Netflix has overtaken the BBC as the first destination for television viewing in the UK, according to Ofcom's latest annual Media Nations report, highlighting the growing dominance of
streaming services in British homes.
The media regulator said 26% of viewers now turn first to Netflix when deciding what to watch, narrowly ahead of the BBC on 25%. ITV ranked third, with 15% of viewers choosing the broadcaster first, reflecting intensifying competition from streaming platforms and online video services.
Despite the shift, broadcaster-owned streaming platforms continued to grow strongly. Viewing of BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 Streaming and 5 increased by 9% compared with a year earlier, making them the fastest-growing category of television services.
Ofcom said subscription streaming services are now available in around 70% of UK households, although growth has slowed after the surge seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Traditional broadcasters continued to lose reach. Around 70% of people watched content from UK broadcasters for at least 15 minutes a week in 2025, down from 73% in 2024 and 78% in 2022.
Live events, however, continued to attract large audiences. England's World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina on 15 July drew a peak audience of 24 million viewers across BBC platforms.
The report also highlighted YouTube's growing role in television viewing. Average daily viewing on TV sets doubled to 19 minutes per person in 2025, up from nine minutes in 2022, while viewing across all devices increased from 33 minutes to 41 minutes a day.
Older audiences are also embracing the platform. Weekly YouTube reach among people aged 75 and over rose to 33% in 2025, compared with 28% three years earlier, suggesting increasing adoption among older viewers, Ofcom said. Photo by Coolcaesar at the English-language Wikipedia, Wikimedia commons.
