Teens Watch YouTube More Than Netflix, New Survey Shows

YouTube is beating Netflix in a battle for teens’ time. Google-owned YouTube now surpasses Netflix as top video streaming choice for U.S. teens. The question is, is Netflix becoming a fad among teens? The news about US teenagers flocking more to YouTube than Netflix should be a wake up call to Netflix shareholders. According to a new survey conducted by US investment firm Piper Jaffray, US teens now prefer to watch videos on YouTube more than Netflix. The survey shows that 37% of teens prefer to watch videos on YouTube, while 35% prefer to Netflix. This survey also confirms a 2018 survey, which showed that nearly a third of teens watch YouTube more than Netflix, Hulu, or cable.

Some may say the 2 percent difference is statistically insignificant. However, considering the trend and the fact that YouTube video subscription was just launched just a year ago, Netflix needs to come up with strategy to woo Generation-Z back to its platform. The study, which surveyed over 9,500 teenagers, shed light and offer some new numbers on US teens’ smartphones of choice. According to the survey, 83% of teens now own an iPhone, up from 82% this time last year.

It’s not all bad news for Netflix. Other streaming services are not faring well. The survey shows that fewer teens are using other streaming services, like Hulu and Amazon’s Prime Video. Only 7% and 3% of teens surveyed, prefer the streaming services respectively. Cable TV ranked third at 12%, down from 14% in the spring, indicating that cord-cutting continues to be on the rise, the firm said.

Below are the rest of the findings from the survey.

FALL 2019 KEY FINDINGS

• Overall teen “self-reported” spending down 4% Y/Y and 10% from Spring 2019 – the lowest level since Fall 2011
• Food continues to be the No. 1 priority for teens in terms of wallet share; Chick-fil-A is the No. 1 restaurant for four consecutive surveys
• Ulta remains No. 1 preferred beauty destination over Sephora but teen spending on cosmetics declines 21% Y/Y
• Handbag spending hits survey-low at $90/year; EU luxury gaining share with Louis Vuitton up to No. 2; Kate Spade falls to No. 4
• Amazon continues to dominate teen preference for “favorite ecommerce site,” growing to 52% vs. 50% in the spring
• Teens spend 37% of their daily video consumption on YouTube, ahead of Netflix at 35%
• Video games holds 9% of total teen wallet vs. 8% last year
• Crocs registers highest reading in survey history as No. 7 preferred footwear brand, compared to No. 13 last Fall
• lululemon hits new survey peak as No. 7 apparel brand; Nike regains share as the No. 1 apparel and footwear brand
• Instagram remains the most frequented social media platform among teens for the third consecutive survey
• Teens care about social and political issues naming the environment, immigration and gun control as the top-three issues.