• by Wayne Friedman , 7 hours ago

As another TV season starts up this month, streaming platforms are pulling back in overall national TV spend and media value, but NFL programming remains the major focus.

Over the past 30 days (Aug. 23-Sept. 22), national TV ad spend has dropped 29% to $115.3 million versus the same period a year ago when it was $163.6 million, according to estimates from iSpot.

YouTube TV continues to lead national TV ad spend, at $42.8 million.

A major push for this high-profile streaming video platform is its “NFL Sunday Ticket” package of out-of-market games for subscribers.

A year ago, YouTube TV spent an estimated $58.1 million.

In keeping with the same theme, Amazon Prime Video is touting its NFL package -- “Thursday Night Football” -- at $23.2 million. This total is down from $39.7 million in 2025 during a similar 30-day period.

The media value for streamers -- where platform messaging is placed on linear TV networks through their ownership or other deal-making associations -- also shows lesser estimated dollar value $44.3 million versus $71.3 million a year ago. 

Those that will benefit this year -- including the NFL+ ($9.3 million); NBCU’s Peacock ($7.4 million); Walt Disney’s  Disney+ ($4.6 million); Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO Max ($4.2 million); and Disney’s ESPN streaming service, ($3.7 million).

Although national TV messaging is down, subscription researcher Antenna says: “Streaming has become a fall season business... Fall now drives 40% of gross (subscription) additions, 33% more than any other trimester.”