Social video viewing reaches nearly five hours weekly on U.S. televisions

Social video now accounts for nearly five hours of television viewing per week, making up 20 percent of all video watched on TV, according to new research from Parks Associates.

The findings, released Aug. 19 as part of the firm’s Streaming Video Tracker service, highlight how platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Twitch are shaping consumer habits and becoming integrated into the mainstream television experience.

The report shows that viewers ages 18 to 34 are watching social video at levels nearly equal to subscription video on demand on televisions, and exceeding it on mobile devices. Forty percent of that age group watches more than 15 hours of social video per week.

YouTube remains the most popular social video platform and also leads in pay-TV streaming, with approximately 9.3 million subscribers in the United States to YouTube TV. YouTube Shorts was identified as a growing factor in engaging audiences across multiple devices.

Parks Associates also cited recent developments in creator-led content, including MrBeast’s $100 million deal with Amazon MGM Studios and the launch of “Tubi for Creators,” a new content hub from the Fox-owned ad-supported service Tubi.

These examples reflect the increasing presence of digital creators in traditional streaming catalogs.

“As the streaming market matures, consolidation and aggregation are reshaping the competitive landscape,” said Elizabeth Parks, president and chief marketing officer at Parks Associates. “Platforms are bundling creator-led, studio, and niche content into unified experiences to keep viewers engaged across formats.”

Parks Associates will host a virtual session titled “Consolidation & Aggregation: Transformation of Streaming Services & Technologies” on Aug. 21 from 12 to 1:30 p.m. CT as part of its Future of Video program. The session will include insights from the firm’s research and the Video Services Dashboard, which tracks shifts in viewer habits and service usage.

Advertisement

Scheduled speakers include JP Abello of Comcast, Josh Arensberg of Verizon Business, Scott Maddux of TiVo, and Liz Riemersma of Sling TV. Sponsors of the session include InterDigital and TiVo.