Netflix overtakes BBC as UK viewers' first choice for TV, Ofcom report shows

A statistical dead heat

In 2025 Netflix became the service UK audiences turned to first when they switched on their television, according to Ofcom’s Media Nations report. The streamer was the default for 26% of viewers, just ahead of the BBC’s 25%. The gap narrowed from the previous year, when the BBC led by 28% to 23%, though Ofcom cautioned those figures are indicative following a change in methodology. ITV came third at 15%, with YouTube at 10%.

The regulator’s group director for strategy and research, Kate Davies, said the landscape remains intensely competitive.

To thrive and survive in the current media landscape, it’s more important than ever for companies to continue to understand changing audience habits and adapt their strategies to meet people where they are.

Age split defines the battle

The headline numbers hide a stark generational divide. Among 16- to 24-year-olds, 36% named Netflix as their first port of call, while only 14% chose the BBC. At the opposite end of the scale, 48% of over-75s still switch on the BBC first, with Netflix managing just 5% of that age group.

Older audiences are nevertheless migrating towards on-demand drama. Ofcom found that average hours watched by over-75s on streaming platforms jumped 56% to 36 hours per person per year, while the 55–74 bracket rose 28% to 85 hours.

Top titles drive platform choice

Netflix owned the most-watched individual programmes of 2025. KPop Demon Hunters reached 24.4 million viewers, Adolescence drew 16 million for its most-watched episode, and the BBC’s Celebrity Traitors attracted 14.8 million. Yet in early 2026, the BBC mounted a fightback. Eight of the ten highest-rated programmes so far this year have aired on BBC services, with The Night Manager and Run Away among them. Celebrity Traitors and the spin-off podcast Traitors Uncloaked became the year’s biggest title, its finale averaging 14.9 million viewers across BBC One and iPlayer. England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina on 15 July peaked at 24 million viewers on BBC platforms.

YouTube’s quiet living-room surge

YouTube consumption on TV sets doubled since 2022 to an average of 19 minutes per day. Across all devices daily viewing reached 41 minutes, up from 33 minutes in 2022. Weekly engagement among over-75s climbed from 28% to 33% over the same period. YouTube now accounts for 15% of total video viewing share, second only to the BBC’s 18%.

Traditional broadcasters’ reach erodes

Live TV and on-demand services from public-service broadcasters reached 70% of UK adults for at least 15 minutes in an average week in 2025, down from 73% in 2024 and 78% in 2022. The decline was visible across every age group, including those 75 and over. A 9% year-on-year rise in use of broadcaster catch-up apps such as BBC iPlayer, ITVX and 5 streaming was not enough to offset the fall in linear viewing.

Streaming services’ combined UK revenues climbed 18% to £5.2 billion, which Ofcom attributed to subscription price increases rather than subscriber gains. Meanwhile, 93% of adults consumed some form of audio content weekly, 87% listened to live radio, and a quarter tuned into a podcast each week.