London, United Kingdom. Netflix has overtaken the BBC as Britons’ first choice when deciding what to watch on television, according to Ofcom’s annual Media Nations report. The U.S. streaming service was selected first by 26% of viewers, compared with 25% for the BBC.
Competition for audiences
ITV was the first choice for 15% of viewers, as streaming and online video platforms continued to increase competition for television audiences.
Viewing of broadcaster-owned streaming platforms, including BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 Streaming and 5, rose by 9% year on year. Ofcom said the services were the fastest-growing category of television service.
Streaming in British homes
Subscription streaming services were available in about 70% of British homes. Ofcom said the figure had largely levelled off following rapid growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
About 70% of people in Britain watched traditional broadcaster content for at least 15 minutes a week in 2025, down from 73% in 2024 and 78% in 2022.
Live events and YouTube viewing
Major live events continued to draw large audiences. England’s World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina on July 15 attracted a peak audience of 24 million across BBC platforms.
Average daily YouTube viewing on television sets doubled to 19 minutes per person last year, from nine minutes in 2022. Total YouTube viewing across all devices rose to 41 minutes a day from 33 minutes.
Among people aged 75 and over, YouTube’s weekly reach increased to 33% in 2025 from 28% in 2022, which Ofcom said showed growing use among older audiences.
