Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

More users are watching YouTube on TV than mobile

engadget.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 89 posts

Re: More users are watching YouTube on TV than mobile

#51

Post by dylan604 »

gohai wrote: post #27

Regularly watching YouTube on Apple TV, but.. does it play ads more frequently compared to on desktop OS? (makes sense, since context switching to another form of entertainment in another tab doesn't exist there - still, I wish it would be en par)

If you’re not using a blocker on desktopOS, then probably about the same. Unless YT knows your on the couch and much less likely to switch away so they make loner ad blocks for TV than desktops??? I could see them playing with this kind of logic, but I have no idea if they do anything like that

Re: More users are watching YouTube on TV than mobile

#52

Post by pjc50 »

LocalH wrote: post #44
noisy_boy wrote: post #4

- Youtube pre-installed on smart TVs everywhere - Bigger screens are more enjoyable - Much lesser strain on hands compared to holding a phone means longer periods of watching - More friction in switching apps on a TV compared to a phone and unless you are casting, much smaller selection of apps - Fewer distractions like notifications on a phone - Sofas are comfy; also, autoplay can keep going even if you fall asleep…

Not to mention people falling asleep means that all ads will play unskipped, regardless of length. That means they have data that non-zero amounts of people are watching the whole of the extremely long skippable ads that get placed (more than once I've seen 90+ minute ads appear).

Muted ads playing to the sleeping. Great business for youtube, not so great for the advertiser.

(people who use youtube as a sleep aid - don't you get woken up by ads?)

Re: More users are watching YouTube on TV than mobile

#53

Post by saalweachter »

noisy_boy wrote: post #4

- Youtube pre-installed on smart TVs everywhere - Bigger screens are more enjoyable - Much lesser strain on hands compared to holding a phone means longer periods of watching - More friction in switching apps on a TV compared to a phone and unless you are casting, much smaller selection of apps - Fewer distractions like notifications on a phone - Sofas are comfy; also, autoplay can keep going even if you fall asleep…

Also, you can watch YouTube on your TV and then fiddle around on your phone without being left with a floating window that both obscures your other content and is too small to see some details in the video.

Re: More users are watching YouTube on TV than mobile

#54

Post by nonethewiser »

taeric wrote: post #8

This feels more significant than I'd expect it to? We are dominated by reporting about how our phones are growing to define our interactions with media. To have a trend that is bucking that is surprising.

Terrible headline - the article says nothing about users. It does not link to Youtubes finding that TV is overtaking mobile. That news is here, and it's by WATCH TIME, not user count as claimed. https://blog.youtube/inside-youtube/our-big-bets-for-2025/

I think TV>Mobile for watch time is less surprising because of the nature of content you'd watch on the TV (longer form, background stuff).

User count would be surprising. And this is from someone who primarily uses their TV for Youtube.

- There are more mobile devices than TVs. A family of four may have 1 or 2 TVs but they have 4+ phones/tablets. Similarly, you need another phone to accomodate another viewer, whereas you do not need another TV.

- TV accounts are often shared so even if you had multiple people using the TV there is a fair chance it would be squashed to 1 user

- Youtube content is increasingly short form which fits better with mobile than sitting down on the couch. All Youtube shorts are designed to be consumed on the phone, for example.

- You always have your phone with you. You're usually only around your TV a handful of hours a day.

- You are often getting funneled to YouTube via a link from somewhere else on your phone. Reddit, X, group text, etc. No chance of that while using your TV for something else.

Re: More users are watching YouTube on TV than mobile

#55

Post by pjc50 »

taeric wrote: post #8

This feels more significant than I'd expect it to? We are dominated by reporting about how our phones are growing to define our interactions with media. To have a trend that is bucking that is surprising.

This is really just part of the switch from broadcast/cable to internet-native media. It's very noticeable when you watch terrestrial TV how many adverts are clearly targeted at the over-65s, the market is literally dying out.

Re: More users are watching YouTube on TV than mobile

#56

Post by joaohaas »

joaohaas wrote: post #43

I honestly refuse to believe this unless I see the source (which is not listed). Maybe in the US sure, but take any country in Asia or Latin America and I can guarantee you mobile usage skyrockets. Can't say anything certain about EU, but I'd assume from my few experiences there it should be a 50/50 split.

Ok so for anyone curious, this is the source they're using: https://www.nielsen.com/

I couldn't find any articles about comparisons between mobile and TV usage. There are some saying 'YouTube TV usage is at a high time high', but it associates it with the presidential election and some sports events...

The former I can see getting some views outside of the US, but sports events no one gives a shit outside of the US, so I think it's pretty clear their articles are US only.

Re: More users are watching YouTube on TV than mobile

#57

Post by dageshi »

teeray wrote: post #36
coliveira wrote: post #33

I watch youtube 90% of the time I used to watch cable TV or Netflix. It is much better: most interesting TV shows are already on the platform and I can choose what to watch based on my interests, not on what the TV channel is scheduling.

Youtube scratches the same itch that Discovery / History / Science Channel used to, but way better.

They're uploading all the Mythbusters episodes to youtube for free as well. It wouldn't surprise me if in another 5 years much historical tv will be on youtube to watch for free.

Re: More users are watching YouTube on TV than mobile

#58

Post by Larrikin »

pjc50 wrote: post #50
ActionHank wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would wager that TV viewers are also more likely to be premium subscribers too. Just a hunch though.

.. because it's significantly more difficult to block ads on the TV. I'm not sure if Pi-Hole can do it?

PiHole can't block YouTube ads but it's trivial to block all ads on Android TV. The ease of it was what made me move away from Roku.

Re: More users are watching YouTube on TV than mobile

#59

Post by nickthegreek »

pjc50 wrote: post #50
ActionHank wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would wager that TV viewers are also more likely to be premium subscribers too. Just a hunch though.

.. because it's significantly more difficult to block ads on the TV. I'm not sure if Pi-Hole can do it?

Pihole wont work. The easiest solution is to sideload SmartTube onto an android/firestick device. If you a lil more effort but to have it work across many connected devices, the way to go it iSponsorBlockTV

https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube https://github.com/dmunozv04/iSponsorBlockTV

Re: More users are watching YouTube on TV than mobile

#60

Post by pjc50 »

thih9 wrote: post #12

I wonder how similar is the TV user experience and the content that gets watched there - to the desktop/mobile user experience and content. Is anyone here using YouTube in both contexts? Personally I watch on my laptop or iPhone; I usually look at reviews or short tutorials, I often fast forward, stop mid clip, or switch to another window - which is also why I don't watch YouTube on a TV at all.

Yes: I use TV youtube to watch longer stuff like films. You'd be surprised how many free films there are, both pirated and legitimate e.g. https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/warner-bros-free-movie...

I also use it for TV-equivalent live streams. The Eurovision song contest has recently started streaming most of the national-level pre-contests on its youtube channel, which is considerably easier than trying to juggle fifty different national broadcaster sites which are not in English and may be geolocked.

Post reply on HN