Advertisers are pulling money away from traditional broadcast and cable television at an accelerating rate during the 2026 US "upfront" ad-sales season, even as overall TV ad spending grew thanks to streaming. Analysis from consultancy Media Dynamics Inc found broadcast TV upfront commitments fell by roughly 5.3% and cable by 7.7%, both steeper declines than in 2025, marking the fourth consecutive year of falling linear TV ad commitments as advertisers chase audiences who are increasingly watching sports and streaming content instead.

Streaming ad commitments rose about 30% to nearly $33.8 billion, up from around $31 billion in 2025, and for the third year running exceeded combined broadcast and cable primetime spending. Broadcast commitments dropped to $8.63 billion from $9.1 billion, while cable fell to roughly $8 billion from $8.7 billion, but the streaming surge pushed the overall upfront market up 9.1% year-on-year. Media companies including Fox, Amazon, Paramount Skydance, Disney and Netflix have all claimed gains in ad volume, though most declined to share precise figures, underscoring the industry's growing reliance on streaming and broadband-delivered video for advertising revenue.