YouTube has overtaken ITV to become the second most-watched media service in the UK, trailing only behind the BBC, according to Ofcom's latest annual report. The streaming platform is now "leading the charge" in transforming how Britons consume television content on their home screens.
People spent an average of four hours and 30 minutes daily watching TV and video content at home in 2024. Broadcast television still dominated viewing habits, accounting for 56% of in-home consumption, but YouTube's rapid rise signals a significant shift in media preferences.
YouTube dominates younger viewers
At home, viewers spent 39 minutes daily on YouTube in 2024, with 16 minutes of this time on their household television sets. The platform has become the first destination for younger audiences, with one in five children aged four to 15 heading straight to YouTube when they switch on their TV.
Adults aged 16 to 34 are driving this trend, watching 18 minutes of YouTube daily on television. Even older demographics are embracing the platform, with over-55s nearly doubling their YouTube TV viewing from six minutes daily in January 2023 to 11 minutes by December 2024.
Content evolution mirrors traditional TV
YouTube's soaring popularity coincides with significant changes to its content offerings. Half of the platform's top-trending videos now more closely resemble traditional television programming, including long-form interviews and game shows, according to Ofcom's findings.
Meanwhile, broadcast television viewing declined by 4% compared to 2023, dropping to an average of two hours and 24 minutes daily. This decline affected all age groups except adults aged 75 and over, who maintained their viewing habits.
Broadcasters face digital challenge
Ed Leighton, Ofcom's interim group director for strategy and research, highlighted the generational divide in viewing preferences. "Scheduled TV is increasingly alien to younger viewers, with YouTube the first port of call for many when they pick up the TV remote," he said.
Leighton acknowledged that public service broadcasters are adapting to this shift by moving into online spaces. However, he called for "even more ambition" to ensure public service media remains relevant for future audiences.
Despite the streaming surge, traditional television still delivered the year's biggest hits. Gavin & Stacey: The Finale topped 2024's viewing charts, averaging 18.6 million viewers across BBC One and BBC iPlayer, followed by Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Mr Bates vs The Post Office.
(PA/London) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
