The rise of YouTube in the US has made it the most-watched streaming service on TV by viewing share for more than two years. Now the Google-owned service is making similar gains in the UK, according to Ofcom’s latest Media Nations report. In 2024, YouTube overtook ITV by share of total viewing to take the second spot behind the BBC.
According to Barb data, which covers TV sets and other connected devices, YouTube’s share was just 1 percent behind viewing to the BBC’s linear channels. But the public service broadcaster (PSB) took 19 percent of total viewing thanks to iPlayer, which accounted for 4 percent of viewing in 2024.
Younger viewers turn to YouTube
The findings come on the heels of recommendations made last week by Ofcom to give PSB content prominence on YouTube, which the broadcasters are increasingly using as a distribution channel to reach younger audiences. And today’s report sheds light on just how important YouTube has become to younger people’s viewing habits.
YouTube was the most-watched service for children (4-15) and young adults (16-34) last year, accounting for 28 and 22 percent of their viewing time respectively. Netflix was the next most-watched service for both age groups, making up 13 percent of their total viewing.
And those streaming services are increasingly becoming the first port of call for younger viewers when turning on the TV. The research found that YouTube is the most likely place for children to start their viewing journeys, while Netflix is the most likely service for viewers aged 16-34 to turn to first. But linear TV remains the starting point for audiences over 35, with BBC One the most likely place for them to start their TV viewing sessions.
While the rise of YouTube consumption is particularly pronounced among younger viewers, YouTube viewing has risen across all age groups, with UK viewers now watching the video service for an average 39 minutes per day. And consumption on the TV set is growing, accounting for 41 percent of in-home YouTube viewing in 2024, rising to 50 percent among children. According to Barb, YouTube viewing on TV sets has doubled in the last two years, reaching 18 average daily minutes in December 2024.
Broadcast declines as BVOD gains ground
At the same time, broadcast TV viewing continued to decline in 2024, albeit at a slower rate than in previous years, thanks in part to live sports coverage, including the men’s Euros and Paris Olympics. Ofcom found that 73.8 percent of individuals watched broadcast TV on average each week in 2024, down 1.7 percent on 2023, compared to a 3.8 percent drop between 2022 and 2023.
BVOD services are also contributing a higher share of broadcaster viewing, according to the report. In 2024, 24 percent of Sky consumption took place on the broadcaster’s streaming services, while 22 percent of BBC viewing took place on iPlayer.
“Scheduled TV is increasingly alien to younger viewers, with YouTube the first port of call for many when they pick up the TV remote,” said Ed Leighton, Ofcom’s Interim Group Director for Strategy and Research. “But we’re also seeing signs that older adults are turning to the platform as part of their daily media diet too.”
“Public service broadcasters are recognising this shift – moving to meet audiences in the online spaces where they increasingly spend their time,” he added. “But we need to see even more ambition in this respect to ensure that public service media that audiences value survives long into the future.”
SVOD plateaus but ad-supported bases grow
While TV represents an evolving battleground for consumers’ share of free viewing, the uptake of paid video subscription services has plateaued in the UK. Ofcom’s data showed that 68 percent of UK households were subscribed to an SVOD service in Q1 2025, the same proportion as in 2021.
Netflix remains the SVOD service with the highest penetration at 59 percent of UK households, followed by Amazon Prime Video (46 percent) and Disney+ (25 percent). Netflix also accounts for over half of all SVOD viewing in the UK, watched for an average 22 minutes each day per individual in 2024.
And the proportion of Netflix subscribers on the ad-supported tier has more than doubled over the past year. In Q1 2025, 28 percent of UK Netflix subscribers were on the ‘Standard with Ads’ plan, up from 13 percent in Q1 2024. Meanwhile the proportion of Disney+ subscribers on the ad tier more than tripled over the same period, with 23 percent of subscribers opting for the ad-supported plan in Q1 2025, up from 7 percent in Q1 2024.
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