Finance
Britons watch YouTube for 51 minutes a day, regulator Ofcom says
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 10, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 10, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
In 2025, Britons spent an average of 51 minutes daily on YouTube, with Alphabet and Meta dominating online time, according to Ofcom.
LONDON, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Britons watched YouTube on average for 51 minutes a day in 2025 on smartphones, tablets and PCs, regulator Ofcom said, noting that services from its owner Alphabet and from Meta account for more than half of all time spent online.
Adults spend an average of four and a half hours online a day, Ofcom said in the Online Nation 2025 report, up 10 minutes on last year.
YouTube was Alphabet's most popular service in Britain, used by 94% of adult internet users in May 2025, according to Ofcom, beating Google Search, which was used by 82% of online adults.
The combination of Facebook and Messenger remained the most widely used Meta-owned service, used by 93% of online adults, the report said, while WhatsApp was used by 90%.
The growing popularity of YouTube shows how the media landscape is rapidly changing in Britain, with traditional linear broadcasters losing audience share to social media sites dominated by Alphabet and Meta.
Pay-TV group Sky, owned by Comcast, last month said it was in talks to buy ITV, Britain's biggest free-to-air commercial broadcaster.
Former ITV chairman Peter Bazalgette said when the talks were announced that regulators needed to redefine the ad market to take account of competing digital services, such as YouTube.
Meta and Google captured about 60% of UK ad spend in 2024, while Google's YouTube was the second most watched service, behind only the BBC, Ofcom said in July.
(Reporting by Paul SandleEditing by Alexandra Hudson)
YouTube is a video-sharing platform where users can upload, view, and share videos. It is one of the most popular online services, especially among adults in the UK.
Online ad spend refers to the total amount of money spent on advertising across digital platforms. In the UK, companies like Google and Meta capture a significant portion of this spending.
The Online Nation report is an annual publication by Ofcom that analyzes internet usage trends in the UK, including how much time people spend online and on which platforms.
Digital marketing encompasses all marketing efforts that use the internet or an electronic device. It includes social media, email, search engines, and websites to connect with current and prospective customers.
Consumer perception is how customers view a brand or product based on their experiences, beliefs, and feelings. It significantly influences their purchasing decisions.
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