James R | On 22, Jun 2016

YouTube remains the top VOD player in the UK, despite Netflix overtaking the site in the US to become number one.

New research from Ampere Analysis shows that the VOD giant stormed to the top of its popularity charts this year, with Netflix accounting for 47 per cent of eyeballs in the US, among a sample of users aged 18 to 65. This is the first time that Netflix has polled ahead of YouTUbe, which saw its share decrease to 42 per cent.

Amazon Instant Video, Hulu and Facebook complete the US top five, with 22 per cent, 19 per cent and 15 per cent audience share respectively.

In the UK, though, YouTube remains king of streaming, with 43 per cent of activity. Netflix, meanwhile, is the third most-watched service, with 20 per cent of viewers, behind second place BBC iPlayer (36 per cent).

Richard Broughton, research director at Ampere Analysis, says: “Although broadcaster-led free online video services are prominent in the UK, exclusive series on subscription services like Netflix and Amazon Prime are driving willingness to pay for content, and over time this will penetrate the older viewer population who have traditionally been reluctant to spend online.”

“Furthermore, despite the fact people can watch content on a number of devices, it is the larger TV screens that attract the most eyeballs in both markets for VoD, and that’s even the case for the heaviest viewers,” he adds, “illustrating that despite the growth in app-based viewing on mobile devices, ensuring good quality of experience on connected TV devices and smart TVs remains crucial.”

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