Television has become the most popular device for watching YouTube in UK homes, surpassing laptops, tablets, and smartphones across all age groups, according to a new audience review by Barb. More than half of all YouTube viewing via domestic wifi is now done through the traditional TV set, cementing the platform's place as a living room staple.
The Barb data shows that YouTube viewing remains skewed towards children, but TV sets became the primary device for over-55s in October 2023, for 35- to 54-year-olds in April 2024, and for 16- to 34-year-olds in December 2024. Despite YouTube's rise, live TV still accounted for 45% of all identified viewing on TV sets in December 2025, driven by events like the Women's Euro 2025 final and shows such as BBC One's Celebrity Traitors and Channel 4's Gogglebox.
Justin Sampson, Barb's chief executive, said: 'Commentary about television is too often based on a binary premise: nobody watches live any more, young audiences have vanished and platforms have replaced programmes. What emerges from the evidence is not a paradigm shift, but a rebalancing. Live viewing remains a substantial part of the mix, even among younger audiences.' He added that YouTube 'resists easy categorisation' but noted that 'the TV set is now the primary way YouTube is watched in homes around the country.'
YouTube's dominance has prompted media regulator Ofcom to urge public service broadcasters like the BBC and ITV to place more content on the platform. The BBC has since announced plans to produce tailor-made content for YouTube, moving beyond clips and trailers to fresh programming. Meanwhile, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London has included an early version of YouTube's 'watch page' in an exhibition, featuring the first video uploaded to the site, 'Me at the zoo', filmed by co-founder Jawed Karim in 2005.
