Evan Shapiro, a media strategist, argues that Britain produces some of the world's best and most essential television and film content. He also praises the BBC as "the only reliable, global, independent English-language video news organisation on the planet". In collaboration with the audience research organisation Barb, Shapiro describes how a wave of change will engulf the UK's broadcast ecosystem as Millennials and Generation Z take over households.
Shapiro highlights some of the UK market's characteristics, like the TV licence fee, public service broadcasters, and free-to-air coverage of live sports, when compared to the United States. According to Shapiro, older viewers are likely to stream less and use less social video, but they watch "substantially more" broadcasters than younger audiences. "They also make up a greater percentage of the population and viewing audience in the UK than they do in the US, and so, their habits influence total viewing in a disproportionate manner. But this will not last forever."
Shapiro's focus is on the pressure facing broadcasters as demographics shift. A significant gap exists in viewing habits for those over and under 35. Streaming is growing most rapidly among the oldest UK viewers, and there is a simultaneous decline in Broadcast and Pay TV, even with viewers older than 35. Social video now accounts for over 20% of total UK video consumption and is the most watched format for all UK audiences under 35. Shapiro anticipates this changing as generations age.
While streaming usage is still growing across all age groups, it is slowing among young audiences. YouTube has now become the second most popular platform for total viewing in the UK, surpassing ITV in the last six months, while the BBC remains in a "strong position" overall. YouTube is third among audiences over 35.
Barb's data shows that most Broadcast and Pay TV viewing comes from older audiences. Streaming platforms, on the other hand, attract a wide range of demographics but appeal more to younger viewers. Among Millennials and Gen Z, YouTube and TikTok now rank first and third, sandwiching Netflix, and ahead of all broadcasters and pay-TV providers. In the first half of 2024, YouTube captured more viewing time than all broadcasters combined for all audiences under 35.