YOUTUBE OVERTAKES NETFLIX IN DAILY VIEWING TIME

AI DESK■ 1 MIN READ

WED, JUN 3, 2026

■ AI-SUMMARIZED FROM 1 SOURCE ▸ TIMELINE

YouTube surpassed Netflix as the platform with the highest average daily viewing time globally in 2025, marking a significant shift in how people consume video content. YouTube's viewing time rose to 99.1 minutes per day, while Netflix declined to 93.4 minutes.

YouTube's ascent reflects the platform's expanding role beyond traditional entertainment. The video-sharing service climbed from 87.2 minutes daily in 2024 to 99.1 minutes in 2025, a gain of nearly 12 minutes. Netflix, meanwhile, experienced a contrasting trajectory, falling from 100.5 minutes in 2024 to 93.4 minutes—a drop of over 7 minutes. The streaming giant now trails YouTube for the first time in comparable metrics. Analysts attribute YouTube's growth to its diverse content ecosystem, which spans short-form clips, music videos, educational material, and livestreams alongside traditional long-form content. This breadth appeals to broader demographics than Netflix's focus on original series and films. The shift underscores a fundamental change in media consumption patterns, with younger audiences gravitating toward algorithmic discovery and user-generated content over curated subscription libraries. For Alphabet, the owner of YouTube, the milestone represents validation of the platform's strategic positioning in the evolving streaming landscape.

■ SOURCES

► Techmeme

■ SUMMARY WRITTEN BY AI FROM THE LINKS ABOVE

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