Netflix and chill? Forget about it—YouTube is more popular with teens than Netflix, according to a new survey.
The fall 2019 survey, completed by management group Piper Jaffray, revealed that 37% of teens choose YouTube as their preferred streaming video platform, compared to 35% for Netflix.
Researchers state YouTube’s teen-focused content has given the platform a popularity boost over Netflix. Representation is a significant factor, given YouTube’s large number of teenage content creators who post product reviews, tutorials, and daily vlogs that appeal to viewers in their age group.
Quantity of content and a low barrier to entry (YouTube is free) also help make YouTube the platform of choice for teens. It’s simple and free for users to set up a YouTube account, subscribe to their favorite creators, get daily recommendations, and spend hours scrolling through relevant videos.
In terms of popularity, cable service trails YouTube and Netflix by a large margin, with only 12% of surveyed teens listing it as their favorite daily video consumption method. Hulu sits in fourth place with 7%, Amazon Prime finished with 3%, and other streaming services rounded out the survey with 5%.
“As teens see their households continue to migrate away from traditional TV services, we expect a growing transition of consumer content spent towards online video services,” Piper Jaffray analysts wrote. “Looking into 2020 and beyond, despite increasing competition from Disney and Apple, we are optimistic regarding ongoing international sub growth and price increases.”
YouTube isn’t just the go-to teen streaming platform for escapist entertainment, either. Another recent survey from Common Sense Media and Survey Monkey found that 50% of teens got news from YouTube several times a week. Of those YouTube viewers, 60% said they were more likely to get news from celebrities, influencers, and personalities than from traditional news organizations.
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