YouTube Dominates UK Online Viewing with 51 Minutes Daily Screen Time, Reshaping Britain's Media Landscape

The rising popularity of YouTube demonstrates how Britain's media landscape is undergoing rapid transformation, as revealed by recent statistics.

According to telecom regulator Ofcom, British adults spent an average of 51 minutes daily watching YouTube on their smartphones, tablets, and PCs in 2025. The report highlights that platforms owned by Alphabet and Meta now account for more than half of all time spent online by UK residents.

Ofcom's Online Nation 2025 report indicates that adults in the UK are spending approximately four and a half hours online each day, marking a 10-minute increase compared to the previous year.

YouTube emerged as Alphabet's most widely used service in Britain, with 94% of adult internet users accessing the platform in May 2025. This surpassed Google Search, which was utilized by 82% of online adults during the same period.

For Meta, the combination of Facebook and Messenger remained the most popular service, used by 93% of online adults, while WhatsApp followed closely with 90% usage among the online population.

The significant growth of YouTube viewership illustrates the ongoing shift in Britain's media consumption patterns, with traditional linear broadcasters continuously losing audience share to social media platforms dominated by tech giants Alphabet and Meta.

This changing landscape has prompted industry consolidation, with pay-TV provider Sky (owned by Comcast) recently announcing talks to acquire ITV, Britain's leading free-to-air commercial broadcaster.

Former ITV chairman Peter Bazalgette emphasized that regulators need to redefine the advertising market to properly account for competing digital services like YouTube.

Ofcom reported in July that Meta and Google captured approximately 60% of UK advertising spending in 2024. Google's YouTube has established itself as the second most watched service in the country, surpassed only by the BBC.