Digital i has released a new report looking at major trends in YouTube consumption during the first half of 2025. Focused on the US, the report looks at what viewers are watching, where they watch, and how the platform offers further engagement with content from those same streamers and networks with which it competes.
Among Digital i’s key findings were the following:
Last laugh: News channels dominate YouTube US reach, but Saturday Night Live was top of the pile in H1 2025. The NBC sketch show reached 38.6m US YouTube users – more than any other. “Its skits, monologues and musical performances make ideal short-form clips once repackaged for YouTube,” said Digital i.
Searching for Kendrick: Broadcast events such as the Super Bowl impacted YouTube searches, with Kendrick Lamar a key beneficiary. Interestingly, other popular YouTube searches included preschool hits Ms. Rachel, Bluey and Cocomelon.
And now on TV: Digital i’s data confirmed the growing trend for YouTube to be watched via TV sets (36%) vs web (35%) and mobile (29%). “While YouTube has been synonymous with web and mobile viewing, it is increasingly being watched on TV screens,” said Digital i. “We estimate that US users spent 16.3 billion hours watching YouTube via their TV sets in H1 2025, accounting for 36% of a total 45.1 billion hours.”
It’s a young man’s game: Digital i says the most active YouTube users in the US are Young Men, with those under the age of 34 viewing an average of more than two hours of content per day. By comparison, viewership among female users remained consistent, with all age groups averaging around 1.5 hours per day.
Short cuts: Out of the top 500 channels in the US in H1, ranked by reach, only 16 did not carry Shorts. “Almost 15% (74) only released Shorts content, while a further 47.4% (237) were reliant on Shorts. While we have seen increasing global viewing time to long-form content, Shorts remain key to the most widely-viewed channels.”
All data from Digital i’s How Is The US Using YouTube?
Pictured: Jennifer Coolidge (as portrayed by Chloe Fineman) gets help from her reflection (Ariana Grande) while preparing for a date. Courtesy Saturday Night Live YouTube channel
