London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 01, 2026

TikTok is gaining on YouTube, now leads in average watch time in the US

TikTok is gaining on YouTube, now leads in average watch time in the US

TikTok eclipsed YouTube in viewership by more than 10 hours back in June

TikTok is catching up to video giant YouTube according to new data.

Users are spending more average watch time each month viewing content on TikTok than YouTube, which "could shake up the rankings in years to come," according to a new study from App Annie, which provides app market and advertising analytics.

In June of this year, the average monthly hours per user for TikTok was about two hours more than on Google’s video platform, according to App Annie.

POLAND - 2021/04/26: In this photo illustration a TikTok logo is displayed on a smartphone with stock market percentages in the background.


And TikTok has been leading YouTube for most of the past 12 months, according to the per user data from App Annie.

In the U.K., it’s no contest: The average monthly hours per user for TikTok is about 10 hours more than YouTube in June.

The average monthly hours metric cited in the report only covers Android phones. Nevertheless, the data shows TikTok’s swift rise with its three-minute videos.

YouTube remains the leader in the overall streaming, social and photo and video space "due to both depth and breadth of engagement," according to the report.

"The landscape has evolved from text and chat features to photo sharing, to video sharing and ultimately, to live streaming," App Annie said, adding that "at the heart of these trends is the importance of video, live streaming and the creator economy."

Other important data cited in the report include:

Consumers are shifting to a model of paying for content creators instead of professionally produced content.

Social apps occupied 740 billion hours of consumer time in the second quarter of 2021, which is equal to 44% of all time spent on mobile.

Seventy-four billion social apps downloaded to date: 4.7 billion downloads in first half of 2021.

Total time spent in the top 5 social apps that emphasize live streaming are set to surpass half a trillion hours on Android phones in 2021 (outside of China).

$78 billion forecast to be spent on social apps through 2025, with an estimated $6.78 billion spent via social apps this year.

Viewers are purchasing in-app gifts to support their favorite streamers with two regions dominating: U.S. and Japanese consumers spent more than $1.5 billion in social apps in the first half of this year.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Southwest England Faces Flood Alerts After Heavy Autumn Storms
UK Expands Funding for Rapid Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Welsh Government Approves Funding to Upgrade South Wales Transport
Northern Ireland Tensions Rise as Orange Order Rejects Drumcree Compromise
NHS Leaders Back Early Design of Proposed National Care Service
More Than One-Third of Regional UK Universities Face Financial Deficits
UK Current Account Deficit Narrows as Cross-Border Financial Flows Remain Strong
Bank of England and FCA Issue New Rules for Stablecoins and Digital Assets
MI5 Warns UK Universities Over Research Links With Chinese Institutions
UK Energy Price Cap Rises 4% as Electricity VAT Is Temporarily Suspended
Equity Calls for UK Personality Rights to Protect Performers From AI Replication
OpenAI Pauses Advanced Model Training Following Safety Concerns
Scottish Government Proposes Replacing 32 Councils With Larger Regional Authorities
Ofgem Raises UK Household Energy Price Cap by 4% From October
UK Counter-Terrorism Police Continue Investigation After Five Arrests Near RAF Fairford
OECD Cuts UK 2027 Growth Forecast to 1%
Labour Says State Pension Triple Lock Remains Protected Through Current Parliament
Andy Burnham Pledges National Care Service With Free Social Care in England
Six Flags Permanently Shuts Landmark X2 Roller Coaster Following Safety Scandals
Metropolitan Police Rule Out Terrorism in Golders Green Stabbing Investigation
Lithium-Ion Battery Identified as Cause of Fatal Merseyside House Fire
UK Department Rejects New Sea Use Framework Due to Stakeholder Fatigue
Major Thames Water Pipe Burst Causes School Closures in London
Aldi Commits £900 Million to Expand UK Supermarket Network
Scottish Affairs Committee Warns Skills Shortages Threaten Defence Sector Expansion
Parliamentary Committee Warns Northern Ireland Budget Deadlock is Stalling Economic Growth
NHS Hospitals in England Face Severe Shortages of Essential Medications
Home Secretary Signals Major Overhaul of UK Immigration and Leave to Remain Policies
Chancellor Promises New Job Schemes Alongside Strict Fiscal Discipline
Energy Secretary Proposes Taxpayer-Funded Green Transition and National Electricity Grid
UK Government to Renationalise Avanti West Coast Railway Franchise in March
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Major Social Care and Infrastructure Reforms
Five Suspects Released on Bail Following Alleged Bomb Plot Near RAF Fairford
UK Diesel Prices Hit Record High of 199p Per Litre
Transport for Wales and Network Rail Complete Electrification of South Wales Metro
Defra Expands Incentives for Sustainable Farming and Biodiversity in England
Northern Ireland Executive Approves Funding Package to Resolve Public Sector Pay Disputes
Universities UK Warns of Financial Insolvency Risks for Higher Education Institutions
UK Prisons Activate Emergency Protocols to Manage Capacity Pressures
UK Government Establishes New Safety Standards for Frontier AI Models
Home Office Tightens Skilled Worker Visa Requirements and Dependent Rules
Ministry of Defence Restructures Royal Navy Frigate Procurement to Prevent Overruns
UK Government Mandates New Housing Targets to Address National Shortage
UK and Scottish Governments Reach Agreement on North Sea Energy Transition
NHS Launches Digital Overhaul to Reduce Surgical Backlogs in England
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates as Service Sector Inflation Persists
UK Chancellor Announces Fiscal Consolidation Measures to Stabilize National Debt
RNLI Chief Executive Condemns Misinformation and Abuse Targeting Volunteer Crews
Metropolitan Police Charge Swindon Man with Assisting Foreign Intelligence Services
British Intelligence Report Warns Environmental Collapse Threatens Global Defense Infrastructure
×