Driven by returning fall sports TV programming and viewing, Walt Disney retook the top spot in September in Nielsen's top media distributor index.

The index aggregates viewing across all linear, local TV, streaming, digital TV, and other distribution channels. 

In September, Disney grew 17% (from August) to a top 11.3% share in viewing due to NFL and NCAA football. ESPN was its major gainer -- up 101% versus the previous month; ESPN2, added 165%; and ABC Television Network’s broadcast affiliates, 25% higher.

Football, NFL and otherwise, grew 18% for Fox Corp.; 13% for Amazon Prime Video.

Fox TV network affiliates grew 69% and Fox landed in sixth place with 7.3% share -- up 1.3 percentage points. Amazon was in eighth place, moving up half a percentage point to 3.7%.

At the same time, eight of the top 14 media companies witnessed declines -- including NBCUniversal due to unfavorable high results from the Paris Olympics in August. Still, NBCU was in third place at 9.3% share. (It was at 13.4% in August).

YouTube was in second place with a 10.6% share -- with exactly the same result as in August. Netflix was in fifth place -- also at the same level versus the previous month, at 7.9%.