Broadcast TV remains the UK’s most used media format

According to the report, TV viewing increases from 49% among 18- to 24-year-olds to 81% among adults aged 55 and over, while social media usage falls from 86% to 52% across the same age groups.

The report found that the BBC is the most-used individual media platform, with 62% of UK adults who consume media consuming it weekly, followed by Netflix at 55%, books (46%), ITV (43%), and Instagram (43%).

The BBC's audience skews older, including 77% of over-55s, but only 41% of those aged 18 to 34 who watch at least once a week. ITV and Channel 4 show similar age patterns. Netflix usage is reportedly highest among 35- to 44-year-olds (65%) and 45- to 54-year-olds (63%).

Social and music platforms attract younger audiences. Overall, seven in ten 18- to 24-year-olds use Instagram at least weekly (70%), half use TikTok (50%), and two-thirds use Spotify (67%). The research also revealed that women are more likely than men to use Instagram (49% vs. 38%), while men are more likely to use X (23% vs. 13%).

Streaming services’ broad appeal across age groups creates peaks among 25- to 34-year-olds (74%), while gaming is concentrated among younger audiences, with around 45% of those aged between 25- and 34-years-old gaming weekly, compared with 21% of over-55s.

Print media remains strongest among older adults, reaching 53% of over-55s versus 31% of 18- to 24-year-olds.

Around seven in ten media consumers (70%) spend between one and four hours per day consuming media, including 29% who spend two to three hours. A further 19% spend more than four hours daily.

More than half of media consumers (57%) say their ability to focus or pay attention has remained unchanged over the past year. However, 29% report some degree of decline, compared with 9% who say their ability has improved.

YouGov recently published data shedding light on how frequently users of four major streaming platforms – Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Netflix, and Apple TV+ – tune in. Discover more here.