Nielsen: YouTube's share of US viewership by 2- to 11-year-olds jumped from 29.4% in September 2021 to 33% in September 2023, while Netflix fell from 25% to 21%
Context & Ripple Effects
The shift in young viewers sits within streaming's broader move onto the television screen: Nielsen had already recorded streaming overtaking cable and broadcast in US viewing share in 2022.
It also aligns with evidence that YouTube was taking a larger share of TV viewing overall, later reaching roughly 10% of all US TV viewership in May 2024. The children’s data identify a particularly consequential audience segment within that broader gain.
First-order effects
- YouTube widens its viewing lead over Netflix among US children ages 2–11, strengthening its position with households seeking on-demand video for younger viewers.
- Netflix’s lower share signals weaker relative engagement in this age group, even as the services remain more closely matched in prime time than during daytime viewing.
Second-order effects
- The gap raises the value of YouTube’s recommendation and creator-led catalog for advertisers, media owners, and distributors trying to reach family audiences on TV screens.
- Netflix faces added pressure to make its children’s programming and discovery experience more competitive against a service that captures more daytime streaming attention.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern persists, children’s viewing may further shift the competitive center of TV from subscription catalogs toward platforms that combine creator supply, recommendations, and broad free access.
- Audience measurement will increasingly need to compare streaming services as TV distributors across dayparts and age cohorts, rather than treating streaming as a single category.
The trend: YouTube’s rise reflects the convergence of creator video and television distribution, with engagement increasingly fragmented by audience segment and time of day.