YouTube has overtaken Netflix in average daily viewing time across global markets, according to new analysis from Digital i. The data, reported by The Guardian, reveals a significant shift in audience behaviour, with more viewing moving from mobile and desktop to television screens.
Digital i's analysis of 20 international markets found that average daily usage per YouTube account rose from 87.2 minutes in 2024 to 99.1 minutes in 2025. Over the same period, Netflix's average daily usage dropped from 100.5 minutes to 93.4 minutes.
In the UK, Netflix still leads, but the gap has narrowed. Netflix averaged 88.2 minutes per viewer last year, compared with 84.8 minutes for YouTube. YouTube's growth is partly driven by connected TV viewing, which increased from 28% to 35% of total viewing time between January 2024 and December 2025. Mobile viewing fell from 35% to 31%, suggesting YouTube is increasingly competing for living room attention.
Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos acknowledged the shift, stating: 'YouTube is not just cat videos any more. YouTube is TV.' The findings highlight YouTube's growing role as both a rival and distribution channel for traditional media and streaming companies. Netflix's official YouTube channel reached 78.2 million unique accounts last year, the highest of any channel.
YouTube has expanded into areas traditionally dominated by broadcasters and streamers, securing exclusive rights to stream the Oscars in December and drawing over 17.3 million concurrent viewers for its first NFL game. Netflix has responded by moving into video podcasts, striking a deal with The Rest Is Football for a daily edition during the World Cup.
Matt Ross, Digital i's chief analytics officer, said: 'YouTube's evolution from a social video service into a dominant global attention platform is one of the defining media shifts of the decade. Our data shows audiences increasingly treating YouTube not as social media, but as a primary entertainment destination.' Gen Z remained YouTube's most engaged age group, averaging 111 minutes per day, while the fastest growth came from men aged 55 to 64, whose viewing increased 15% since 2024.
