate ownership.
The evolution of Hulu
Hulu launched in 2007 as a joint venture among major broadcast networks (NBC, Fox, ABC) to provide online access to their programming. This origin gave Hulu something no other streaming service had: next-day access to current broadcast television. While other streamers focused on original content and back catalogs, Hulu became the destination for viewers who wanted to watch current broadcast shows without cable subscriptions.
Disney's full ownership of Hulu (completed in 2024) has integrated the service into Disney's broader streaming strategy. Hulu now serves as the adult-oriented complement to family-friendly Disney+, with plans to eventually merge the two services into a single app while maintaining separate content brands.
Content strategy and its impact on viewing
Hulu's content approach drives its viewing share:
Next-day broadcast content: Shows from ABC, NBC, Fox, and other networks appear on Hulu the day after broadcast. This feature attracts cord-cutters who don't want to wait for full seasons to hit streaming services.
Hulu Originals: Series like "The Handmaid's Tale," "Only Murders in the Building," and "The Bear" have generated significant cultural attention and Emmy recognition, driving subscriber acquisition and viewing.
FX content: Disney's FX networks have made Hulu the exclusive streaming home for FX content, adding prestige programming to the library.
Library depth: Extensive back catalogs of popular TV series provide reliable viewing for subscribers exploring content between new releases.
Hulu + Live TV differentiation
Hulu + Live TV provides an additional dimension to Hulu's offering:
Live broadcast and cable channels: 90+ live channels included
Sports content: Access to live sports across ESPN, regional sports networks, and broadcast
News programming: Live news from major networks
DVR functionality: Cloud DVR for recording live content
For advertisers, Hulu + Live TV represents both streaming and live TV inventory, creating opportunities to reach audiences in different viewing contexts.
The Disney ecosystem advantage
Hulu's integration with Disney creates advertising synergies:
Cross-platform reach: Advertisers can reach audiences across Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ through unified buying
Shared technology: Disney's advertising technology serves all three platforms
Bundle subscribers: Many viewers access multiple Disney streaming services, enabling cross-platform frequency management
This ecosystem approach allows sophisticated advertisers to build comprehensive streaming strategies across Disney's properties.
Why it matters for your business
Hulu's combination of scale, ad-supported viewing, and content diversity creates practical opportunities for advertisers.
Mature advertising infrastructure
Hulu has offered ad-supported streaming since launch, giving it nearly two decades of advertising experience. This maturity shows in several ways:
Robust ad formats: Standard video ads, interactive formats, pause ads, and binge ads
Advanced targeting: Demographics, geography, interests, and behavioral targeting
Measurement solutions: Integration with major measurement providers for attribution and verification
Brand safety: Content moderation and placement controls
For advertisers concerned about CTV advertising complexity, Hulu's mature infrastructure reduces risk and improves campaign execution.
Cord-cutter audience
Hulu's content mix attracts a specific valuable audience: cord-cutters who still want access to current broadcast programming. This audience tends to be:
Younger than cable viewers: Median age skews younger than traditional TV
Digitally native: Comfortable with streaming and digital advertising
Engaged viewers: Active content selection rather than passive channel surfing
Valuable demographics: Higher representation of 18-49 demographic advertisers prize
For small business TV advertising, reaching these cord-cutters through Hulu provides access to audiences who've become harder to reach through traditional TV.
Content adjacency opportunities
Hulu's diverse content creates opportunities for contextual advertising alignment:
Current events programming: News and live content for timely campaigns
Entertainment content: Drama, comedy, and reality for brand building
Sports content: Live sports for event-driven campaigns
Family content: Some family-friendly programming for relevant advertisers
Understanding what content your target audience watches on Hulu enables more effective campaign planning.
Integration with Disney advertising
Accessing Hulu advertising through Disney's ecosystem provides additional benefits:
Scale across platforms: Reach audiences on Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+
Unified measurement: Cross-platform frequency and reach management
Premium inventory: Access to Disney's high-quality content environments
For advertisers seeking broader streaming reach, Hulu serves as an entry point to Disney's advertising capabilities.
How to take advantage of this trend
Reaching Hulu's audience requires understanding the various access points and strategies available.
Direct access versus aggregated platforms
Hulu advertising can be accessed directly or through aggregated CTV platforms:
Direct Hulu advertising: Requires working with Disney Advertising or certified partners. Minimum budgets typically start in thousands of dollars. Best for advertisers seeking Hulu-specific placements or Disney ecosystem integration.
Aggregated platforms: Services like Adwave include Hulu inventory alongside 100+ other streaming channels. Lower minimums (starting at $50). Best for small businesses seeking broad CTV reach without platform-specific commitments.
For most small businesses, aggregated platforms provide the easiest entry point, while larger advertisers may benefit from direct Disney relationships.
Targeting strategies for Hulu audiences
Effective Hulu advertising leverages available targeting options:
Geographic targeting: Target by DMA, state, or zip code for local businesses. Hulu's geographic capabilities support local TV advertising strategies.
Demographic targeting: Age, gender, income, and education targeting align campaigns with specific audience profiles.
Content targeting: Place ads in specific content genres (drama, comedy, news) or around specific programming types.
Behavioral targeting: Reach audiences based on viewing behavior, interests, and engagement patterns.
Creative considerations
Creating effective Hulu advertising requires understanding the viewing context:
Non-skippable format: Most Hulu ads are non-skippable, ensuring completion but requiring engaging creative to maintain viewer attention.
15 and 30 second spots: Standard TV commercial lengths work on Hulu. Consider testing both lengths to optimize performance.
Big screen viewing: Many Hulu viewers watch on connected TVs. Ensure creative is designed for large screen viewing with clear visuals and legible text.
Sound-on environment: Unlike social video, Hulu viewers typically have sound enabled. Leverage audio for message delivery.
AI-powered creative tools, like those offered by Adwave, can generate Hulu-ready commercials from your existing assets, eliminating production barriers.
Measuring Hulu campaign performance
Hulu provides measurement capabilities through Disney's advertising infrastructure:
Reach and frequency: Track unique audience reach and exposure frequency
Completion rates: Monitor how many viewers watch ads to completion
Brand lift studies: Measure awareness, consideration, and purchase intent changes
Attribution: Connect ad exposure to website visits, conversions, and sales (with proper setup)
For small businesses using aggregated platforms, measurement may be consolidated across all streaming channels rather than Hulu-specific.
The bigger picture
Hulu's position reflects broader streaming industry dynamics that affect all advertisers.
The Disney streaming strategy
Disney's ownership of Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ creates the largest streaming portfolio in the market. The planned integration of Hulu and Disney+ into a single app (with content still separated by brand) will create an even more powerful streaming platform.
For advertisers, this consolidation means:
Larger unified audience: Single platform reach across current three services
Simplified buying: One relationship for Disney streaming advertising
Cross-content targeting: Reach audiences across kids content, general entertainment, and sports
Understanding Disney's streaming roadmap helps advertisers plan long-term streaming strategies.
Hulu's competitive position
Hulu competes in several dimensions:
Versus Netflix: Hulu offers next-day broadcast content Netflix lacks. Netflix has more global reach and original content investment.
Versus Amazon: Hulu has stronger broadcast relationships. Amazon has e-commerce integration and Prime bundling.
Versus YouTube: Hulu offers premium, professionally produced content. YouTube offers broader content types and user-generated content.
Versus free streaming: Hulu's ad-supported tier competes with Tubi, Pluto TV, and other free services. Hulu's content quality provides differentiation.
Each comparison highlights different Hulu strengths advertisers can leverage.
The ad-supported streaming expansion
Hulu pioneered ad-supported premium streaming, and the industry has followed:
Netflix launched an ad tier in 2022
Disney+ added an ad tier in 2022
Amazon added ads to Prime Video in 2024
Max offers ad-supported options
This expansion validates Hulu's long-standing ad-supported model and increases total premium streaming advertising inventory. For advertisers, more inventory means more competitive pricing and greater reach potential.
Industry investment in streaming advertising
The expansion of ad-supported streaming has driven significant industry investment:
Better targeting capabilities across platforms
Improved measurement and attribution solutions
Self-serve platforms making streaming accessible to SMBs
Creative tools reducing production barriers
Hulu benefits from this industry investment while contributing to the ecosystem through Disney's advertising technology development.
Common questions answered
What is Hulu's share of total TV viewing?
Hulu commands approximately 2.1% of total U.S. TV viewing time, according to Nielsen's Gauge report. This ranks Hulu fourth among streaming platforms, behind YouTube (approximately 12.5%), Netflix (approximately 8.5%), and Amazon Prime Video (approximately 3.4%). Combined with Disney+ (1.8%), Disney's streaming properties represent approximately 3.9% of total TV viewing.
How many subscribers does Hulu have?
Hulu has approximately 51 million U.S. subscribers across all subscription tiers (ad-supported, ad-free, and Hulu + Live TV options). Many subscribers access Hulu through the Disney bundle, which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Hulu + Live TV has approximately 4.6 million subscribers specifically.
Can small businesses advertise on Hulu?
Yes, small businesses can reach Hulu viewers through aggregated CTV platforms like Adwave, which include Hulu inventory alongside 100+ other streaming channels. These platforms offer low minimums (starting at $50) and simple campaign setup. Direct advertising through Disney typically requires larger budgets but provides access to Disney's full streaming portfolio.
What makes Hulu different from other streaming services?
Hulu uniquely offers next-day access to current broadcast television programming, making it the streaming choice for cord-cutters who want to watch current broadcast shows without waiting for full seasons. Hulu also offers live TV through Hulu + Live TV, original content, and FX programming. Its integration with Disney's ecosystem provides additional content and advertising synergies.
Is Hulu ad-supported?
Yes, Hulu offers ad-supported tiers at lower price points than its ad-free options. Hulu has been ad-supported since launch (2007), giving it the most mature advertising infrastructure among major streaming services. The majority of Hulu subscribers are on ad-supported plans, creating substantial advertising inventory.
How does Hulu's ad experience compare to traditional TV?
Hulu's ad load is lighter than traditional TV, typically showing 4-5 minutes of ads per hour compared to 15-20 minutes on cable. Ads are non-skippable, ensuring completion. Hulu offers advanced targeting not available in traditional TV, including geographic, demographic, and behavioral targeting. Measurement is more precise, with impression-level tracking rather than panel-based estimates.
What content does Hulu offer?
Hulu offers next-day broadcast content from ABC, NBC, Fox, and other networks; original Hulu series and movies; FX content exclusively; library content including past seasons of popular shows; and live TV (channels, sports, news) for Hulu + Live TV subscribers. This content diversity provides varied advertising contexts and audience targeting opportunities.
Is Hulu being merged with Disney+?
Disney has announced plans to integrate Hulu and Disney+ into a single app, while maintaining separate content brands. This merger will simplify the user experience while preserving content organization. For advertisers, the integration will likely create a larger unified audience and simplified buying across Disney's streaming content.
What is the average CPM for Hulu advertising?
Hulu CPMs vary based on targeting, seasonality, and buying approach. Through aggregated platforms like Adwave, average CTV CPMs range from $15-35, with Hulu inventory falling within this range. Direct buying through Disney may command premium rates for specific targeting or placement requirements.
How does Hulu + Live TV affect advertising?
Hulu + Live TV combines streaming and live TV advertising inventory. Advertisers can reach audiences watching on-demand content and live programming (including sports and news). This provides both the engagement of streaming and the timeliness of live TV advertising, though live TV inventory may have different pricing and availability.
What demographics does Hulu reach best?
Hulu's audience skews younger than traditional TV, with strong representation in the 18-49 demographic that advertisers value most. The platform particularly appeals to cord-cutters who want access to current broadcast programming without cable subscriptions. Households with Hulu tend to be more urban, more educated, and higher income than average, though the platform has broad demographic reach across its 51 million subscriber base.
How often are ads shown on Hulu?
Hulu's ad load is significantly lighter than traditional television. Viewers on ad-supported plans typically see approximately 4-5 minutes of advertising per hour, compared to 15-20 minutes on traditional cable television. This lighter ad load reduces viewer fatigue and can improve ad effectiveness through reduced clutter. Hulu has experimented with even lighter ad loads for binge viewers, showing fewer ads as viewing sessions extend.
What is Hulu's ad completion rate?
Hulu ads are non-skippable, resulting in near 100% completion rates for video ads. This ensures advertisers get full exposure for their message, unlike skippable formats on other platforms. The combination of premium content environment, engaged viewing, and forced completion makes Hulu advertising particularly effective for brand messaging that benefits from full ad exposure.
Can I target specific shows or content on Hulu?
Hulu offers content targeting capabilities that allow advertisers to place ads around specific content genres, programming types, or even specific shows depending on the buying approach. Through aggregated platforms, targeting is typically broader (reaching Hulu viewers generally). Direct buying through Disney provides more granular content targeting options but requires larger budgets and direct relationships.
How does Hulu compare to Tubi and Pluto TV for advertising?
Hulu offers premium, professionally produced content with higher production values than free ad-supported services like Tubi and Pluto TV. Hulu's content includes next-day broadcast, original series, and FX programming. Tubi and Pluto TV offer free access with heavier ad loads and different content libraries. Hulu may command higher CPMs but delivers more engaged, higher-intent audiences viewing premium content. Many advertisers include both Hulu and free services in their streaming strategies to balance reach and engagement.
What industries advertise most on Hulu?
Hulu attracts advertisers across industries, with particularly strong presence from consumer packaged goods, retail, entertainment, and automotive. Local businesses including restaurants, healthcare providers, and professional services are increasingly using Hulu through aggregated CTV platforms. Hulu's advanced targeting makes it suitable for both national brand campaigns and local business advertising.
How has Hulu's viewing share changed over time?
Hulu's viewing share has remained relatively stable in the 2.0-2.3% range over recent years, even as overall streaming has grown significantly. This stability reflects Hulu's established position and consistent content strategy. While YouTube and Netflix have seen viewing share fluctuations, Hulu maintains steady viewership through its unique combination of next-day broadcast content, original programming, and library depth. The upcoming integration with Disney+ may affect these patterns as the services merge into a unified app experience.
What is Hulu's relationship to Disney advertising?
Disney acquired full ownership of Hulu in 2024, making Hulu part of Disney's advertising ecosystem alongside Disney+ and ESPN+. This means advertisers can access Hulu through Disney Advertising Sales, enabling cross-platform campaigns across Disney's streaming properties. The integration provides unified targeting, measurement, and frequency management across services. For advertisers, this Disney relationship means Hulu inventory is available through one of the largest media companies in the world, with corresponding advertising technology and support infrastructure.
Supporting data
Additional statistics that contextualize Hulu's position in the streaming market:
2.1%: Hulu's share of total U.S. TV viewing (Nielsen Gauge)
#4: Hulu's rank among streaming platforms by viewing share
51 million: Estimated U.S. Hulu subscribers
36%: Approximate U.S. household penetration
4.6 million: Hulu + Live TV subscribers
3.9%: Combined Disney streaming (Hulu + Disney+) TV viewing share
45%+: Total streaming share of TV viewing
$15-35: CTV CPM range through aggregated platforms
$50: Minimum budget to start CTV advertising on platforms like Adwave
Data sources:
Industry estimates for subscriber counts
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