Programming from broadcasters accounts for the majority of video watched in homes in the United Kingdom, but only just. If trends continue it will represent less than half of viewing next year. That includes the online video services of broadcasters, which still account for less than a fifth of all viewing of broadcaster programming.
The annual Media Nations report from the communications regulator Ofcom provides a perspective on media usage across the nations and regions of the United Kingdom.
Based on projections from informitv, broadcaster programming will make up less than half of all in home viewing in 2027.
Among all individuals across the United Kingdom aged four years or above, 53% of the total of 4 hours and 23 minutes of video viewing in the home across all devices in 2025 was to broadcaster programming. 90 minutes of that was still to television at the time of transmission, with a further 20 minutes of recorded playback, and 28 minutes to online programming from broadcasters.
The number of minutes viewing television at the time of broadcast fell by 12 minutes a day from 2024 to 205. Recorded playback fell by 2 minutes. That is nearly a quarter an hour a day less viewing of broadcast television. The viewing of online video from broadcasters rose by only 3 minutes over the same period.
The inevitable conclusion is that broadcasters are not gaining online viewing at the same rate as they are losing traditional viewing.
The average amount of all measured video viewing in the home fell by 7 minutes between 2024 and 2025, so it is not simply that viewers are substituting other online video services for traditional television programming.
Assuming that average video viewing remains steady, but the share of broadcaster viewing continues to fall at the same rate, it will represent less than half of all viewing by the time of the next annual report.
Average daily video viewing fell by two minutes from 2022 to 2205, although among those aged over 75 it rose by 33 minutes.
Across every age group, viewing of broadcast television at the time of transmission fell over the period, down by 30 minutes a day across the population. It is down by over 50 minutes a day for those aged 45-65, and by 47 minutes a day by those aged 65-74, with even those aged 75 or above watching 10 minutes a day less.
Although online video from broadcasters, like the BBC iPlayer, saw increases across all age groups, it did not compensate for their loss of traditional viewing.
Among those aged 16-24, who have always been the lightest viewers of television, broadcaster online video viewing only increased by 4 minutes a day to an average of 14 minutes a day.
The biggest increase in broadcaster online video viewing came not from younger audiences but by those with more availability to view.
The greatest growth came from those aged over 75, who watched almost none in 2022 but are now watching an average of over 25 minutes a day. They also watch by far the most broadcaster programming, a total of 5 hours and 45 minutes a day.
The biggest viewers of broadcaster online video are those aged 55-74, watching an average of about 40 minutes a day.
By contrast, those aged 16-24 watch the least video of all, and only view an average of just over half an hour a day of broadcaster programming, of which less than half is on demand.
For those aged 25-34, viewing television at the time of transmission is down by 26 minutes day since 2022, to an average of just 18 minutes a day, with a. further 9 minutes recorded, and 25 minutes of broadcaster online video viewing. So even this group watches more broadcast television by traditional means than through broadcaster online video services, which added just 6 minutes a day over the three-year period.
Broadcasters might assume that viewing is shifting to video sharing platforms like YouTube. Indeed, these platforms account for an increasing share of all video viewing in the home, with an average of 82 minutes a day for those aged 16-24, far more than any other source of viewing.
Interestingly, viewing of video sharing platforms actually declined in this group by 6 minutes a day over the three years. It is among those aged 25-34 that it has risen, by 16 minutes a day to an average of 68 minutes a day.
Across the population, viewing of YouTube and TikTok in the home in 2025 was higher than the BBC. YouTube alone accounts for 15% of all viewing, which the same as Netflix, Amazon, and Disney combined, and only just behind the BBC at 18%.
The BBC has been among the broadcasters arguing that terrestrial television transmissions should be turned off within eight years. They might want to be careful what they wish for.
Of all BBC viewing, nearly three quarters is still to traditional channels, watched at the time of transmission or through recorded playback. The vast majority of that is through cable, satellite or terrestrial television, with only a small proportion viewed online.
The share of BBC viewing that is on demand has risen from 14% to 26% from 2022 to 2025, but overall BBC viewing is down, in common with other broadcasters.
The latest Media Nations report is available from the Ofcom web site.