---
title: "Live TV streaming services in the United States: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the streaming services people in the US use to watch live TV instead of cable. Share of Search among YouTube TV, Fubo, Sling TV, Hulu, DIRECTV STREAM and Philo, the live TV streaming services Brandwave compares in the United States, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-live-tv-streaming-services"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Live TV streaming services in the United States: Which are searched most?

Compare the streaming services people in the US use to watch live TV instead of cable. Share of Search among YouTube TV, Fubo, Sling TV, Hulu, DIRECTV STREAM and Philo, the live TV streaming services Brandwave compares in the United States, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Live TV streaming services
- **Market**: United States
- **Brands compared**: 6
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: YouTube TV, 70.9%

## Which brand is most popular in search among live TV streaming services in the United States?

- In September 2026, YouTube TV was the most searched among live TV streaming services in the United States, with an estimated 7.5M branded searches, 70.9% of all searches for the six we track.
- Fubo is in 2nd place, 56.7 percentage points behind at 14.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, YouTube TV’s share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States increased from 59.8% to 70.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sling TV’s share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States decreased from 9.8% to 6.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hulu’s share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States decreased from 9.8% to 4.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DIRECTV STREAM’s share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States decreased from 3.6% to 2.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Philo’s share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States decreased from 2.5% to 1.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, YouTube TV’s share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States peaked at 70.9% in September 2026 and was lowest at 51.9% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Fubo’s share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States peaked at 19.5% in June 2026 and was lowest at 11.1% in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sling TV’s share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States peaked at 10.4% in November 2025 and was lowest at 5.8% in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hulu’s share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States peaked at 14.3% in March 2026 and was lowest at 3.9% in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DIRECTV STREAM’s share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States peaked at 3.8% in November 2025 and was lowest at 2.3% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Philo’s share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States peaked at 3.5% in May 2026 and was lowest at 1.9% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sling TV rose from 4th to 3rd among live TV streaming services in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hulu fell from 3rd to 4th among live TV streaming services in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Fubo held steady: its share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Top live TV streaming services in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, YouTube TV, Sling TV and Philo appeared every time. YouTube TV was recommended most often, coming first in four out of five answers. Sling TV was second, and Hulu was third.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| YouTube TV | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 |
| Sling TV | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 |
| Hulu | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Philo | 4th | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 |
| Fubo | 5th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| DIRECTV STREAM | 6th | 0 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 2 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about live TV streaming services

- Asked ChatGPT "Which live TV streaming service should I get in the US?": 1. YouTube TV, 2. Hulu, 3. Sling TV, 4. Philo, 5. Fubo
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best live TV streaming services in the US?": 1. YouTube TV, 2. Hulu, 3. Sling TV, 4. Fubo, 5. Philo
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the cheapest live TV streaming service in the US with sports?": 1. Sling TV, 2. Philo, 3. YouTube TV
- Searched Google, AI Overview "live tv streaming": 1. YouTube TV, 2. Hulu, 3. Sling TV, 4. DIRECTV STREAM, 5. Fubo, 6. Philo
- Searched Google, AI Overview "cable alternatives": 1. YouTube TV, 2. Hulu, 3. Sling TV, 4. DIRECTV STREAM, 5. Fubo, 6. Philo

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United States on October 22, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [YouTube TV vs Fubo: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/fubo-vs-youtube-tv): 70.9% against 14.2% Share of Search.
- [YouTube TV vs Sling TV: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/sling-tv-vs-youtube-tv): 70.9% against 6.4% Share of Search.
- [YouTube TV vs Hulu: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/hulu-vs-youtube-tv): 70.9% against 4.3% Share of Search.
- [YouTube TV vs DIRECTV STREAM: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/directv-stream-vs-youtube-tv): 70.9% against 2.3% Share of Search.
- [Fubo vs Sling TV: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/fubo-vs-sling-tv): 14.2% against 6.4% Share of Search.
- [Fubo vs Hulu: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/fubo-vs-hulu): 14.2% against 4.3% Share of Search.
- [Fubo vs DIRECTV STREAM: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/directv-stream-vs-fubo): 14.2% against 2.3% Share of Search.
- [Sling TV vs Hulu: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/hulu-vs-sling-tv): 6.4% against 4.3% Share of Search.
- [Sling TV vs DIRECTV STREAM: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/directv-stream-vs-sling-tv): 6.4% against 2.3% Share of Search.
- [Hulu vs DIRECTV STREAM: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/directv-stream-vs-hulu): 4.3% against 2.3% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for United States live TV streaming services in September 2026?

- In September 2026, YouTube TV gained share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States, from 64.7% to 70.9%.
- In September 2026, Fubo lost share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States, from 15.8% to 14.2%.
- In September 2026, Hulu lost share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States, from 5.8% to 4.3%.
- In September 2026, Philo lost share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States, from 3.4% to 1.9%.
- In September 2026, DIRECTV STREAM lost share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States, from 3.2% to 2.3%.
- In September 2026, Sling TV lost share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States, from 7.1% to 6.4%.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | YouTube TV | 70.9% | 7.5M | +82.9% | Google |
| 2 | Fubo | 14.2% | 1.5M | +50.0% | Fubo |
| 3 | Sling TV | 6.4% | 673K | +49.6% | EchoStar |
| 4 | Hulu | 4.3% | 450K | +22.3% | Hulu |
| 5 | DIRECTV STREAM | 2.3% | 246K | +22.4% | DIRECTV STREAM |
| 6 | Philo | 1.9% | 206K | -4.2% | Philo |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | YouTube TV | 7.5M | 59.8% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Fubo | 1.8M | 14.6% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Hulu | 1.2M | 9.8% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Sling TV | 1.2M | 9.8% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | DIRECTV STREAM | 450K | 3.6% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Philo | 307K | 2.5% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | YouTube TV | 7.5M | 51.9% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Fubo | 2.7M | 19% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Hulu | 1.8M | 12.7% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Sling TV | 1.5M | 10.4% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | DIRECTV STREAM | 550K | 3.8% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Philo | 307K | 2.1% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | YouTube TV | 5M | 59.4% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Fubo | 1.2M | 14.5% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Hulu | 823K | 9.8% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Sling TV | 823K | 9.8% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | DIRECTV STREAM | 301K | 3.6% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Philo | 251K | 3% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | YouTube TV | 6.1M | 59% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Fubo | 1.8M | 17.6% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Sling TV | 1M | 9.6% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Hulu | 823K | 7.9% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Philo | 307K | 3% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | DIRECTV STREAM | 301K | 2.9% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | YouTube TV | 5M | 67.7% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Fubo | 823K | 11.1% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Hulu | 550K | 7.4% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Sling TV | 550K | 7.4% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | DIRECTV STREAM | 246K | 3.3% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Philo | 215K | 2.9% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | YouTube TV | 5M | 58.8% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Fubo | 1.2M | 14.3% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Hulu | 1.2M | 14.3% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Sling TV | 550K | 6.5% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | DIRECTV STREAM | 301K | 3.5% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Philo | 215K | 2.5% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | YouTube TV | 4.1M | 63.2% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Fubo | 1M | 15.5% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Sling TV | 550K | 8.5% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Hulu | 368K | 5.7% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | DIRECTV STREAM | 246K | 3.8% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Philo | 215K | 3.3% | 6 |
| May 2026 | YouTube TV | 4.1M | 67.3% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Fubo | 823K | 13.5% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Sling TV | 450K | 7.4% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Hulu | 301K | 5% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Philo | 215K | 3.5% | 5 |
| May 2026 | DIRECTV STREAM | 201K | 3.3% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | YouTube TV | 6.1M | 65.4% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Fubo | 1.8M | 19.5% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Sling TV | 550K | 5.9% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Hulu | 368K | 3.9% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Philo | 251K | 2.7% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | DIRECTV STREAM | 246K | 2.6% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | YouTube TV | 4.1M | 64% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Fubo | 1.2M | 19.1% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Sling TV | 368K | 5.8% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Hulu | 301K | 4.7% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Philo | 215K | 3.4% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | DIRECTV STREAM | 201K | 3.1% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | YouTube TV | 4.1M | 64.7% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Fubo | 1M | 15.8% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Sling TV | 450K | 7.1% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Hulu | 368K | 5.8% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Philo | 215K | 3.4% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | DIRECTV STREAM | 201K | 3.2% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | YouTube TV | 7.5M | 70.9% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Fubo | 1.5M | 14.2% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | Sling TV | 673K | 6.4% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Hulu | 450K | 4.3% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | DIRECTV STREAM | 246K | 2.3% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Philo | 206K | 1.9% | 6 |

## What is being compared

- **DIRECTV STREAM**: Measured on the search term “directv stream”.
- **Fubo**: Measured on the search term “fubo”.
- **Hulu**: Measured on the search term “hulu live tv”.
- **Philo**: Measured on the search terms “philo” and “philo tv”, summed into one figure.
- **Sling TV**: Measured on the search term “sling tv”.
- **YouTube TV**: Measured on the search term “youtube tv”.

- [DIRECTV STREAM](/demand/us/brands/directv-stream)
- [Fubo](/demand/us/brands/fubo)
- [Hulu](/demand/us/brands/hulu)
- [Philo](/demand/us/brands/philo)
- [Sling TV](/demand/us/brands/sling-tv)
- [YouTube TV](/demand/us/brands/youtube-tv)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among live TV streaming services in the United States?

In September 2026, YouTube TV was the most searched among live TV streaming services in the United States, with an estimated 7.5M branded searches, 70.9% of all searches for the six we track.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Live TV streaming services in the United States: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-live-tv-streaming-services

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-live-tv-streaming-services. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.