Which platforms are young Europeans using most to watch video content?

When they want to watch videos, European Millennials and members of Generation Z tend to head to Netflix. The streaming platform appeals to these two generations’ diverse audiences, while the demographics are divided when it comes to Instagram and TikTok. Meta’s social network appeals more to 18-24 year-olds, while TikTok is more popular with 13-24 year-olds and less so with older users.

Despite facing economic challenges and making strategic adjustments, Netflix remains the platform of choice for a broad spectrum of young audiences in Europe.

According to YPulse’s survey of 2,500 13-39 year-olds in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy, the American giant is the preferred platform for 13-39 year-olds. Some 70% of this age group watch videos on Netflix every week.

This level of loyalty is linked to the variety of its abundant catalogue, which includes original productions that young viewers find attractive, despite increases in subscription prices and the end of account sharing.

However, the increasing popularity of social media platforms, particularly Instagram and TikTok, is bringing a new dimension to video content consumption, the report outlines. Instagram, with its “Reels,” is gaining ground, competing closely with TikTok, especially among 18-24 year-olds: with “half or more using it weekly for video content – with 18-24-year-olds being the most likely to at three in five saying so,” the report states.

TikTok, meanwhile, continues to grab the attention of younger audiences, notably 13-17 and 18-24 year-olds, thanks to its ability to generate viral trends. However, its appeal is waning among 25-39 year-olds, revealing a divergence of interests between the different generations. This rivalry among these platforms underlines the growing importance of short, engaging content.

Another major player is Disney+, which, thanks to its dedicated children’s content and in-person experiences such as the Disneyland Paris theme park, maintains a strong position, particularly among young parents and their children: “In 2023, almost a third of them watched Disney+ frequently,” says the report. “[Y]oung parents still far outpace other demographics in using this platform, with more than two in five using it frequently.”

These dynamics show that video content consumption among young Europeans is influenced by a variety of factors, from content trends to brand marketing and engagement strategies. Companies and content creators must therefore be attentive to these shifting patterns in order to remain relevant in this ever-changing media landscape. – AFP Relaxnews