Ampere Analysis has revealed the findings from its latest consumer research.
According to the company’s data, 38 per cent of YouTube’s global monthly active users are accessing traditional TV and film content on the content sharing platform.
Ampere’s Q1 2025 consumer survey, collected across 29 markets from 54,000 respondents, showed YouTube has the world’s largest active user base of all online video platforms, with 84 per cent of internet users watching it monthly.
Documentaries, TV shows and films are included in the top five most-watched content types, with the company suggesting this represents ‘huge potential’ for content creators.
Key findings of the analysis include:
- 24 per cent of users watched documentaries, making this the fourth most popular content type. At 23 per cent, TV shows/films were fifth.
- Audiences for both types are largely distinct, with just 22 per cent stating they watch both content types on the platform.
- Documentary, TV, and film viewing skews slightly towards 35-44s, and to family households, though it is popular across all demographics
- 34 per cent of users who watched both documentaries and TV shows/film content did so on a smart TV for at least some of their viewing, against 22 per cent of users in general (computers/laptops and smartphones remain the most popular devices at 37 and 77 per cent respectively).
Daniel Monaghan, senior research manager at Ampere Analysis, said: “The behemoth that is YouTube, the most-watched online video platform globally, has come a long way since its early days of short, low-quality, user-generated pranks, memes, and vlogs. Those types of content are still extremely popular, but we now see more full-length TV shows and movies uploaded from the leading studios, producers, and broadcasters. On one hand, this risks cannibalising some owned-and-operated audiences. On the other hand, the sheer scale and reach of YouTube mean the benefits of extending the addressable audience cannot be ignored, while also opening up new revenue streams via ad-share agreements with the platform.
“Documentaries and other TV shows and films sit within the top five video categories as surveyed by Ampere. We expect engagement to grow, especially as YouTube continues to establish itself more firmly in the viewer’s living room on smart TVs, beyond their phones and laptops.”
