YouTube beats Netflix in the US for 12th month in a row: Here's what Americans watch most on the platform

YouTube was the most-watched streaming platform in January for the 12th consecutive month, according to new data released Tuesday by Nielsen.YouTube captured an 8.6% share of television viewing to edge out Netflix at 7.9% for the top spot. No other streaming service came close to the dominant duo, with Amazon Prime Video a distant third at just 2.8%.The milestone cements YouTube's position as the streaming leader in living rooms across America.Users flock to the platform on internet-connected TVs, watching over 1 billion hours of YouTube content daily."YouTube rules the living room streaming landscape by a wide margin," said Brian Fuhrer, Nielsen's Senior Vice President of Product Leadership. "Their stranglehold on the top position has tightened over the last year as viewers increasingly go to YouTube for both short-form viral videos and full TV episode and movie viewing."Experts say YouTube's dominance is rooted in viewer preferences. A recent survey found that 61% of Gen Z favours user-generated content over other formats. Short-form smartphone videos may rule on TikTok, but YouTube is increasingly the choice for streaming to the big screen.“When I started at YouTube, people thought about content from major studios and content from creators as entirely different,” explained YouTube CEO Neal Mohan in his recent letter. “But today that stark divide is gone. Viewers want everything in one place, from a live sports game to the BBC to Khan Academy and NikkieTutorials. And they’re watching YouTube the way we used to sit down together for traditional TV shows – on the biggest screen in the home with friends and family.”The Google-owned streaming giant has rapidly expanded its offering of premium movies and series in recent years. Flagship originals like the hit sitcom "Cobra Kai" have driven viewership gains. But YouTube's bedrock remains user-generated content.The latest Nielsen numbers provide further evidence of the ongoing shift from linear cable and broadcast television to on-demand streaming. In January, streaming captured a record 36% share of total TV viewing, topping cable's 27.9% for only the second time ever.The nine highest days ever recorded for streaming minutes all came last month. An NFL playoff game between the Dolphins and Chiefs aired exclusively on Peacock, generating nearly 3.9 billion streaming minutes on January 13th alone.After 12 straight months in the Nielsen pole position, the video giant shows no signs of surrendering its crown anytime soon. With cold weather persisting and the Super Bowl boost still to come, February could break January's records. But streaming's dominance appears assured regardless of the month or matchup.