YouTube is closing in on linear TV's turf, with 38% of YouTube's global monthly active users engage with traditional TV and film content, according to a recent study by media analyst firm Ampere Analysis that found

The consumer study, conducted in February and March 2025, covered 29 markets globally with 54,000 respondents.

It highlights that documentaries, TV shows, and films are among the top five most-watched content types on the platform, with YouTube now home to the largest active user base of all online video platforms, with 84% of internet users watching it monthly, 73% weekly, and 59% daily.

Documentaries are particularly popular, with 24% of monthly active users watching them, making it the fourth most popular content type on YouTube. TV shows and films follow closely, watched by 23% of YouTube's monthly active users, ranking fifth in popularity. The audiences for documentaries and TV/film are largely distinct, with only 22% of their combined viewer bases watching both content types.

"The behemoth that is YouTube, the most-watched online video platform globally, has come a long way since its early days of short, low-quality, user-generated pranks, memes, and vlogs. Those types of content are still extremely popular, but we now see more full-length TV shows and movies uploaded from the leading studios, producers, and broadcasters. On one hand, this risks cannibalising some owned-and-operated audiences. On the other hand, the sheer scale and reach of YouTube mean the benefits of extending the addressable audience cannot be ignored, while also opening up new revenue streams via ad-share agreements with the platform," said Senior Research Manager at Ampere Analysis, Daniel Monaghan.

The study also reveals demographic trends in YouTube's viewership. Documentary, TV, and film viewing on YouTube skews slightly towards the 35-44 age group and family households. These content types are particularly popular in the Asia Pacific region, with 45% viewership, and in Latin America, with 40% viewership. In contrast, Western Europe shows a lower viewership at 28%, while North American viewership aligns with the global average at 37%.

"Documentaries and other TV shows and films sit within the top five video categories as surveyed by Ampere. We expect engagement to grow, especially as YouTube continues to establish itself more firmly in the viewer's living room on smart TVs, beyond their phones and laptops," said Monaghan.

The survey also highlights the devices used for viewing YouTube content. While smartphones and computers/laptops remain the most popular devices, with 77% and 37% usage respectively among this cohort, 34% of those who watched both documentaries and TV shows/films on YouTube used a smart TV for at least some of their viewing.