Jan 28 - Walt Disney ( DIS ) maintained its lead in U.S.

TV viewing share in December, bolstered by holiday movie

marathons and strong performances across its cable networks,

according to Nielsen's latest report on Tuesday.

YouTube secured the second spot with a record 11.1% share of

total TV time, marking its 10th consecutive month as one of the

top two media distributors.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

End-of-year holidays typically see increased TV and

streaming consumption, with media firms capitalizing on this

trend through holiday specials, exclusive sports events, and

seasonal content releases.

Media companies are also increasingly investing in live

events and sports content, which offer real-time engagement and

mass appeal.

BY THE NUMBERS

Streaming viewership climbed 9% in December, setting a

new Nielsen record with 43.4% of total TV watch time, the market

research firm reported earlier this month.

Disney ( DIS ) held the top spot with 11.2% of total usage in

December, thanks to strong performances across its cable

networks, football-driven gains on ESPN ( DIS ), and the popular

animated series "Bluey" on Disney+.

Netflix ( NFLX ) experienced a 14% increase in viewing

compared to November, achieving 8.5% of total TV watch-time.

The company benefited from two Christmas Day NFL games and

the nearly 15 billion viewing minutes accumulated by popular

titles like "Carry-On," "Squid Game," and "Virgin River."

Other streamers that performed well include Amazon.com's ( AMZN )

Amazon Prime Video and Roku Channel.