Nielsen has released its latest report on viewing habits across linear TV and streaming services. The report reveals that YouTube is once again the leading streaming service in the United States, accounting for 8.6% of TV screen usage. Meanwhile, Netflix captured 7.9% of TV usage. This data highlights YouTube’s continued dominance in TV streaming and marks the platform’s 12th consecutive month as the top service.
In a blog post celebrating this achievement, YouTube announced that viewers now watch over 1 billion hours of content on their televisions daily. This could suggest a preference for user-generated videos over traditional TV shows among U.S. consumers. A survey by InMobi Insights shows that 61% of Gen Z individuals favor user-generated content over other formats.
Furthermore, content creators are experiencing a surge in viewership from TV screens. According to YouTube, the number of top YouTubers receiving the most watch time on TVs has increased by over 400%. For instance, HopeScope, a creator known for reviewing viral products, saw a 172% rise in TV watch time in 2023. This is positive news for family-friendly YouTubers competing with TikTok for kids’ attention. A recent study indicates that children aged 4 to 18 spent an average of 112 minutes daily on TikTok in 2023.
While YouTube may dominate in the living room, TikTok continues to reign on mobile devices. The short-form video app is testing the capability for users to upload 30-minute videos, potentially encroaching on YouTube’s territory. TikTok also entered the augmented reality space by launching a native app on the Apple Vision Pro, while YouTube opted not to develop a dedicated app for the device.
YouTube has achieved several other milestones in recent months, including surpassing 100 million users paying for YouTube Music and YouTube Premium. Additionally, YouTube TV now boasts more than 8 million subscribers, and YouTube Shorts recently garnered over 70 billion daily views.
