Documentaries, TV shows, and movies are among the five most-watched types of content on YouTube.
Nearly four in ten (38%) of YouTube’s monthly active users worldwide now enjoy watching traditional TV and movie content on the platform, according to a recently published consumer study by Ampere Analysis.
Documentaries, TV shows, and movies are among the five most-watched types of content on YouTube.
YouTube has the world’s largest active user base of any online video platform, with 84% of internet users watching it at least monthly, 73% weekly, and 59% daily.
With such a massive global reach and currently little overlap in long-form professional content by genre, Ampere Analysis sees further potential for both the platform, content creators, and rights holders.
Since its early days of pranks, memes, and short, low-quality user-generated vlogs, YouTube has come a long way. While those types of content remain highly popular, an increasing number of TV shows and movies from major studios, producers, and networks are now being uploaded. On one hand, this poses a risk of cannibalizing their own audiences.
On the other hand, the scale and reach of YouTube make it impossible to ignore the advantages of expanding audience access while opening new revenue streams through shared advertising deals with the platform, according to the firm.
Documentaries, TV shows, and movies keep users engaged on the platform for longer, boosting viewership and generating new sources of income.
The report indicates that the audience for this type of content on YouTube slightly skews toward people aged 35 to 44 and family households. However, it is popular across all demographic groups—especially in Asia-Pacific, where 45% of monthly active users have watched it, and in Latin America, where 40% have done so. In contrast, viewership is more moderate in Western Europe (28%), while in North America, it aligns with the global average (37%).
Easy access to YouTube via the TV screen is a key factor driving the popularity of long-form content on the platform. The industry debate over whether YouTube qualifies as television will continue, but in the meantime, Ampere Analysis survey data shows that 34% of those who watched documentaries and TV shows/movies on YouTube last month used a Smart TV for at least part of their viewing.
