ABC and NBC Shift Primetime Presidential Address to Streaming Services

The decision to move high-profile political events to OTT platforms marks a significant shift in linear vs. streaming priority for broadcasters. By utilizing sub-brands like NBC News NOW, networks can avoid disrupting lucrative primetime advertising schedules while still fulfilling public service obligations. This strategy highlights the growing maturity of news-focused FAST channels as viable alternatives to traditional airwaves for live event coverage. For the broader industry, this suggests a future where linear broadcast is reserved for curated programming, while digital streams handle unedited, high-volume live feeds. Watch for whether this distribution model becomes the standard for all non-emergency government communications in the 2026 midterm cycle.

The move to streaming reflects a long-term decline in traditional news viewership. Per Nielsen data from November 2024, linear election coverage saw a 25% drop in viewers compared to 2020, even as YouTube and other digital platforms reached record concurrent peaks. By late 2025, Nielsen reported that streaming accounted for 47.5% of all TV viewing in the U.S., forcing news organizations to pivot their core distribution strategies. This shift is particularly pronounced in the FAST sector, where news content now reaches a quarter of all households, according to Comcast Advertising reports from early 2026. These digital-first viewers are 7.4 times more likely to be cord-cutters, making platforms like ABC News Live essential for reaching younger demographics that have largely abandoned broadcast TV.

Institutional conflict also underpins these distribution choices. In July 2026, the Washington Examiner and Al Jazeera reported that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr criticized networks for their coverage decisions, suggesting that refusing to air the speech on main channels could invite regulatory scrutiny. This tension follows a series of administrative moves, including a 2025 FCC reinstatement of complaints against the major networks for their prior election coverage. Simultaneously, local news streaming has surged, with a 69% year-over-year increase in viewers as of August 2025. Broadcasters are increasingly caught between political pressure to provide broadcast airtime and financial imperatives to protect their ad-supported primetime blocks, making streaming a necessary compromise.