Netflix has overtaken the BBC as the first-choice service for television viewers in the United Kingdom, according to Ofcom's Media Nations report. Netflix was selected by 26% of viewers, while the BBC was the top pick for 25%. ITV followed with 15%. This report was compiled with the assistance of AI.

The shift marks a change from 2024, when the BBC led with 28% and Netflix had 23%. Between 2024 and 2025, the BBC's first-choice share dropped by three percentage points while Netflix's share rose by the same amount.

The BBC's share of total video viewing in 2025 stood at 18%, followed by YouTube at 15%, ITV at 11%, and Netflix at 9%. Public service broadcasters — the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 — delivered more than 30,000 hours of UK-originated content in 2025, excluding repeats.

Traditional broadcasters face long-term decline

The proportion of people in Britain who watched content from traditional broadcasters for at least 15 minutes a week fell to 70% in 2025, down from 73% in 2024 and 78% in 2022. Live TV viewing among 16- to 24-year-olds and 4- to 15-year-olds each declined by 17% in 2025. Young adults watched 11 fewer minutes of broadcast, streaming and on-demand services at home per day.

Despite the overall trend, broadcaster-owned streaming services such as BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and Channel 4 Streaming grew their viewing by 9% year-on-year. Kate Davies, group director for strategy and research at Ofcom, said traditional broadcasters were showing 'resilience' through their live and event TV programming. England's World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina in July drew a peak audience of 24 million across BBC platforms.

In early 2026, the BBC regained momentum with shows such as 'The Traitors' and 'The Night Manager' topping the ratings. Netflix's most-watched UK titles in 2025 were the film 'KPop Demon Hunters' with more than 24 million viewers and the crime drama 'Adolescence' with approximately 16 million.

YouTube's growing role on television

Average daily viewing of YouTube on television sets doubled over the past four years, reaching 19 minutes per person in 2025, up from 9 minutes in 2022. Total daily viewing of YouTube across all devices was 41 minutes, up from 33 minutes in 2022. Among people aged 75 and over, weekly YouTube reach increased to 33% from 28% in 2022. Subscription streaming services were present in around 70% of British homes, a figure Ofcom said has largely plateaued after rapid growth during the pandemic.