▶️ YouTube Officially Overtakes the BBC
For the first time in history, YouTube has surpassed the BBC in audience reach in the UK.
According to official measurement data from Barb for December 2025, YouTube’s monthly reach was 51.9 million viewers, while all BBC channels combined reached 50.8 million.
Barb measures reach based on users who watched content for at least 3 consecutive minutes. YouTube has been in the lead for three straight months (October–December 2025).
YouTube is no longer just a smartphone service – it is increasingly watched on big TV screens, and shows from creators like MrBeast now compete directly with broadcast programming.
The BBC insists on looking at data in 15-minute intervals. By this metric, the broadcaster is still ahead (47 million versus 40.8 million), arguing that YouTube’s lead is driven by short-form clips.
Meanwhile, Netflix has broken its own record thanks to the finale of Stranger Things (47.1 million viewers), firmly cementing its position ahead of the country’s main commercial channel, ITV.
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