YouTube Becomes TV’s Biggest Distributor for the First Time
In July, YouTube surpassed Disney as the outlet Americans used to watch TV most often.
Move over, Disney, YouTube is coming in hot. The social video hosting site has frequently topped Nielsen’s list of streaming services in the United States with its share of total TV viewing time, but in July 2024 the platform reached a new milestone: becoming the biggest distributor of TV in the United States when factoring in both linear and streaming sources.
Key Details:
- YouTube accounted for 10.4% of all TV watched in July 2024.
- Disney’s linear channels and streaming services combined accounted for 9.9% of all TV watched, good for second on the list.
- In January, YouTube trailed Disney, NBCUniversal, and Paramount on the list.
The data from Nielsen shows that in July, YouTube accounted for 10.4% of all TV watched. That was a record for a streaming service, as no individual streamer had ever crossed the 10% mark, not even the ever-dominant Netflix.
Better yet for YouTube, the platform now distributes more TV than even the largest legacy media companies. When combining linear sources such as like ABC and ESPN with streaming services like Hulu and Disney+, Disney accounted for 9.9% of all TV watched during the quarter, placing it second on Nielsen’s list. NBCUniversal was third with 9.5%, with Netflix and Fox rounding out the top five.
The numbers indicate that YouTube has jumped a long way in a relatively short period of time. In January, YouTube was fourth on the list of TV-distributing companies, which can be partially explained by the fact that live NFL football games were likely helping Disney, NBCU, and Paramount surpass the streamer at the time.
Still, there’s no doubt that YouTube’s climb has been impressive. Nielsen’s data does not include YouTube’s live TV streaming platform YouTube TV, which could still have as many as 8 million subscribers. Nielsen does not include either YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV data into its reports as those are live TV streaming services that function as virtual cable companies rather than content-producing studios.
It wouldn’t be a total shock to see YouTube slip beneath Disney and other legacy media outlets in the coming months. Not only are the NFL and college football returning, but outlets with trusted live news brands will certainly see a jump in viewership as the 2024 U.S. presidential elections near. Nevertheless, the writing on the wall is clear for big-name media companies like Disney: YouTube isn’t going anywhere.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”