Social and creator video siphons TV and movie viewers
Social and creator video siphons TV and movie viewers
New data from Hub Research shows that platforms like YouTube are holding viewers’ attention, while more traditional video platforms are struggling.
Ever since 2024, Nielsen’s monthly ratings data has continued to show the same thing. YouTube attracts more viewership each month than every other streaming service, including monsters like Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max. On Monday, Hub published an excerpt from its “Video Redefined” study that gives more context into the decline in weekly TV and movie viewership in recent years, and the gains social and creator video platforms have made.
Key Details:
- Steady decline: Since 2022, hours spent watching TV and movies per week have declined, while social/creator video viewership has held steady.
- Microdrama mania: Over one in five viewers say they’ve tried a microdrama.
- Gateway to more: Viewers say they often discover new shows and movies by watching clips on social video sites.
Hub’s study found that while time spent watching social/creator video has held steady since 2022, weekly viewership of TV shows and movies has declined by more than two hours in the same period of time. Customers are finding more outlets for their attention, though viewership of social/creator video has not been affected.
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The survey found that more than half of Gen Z subscribers love watching YouTube on a TV screen, compared to fewer than four out of every 10 viewers age 35+. Fifty-four percent of respondents aged 13 to 24 said they thought watching short clips on YouTube is just as fun as watching TV or movies, and the number jumps to 63% among participants 25 to 34.
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It’s not just social and creator videos that are pulling eyes away from movies and TV. Microdramas are increasingly attracting attention as well; Hub found that 22% of respondents said they have watched a microdrama recently, enjoying the ease of engaging with this content and the suspenseful stories they deliver.
The data from Hub reinforces previously released research, which shows that microdramas are increasingly popular in the United States. Viewers who have become accustomed to the short-form video available on YouTube or TikTok are loving microdramas, and streamers that specialize in this format are proliferating fast.
Traditional streaming services shouldn’t try to battle too hard against social/creator videos, however. In fact, platforms like TikTok and Instagram are key to helping viewers find new TV shows and movies. Hub found that 59% of respondents aged 13-24 say they discover new TV shows and movies by watching short clips on these sites, and 65% of those aged 25-34 agreed.
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Streaming services are tailoring their response to the popularity of YouTube and similar platforms. Netflix, for example, has licensed a selection of video podcasts, and is also rolling out a new vertical video feed on its mobile app to more directly compete with YouTube. Other services will have to figure out their own strategies for staying modern, but social/creator video will continue to be a strong audience magnet in the years to come, and platforms will simply have to adapt.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”