The top three most-watched media services in the UK revealed
Why people are watching YouTube more than ever
- YouTube has overtaken ITV to become the UK's second most-watched media service, now only trailing the BBC, according to Ofcom's annual report.
- On average, people in the UK spent four hours and 30 minutes daily watching TV and video content at home in 2024, with broadcast TV still making up 56 per cent of this.
- Younger viewers, including those aged 16 to 34 and children, are increasingly using YouTube as their first choice when turning on the television.
- The platform's popularity is also growing among older adults, with those over 55 nearly doubling their YouTube viewing time on TVs compared to the previous year.
- Ofcom attributes YouTube's rise to its evolving content, which now includes more long-form and traditional TV-like programmes, while broadcast TV viewing declined by 4 per cent.