TikTok Is Now More Popular than Netflix Among Younger Americans; Will Ad-Supported Tier Help Netflix Rebound?
Netflix lost subscribers in both the first and second quarters of 2022, and is set to announce its third-quarter numbers on Tuesday. However, even before the streaming giant releases its latest earnings report, there wa sa bit of bad news released this week as according to research firm Omdia, Netflix has fallen to the third most popular app among younger Americans.
According to the report, TikTok has overtaken Netflix to become the second-most-popular video app among Americans under the age of 35; YouTube remains the top platform among that demographic. After YouTube, TikTok, and Netflix, the top five are rounded out by Facebook Watch and Twitch.
Most Popular Apps Among Americans Under 35 (Per Omdia)
| Rank | App |
|---|---|
| 1. | YouTube |
| 2. | TikTok |
| 3. | Netflix |
| 4. | Facebook Watch |
| 5. | Twitch |
| 6. | Prime Video |
| 7. | Roku Channel |
| 8. | Peacock (free) |
| 9. | Hulu |
| 10. | Tubi |
“For broadcasters, commercial or otherwise keen to engage younger viewers, the increasing importance of TikTok to reach and grow new audiences should not be understated,” Omdia Senior Director Maria Rua Aguete said.
When it comes to those over 35, the list is a bit different with TikTok ranking much longer, even behind “local antenna TV”:
Most Popular Apps Among Americans Over 35 (Per Omdia)
| Rank | App |
|---|---|
| 1. | YouTube |
| 2. | Netflix |
| 3. | Prime Video |
| 4. | Local Antenna TV |
| 5. | NBC (app or online) |
| 6. | TikTok |
| 7. | CBS (app or online) |
| 8. | Hulu |
| 9. | ABC (app or online) |
| 10. | Roku Channel |
YouTube is also the top app in both the U.K. and France, with Netflix still in second in both of those territories. The survey also found that in the U.K., U.S., Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, and Australia, time spent viewing video content rose by nine minutes last year to come in at over an hour per person per day; however, viewers in the U.S. averaged significantly higher totals.
Across all nine countries, Facebook remained “the leading platform for social media video viewing time,” with an average of 18.7 minutes, although TikTok is closing the gap, having reached 18.1 minutes.
Despite Netflix’s slide down the rankings among younger video viewers, it still remains by far the most popular premium streaming platform in that demo, a fact that is even more impressive considering that seven of the top 10 services are free, and even Netflix’s Basic plan costs $9.99 per month. With the streamer preparing to launch its ad-supported tier on Nov. 3, it will be interesting to track if the new, lower-priced option offers a bump in popularity to users under 35 years of age.
With the new AVOD (ad-supported video-on-demand) option costing just $6.99 per month, the hope from Netflix is undoubtedly that it can further widen its customer pool to include young and/or more cost-conscious consumers who might otherwise be drawn to free services like TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, and others.
Netflix
Netflix is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 3,000+ movies, 2,000+ TV Shows, and Netflix Originals like Stranger Things, Squid Game, The Crown, Tiger King, and Bridgerton. They are constantly adding new shows and movies. Some of their Academy Award-winning exclusives include Roma, Marriage Story, Mank, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.