This is the latest forecast released by market research company Omdia, showing that global platforms are reshaping video viewing habits around the world, especially in Europe.
In a conversation with Justine Ryst, CEO of YouTube France and South Europe, Maria Rua Aguete - Head of Media and Entertainment of Omdia emphasized that Netflix and YouTube are the two leading choices for video services in France, surpassing traditional and pay television stations. Netflix leads the market with 18%, followed by YouTube with 12%.
YouTube is increasingly playing an important role in Google's giant product and service ecosystem and is known as the world's largest online video sharing platform.
Experts point out that, despite the significant overlap in viewership between YouTube and major French television stations such as France TV, TF1+ and M6+, the data also shows that a significant portion of YouTube's viewers are not in these services, making it an important platform to expand their reach.
This dual dynamic feature helps YouTube to be both an additional platform - increasing the reach to existing television viewers - and a door to new viewers that television stations may not be able to reach by other methods.
In the UK, the market reflects a balanced ecosystem between global and local providers. Netflix (17%), Sky (15%) and YouTube (9%) top the list of most popular services, showing the continuous importance of premium paid television alongside streaming services.
Scale and reach are very important, but complementarity is also so. Platforms like YouTube not only amplify content but also unlock completely new audiences, while Netflix continues to lead in storytelling and attracting viewers in the premium segment," Rua Aguete said.
According to Omdia experts, these findings reinforce an important shift in the field of streaming platforms. Accordingly, success increasingly depends on combining global scale with local suitability, taking advantage of platforms not only as competitors but also as strategic partners to expand the total audience.
