That YouTube has overtaken ITV?

[StafaQuested]

Read in the papers today that YouTube has overtaken ITV in the viewing figures.

I must say I’m surprised by this - I remember a time when there were only 3 channels etc ..

AIBU?

I'm not remotely surprised. My DD is constantly talking to me about stuff she's seen on YouTube and I don't think she knows what ITV is.

Traditional TV channels have had their day, like it or not. The smart ones have used their existing content well to build a foothold on the internet but no one is going back to channel loyalty on terrestrial.

Not surprised at all. My DC all watch it from time to time. I use it to learn new skills like crochet.

TV has now become interactive in a way it never was years ago.

Not surprised. None of my late teen DC watch live TV, if there’s a show they like they’ll catch up on the iPlayer or streaming services but that’s rare. They have no interest in soaps, quizzes or entertainment shows. I can see tv dying out in a few generations at this rate.

Many people now have got used to choosing what to watch when they're in the mood to watch it, rather than when the schedulers decide to show it, I think.

No surprise. In my opinion ITV is basically trash.

Im not surprised in the least that people are ditching mainstream media. When the news reporting, for example, starts sounding like a Guardian editorial, viewers will seek something more balanced.

Linear TV will probably disappear in the next five years. BBC and the others will be app only, they are constantly plugging iPlayer and ITVX

My.mum stayed for a week and wanted to watch emmerdale, it took me a while to work out how she could get it.

I cant remember the last time I watched the old style channels. They might want to up their game, to be honest.

Im also not surprised at all. The programme quality on all terrestrial tv channels is absolutely rubbish now. The soaps are stupid and far fetched and no longer reflect reality like they once did.
I actually miss the pre Internet tv days when everyone watched and looked forward to the same tv shows and last night's tv would be a talking point in work/school the next day.
TV would actually bring people together, now everyone sits in the same room watching different things on their own personal screen on the same sofa. nothing to discuss about what they've collectively watched together like the old days. sad really.

Surprised it’s only happened recently tbh. I watch plenty of BBC and C4 (live as well as on streaming/catch up) but there’s nothing that grabs my interest on ITV, ever. And the ad breaks are much worse than C4!

I'm curious why this surprises you - and also what age you are, I'm 40, and haven't watched actual TV for at least a decade. I can't see a single thing it offers in contrast to youtube - particularly ITV

I only watch YouTube, although I also have a Disney sub. No tv license for years now.

Terrestrial tv is dull and dead.

My prediction is the BBC won’t be too far behind. Just look at the viewing figures for Doctor Who, for example.

I pay for ad skipping on everything, I can't bear the ads, we have Sky and that often gets rid of them as well

I’m in my 40s and I don’t watch terrestrial television at all. Occasionally I hear something is good - but it’s never enough to stir me to try and see it. Cancelled the tv licence quite a long time ago.

I pick up news and interesting info from YT.

I watch far more YouTube than TV. I even pay for Premium. I have Sky full package but I only really watch football on it. DH watches more than me

We just have everything, you have to nip between them all to see the best shows. I wouldn't say iPlayer was any worse than Sky, Netflix, Disney, Prime, Apple etc though, they all seem to have the odd good show

I’m 52

I'm not actually surprised by this. I started to pivot to podcasts. Am mid 40s. Really got sick of same old reality TV. I also read all the newspapers for free on my phone via library Press Reader.

I've been doing courses and watching shows on You Tube. Think it will be around for a while yet.

Was just thinking this about the way it has went in recent years that there's nothing that binds families together now on the TV. You're absolutely right, we have lost the connection of discussing things in the calendar like Eurovision or Gladiators etc. Remember Saturday TV years ago...

We try and make a concerted effort to watch a film together nowadays. Especially in the holidays.

I think both ITV and BBC are rubbish these days are certainly not worthy of the TV licence fee but YouTube has also down very downhill in recent years. Watching documentaries, podcasts etc on YouTube these is pretty much unwatchable with all the adverts springing up every few minutes.

yes the change has been quite sad hasn't it. My teen dc do not watch any tv at all. but spends hours on their own screens. ds does watch YouTube.
Remember when a series would be on TV and we had to wait a whole week to watch the next episode, but we would look forward to watching it. Now everything is binged watched i don't think younger generation would have the patience and attention span to wait a whole week.
Used to love Saturday night TV

You can't discuss series nowadays because everyone is at a different episode or watching a different series. Also tv is a lot more expensive nowadays to watch and probably no more actual decent programmes than the old days. A lot of the streamers have ads now which will only get worse as time goes on and probably more expensive to bypass them We spend an absolute fortune on TV nowadays compared to when we just paid for Sky and the licence.

I haven’t watched itv in probably ten years now, don’t have a tv license and the only traditional one I watch on demand programs on is 4oD very rarely, mostly it’s YouTube and occasionally prime videos and Netflix.