Consumption of long-form YouTube content is rising rapidly in the US, according to streaming data analysis firm Digital i. New research shows that long-form accounted for 73% of all viewing time on the platform by the end of October 2024.
Digital i’s findings indicate that average viewing time spent by US YouTube users on videos of 30 minutes in length or more rose by 8 percentage points last year, from 65% in October 2023 to 73% in October 2024. This trend is more pronounced among young adults aged 18-24-years-old, watching YouTube on mobile devices.
Digital i research also revealed that 18-24-year-old US YouTube users spent an average of 2.7 hours per day on the platform between July and October 2024, watching an average 25 videos per day. This demographic spent the highest average time on the platform last year, with Digital i data also showing a decrease in YouTube viewing time corresponding to increased age among users.
The new insights into YouTube audience trends comes as Digital i announced that it can now provide comprehensive viewing data for the platform. The firm is launching a product with the capability to offer data on viewing and search history from YouTube users across more than 20 territories in Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific.
Key features of Digital i’s new YouTube data offering include the ability to track the number of streams and viewing times across specific videos and channels and analyse viewing behaviour across content categories to help understand long-tail content trends. The firm can also help explain how YouTube users also engage with global SVODs including Disney+, Netflix, Max and Prime Video.
Ash Stedman, chief revenue officer at Digital I, commented: “Going forward, we will be able to share a range of actionable insights into how streaming households engage with YouTube alongside other premium SVOD services. This allows us to explore how YouTube competes for viewership with these other services, and what opportunities there may be to reach and engage with new audiences.”
Matt Ford, co-founder of CoLabX, commented on LinkedIn: “Production companies, take note. The latest research from Digital i confirms what many of us have seen happening for a while – YouTube is the go-to platform for long-form content, especially among 18-24 year olds. Audiences aren’t just snacking on short clips; they’re watching full-length docs, extended interviews, and premium entertainment. For production companies still hesitant about digital, this is your wake-up call. YouTube is no longer just a marketing tool – it’s a primary distribution platform.”
