Daniel Slotta
Research expert covering Greater China
YouTube in the United Kingdom - statistics & facts
As one of the most used video websites worldwide, YouTube has also captured its share of the online entertainment market in the United Kingdom (UK). Launched on February 14, 2005, and acquired by Google for 1.65 billion U.S. dollars in October 2006, YouTube quickly grew to become one of the most powerful digital proprietaries. In 2022 YouTube revenues made up over 11 percent of all of Google’s global revenues. In 2021, Google’s revenue in the UK amounted to approximately 3.4 billion pounds, generating a net profit of almost 900 million pounds between July 2020 and December 2021.
In the UK market, YouTube reported a 95 percent brand awareness among users of video-on-demand services, with a usage rate of over 50 percent in 2022. As for its community features and possibilities for users to interact in the comment section of videos and live streaming sessions, YouTube is widely regarded as a social media platform, reaching a 97 percent brand awareness rate among social network users, as well as a 66 percent usage rate within the demographic. The service has also positioned itself as a stable platform for the creator economy, providing creators and influencers with a platform to connect with users and monetize their content. In 2021, it was estimated that the popular video platform contributed over 1.4 billion pounds to the UK's gross domestic product, supporting around 40,000 jobs in the country.
With the addition of its short video feature YouTube Shorts, the platform has confirmed its position as one of the most used mobile apps for UK smartphone usage, with 708 minutes spent on average per month on the app, while video sensation TikTok engaged uses on average for 877 minutes monthly. While the YouTube app ranked as the most used video app for children in 2022, YouTube Kids - launched in 2015 to cater to children and younger audiences - saw over 1.5 million downloads on UK mobile devices in 2022, an increase of approximately eight percent compared to 1.43 million downloads generated in 2021.
As of November 2022, younger UK audiences aged between 16 to 24 years were particularly engaged on the online video platform, with 90 percent of respondents in this demographic reporting to use YouTube. Engagement among older user groups appeared progressively lower, with 74 percent of respondents aged 45 to 64 years reporting to use YouTube, and 52 percent of respondents aged over 65 reporting to use the platform at the end of 2022. As of April 2023, the gender split of YouTube users in the UK was roughly 50/50, with women making up half of the platform’s audience.
In the UK market, YouTube reported a 95 percent brand awareness among users of video-on-demand services, with a usage rate of over 50 percent in 2022. As for its community features and possibilities for users to interact in the comment section of videos and live streaming sessions, YouTube is widely regarded as a social media platform, reaching a 97 percent brand awareness rate among social network users, as well as a 66 percent usage rate within the demographic. The service has also positioned itself as a stable platform for the creator economy, providing creators and influencers with a platform to connect with users and monetize their content. In 2021, it was estimated that the popular video platform contributed over 1.4 billion pounds to the UK's gross domestic product, supporting around 40,000 jobs in the country.
YouTube usage and audience engagement the UK
In 2022, audiences in the UK spent approximately 44 minutes daily engaging with YouTube content, making it one of the most engaging types of video after subscription video on demand (SVOD) and live TV content. According to a November 2022 survey, YouTube was the most popular platform among online users to watch internet videos, with almost eight in 10 respondents reporting using YouTube, compared to five in 10 respondents reporting using Facebook, and four in 10 respondents stating they watched video content on Instagram. YouTube Live also positioned itself as the most used platform among live streaming audiences in the UK, with four in 10 respondents claiming to use it for such purposes, compared to 31 percent of respondents reporting to use Facebook Live, and only 10 percent reporting engaging with gaming live platform Twitch in the examined period.With the addition of its short video feature YouTube Shorts, the platform has confirmed its position as one of the most used mobile apps for UK smartphone usage, with 708 minutes spent on average per month on the app, while video sensation TikTok engaged uses on average for 877 minutes monthly. While the YouTube app ranked as the most used video app for children in 2022, YouTube Kids - launched in 2015 to cater to children and younger audiences - saw over 1.5 million downloads on UK mobile devices in 2022, an increase of approximately eight percent compared to 1.43 million downloads generated in 2021.
As of November 2022, younger UK audiences aged between 16 to 24 years were particularly engaged on the online video platform, with 90 percent of respondents in this demographic reporting to use YouTube. Engagement among older user groups appeared progressively lower, with 74 percent of respondents aged 45 to 64 years reporting to use YouTube, and 52 percent of respondents aged over 65 reporting to use the platform at the end of 2022. As of April 2023, the gender split of YouTube users in the UK was roughly 50/50, with women making up half of the platform’s audience.
YouTube Music in the UK
YouTube users in the UK have been consistently engaging with the platform to look up their favorite music artists and popular songs, with the keywords “song” and “music” indexing the highest among YouTube search queries in 2022. YouTube Music launched in May 2018 as a music streaming service replacing Google Play Music with ad-free premium monthly subscriptions. The service, which arrived in the UK market in June 2018, allowed Google to better capitalize on the presence of music and artists, as well bridging consumers’ needs with the platform’s offering. In 2022, Spotify, Amazon Music, and iTunes reported the highest brand awareness rate among digital music services, with YouTube Music ranked fourth with an awareness rate of 85 percent. According to a survey of UK consumers conducted in March 2023, 96 percent reported engaging with BBC Sounds to consume audio content on a monthly basis, while 90 percent of respondents reported using YouTube and Spotify.
