Netflix overtakes Sky and Virgin Media as UK's most subscribed platform

(Pocket-lint) - Ofcom has revealed probe into Brits' viewing habits during 2020 and the ongoing pandemic. One of the large takeaways is that much radical successful the UK present subscribe to Netflix than wage TV - Sky, BT and Virgin Media combined.

More than fractional UK households present subscribe to Netflix (52 per cent), which tops the 48 per cent of households that person wage TV.

Streaming services mostly person benefitted from lockdowns and enactment astatine location messaging. There are present much than 30 cardinal subscribers to a streaming work successful the UK. This includes Netflix, but besides Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Now and respective others.

TV and online video viewing raised during 2020 too. The mean idiosyncratic successful the state spent 5 hours and 40 minutes per time watching either broadcast TV, a streaming service, oregon online video done the likes of YouTube.

Naturally, determination is simply a divided betwixt property groups connected which is the much dominent viewing format of choice. For example, 16-34 twelvemonth olds were much apt to ticker contented connected YouTube than unrecorded TV.

"TV and online video person proved an important antidote to lockdown life, with radical spending a 3rd of their waking hours past twelvemonth glued to screens for quality and entertainment," said Ofcom's radical manager of strategy and research, Yih-Choung Teh.

"The pandemic undoubtedly turbo-charged viewing to streaming services, with 3 successful 5 UK homes present signed up. But, with subscriber maturation slowing into 2021 and lockdown restrictions easing, the situation for the likes of Netflix, Amazon and Disney volition beryllium to guarantee a steadfast pipeline of contented and support customers signed up."

Writing by Rik Henderson. Originally published connected 5 August 2021.