YouTube surpassed Netflix in global average daily viewing time in 2025, according to a review by analytics firm Digital i.
Average daily usage per YouTube account rose to 99.1 minutes in 2025 from 87.2 minutes in 2024. Netflix’s daily viewing per account fell to 93.4 minutes in 2025 from 100.5 minutes in 2024.
Increased television usage drove the transition. YouTube’s share of viewing time on TVs climbed from 28% in January 2024 to 35% by the end of 2025. Mobile viewing share declined from 35% to 31% during the same period.
Analysts describe YouTube’s evolution from a social video platform to a primary entertainment destination as a defining media shift of the decade.