Shifting Television Consumption Patterns - YouTube on CTV

As we explore the dynamic changes in television viewership trends, we uncover fascinating insights from YouTube's contribution. This data is for Poland, which is a big market, and perhaps over time, we will observe similar changes in other European markets.

 Recent data from YouTube highlights the rapid growth of Connected TV (CTV) as a viewing platform in Poland. With 12 million viewers YouTube has emerged as a dominant force in the streaming video realm. These statistics, provided by YouTube, underscore its significant presence in the Polish media landscape.

YouTube's Dominance in Streaming

According to YouTube's data, it possesses the largest share of streaming video viewership in Poland. YouTube's influence transcends traditional television, captivating a vast and diverse audience. Moreover, YouTube on CTV has become a communal experience, with families and friends gathering to share and immerse themselves in the platform's engaging content.

CTV, the Fastest Growing Platform on YouTube in Poland

Connected TV (CTV) has emerged as the fastest-growing platform for YouTube in Poland. The statistics, sourced from YouTube, reveal that a staggering 12 million viewers across the country have embraced YouTube on their CTVs. This robust viewership emphasizes the increasing popularity of CTV as a medium for accessing YouTube's diverse content offerings.

Television Consumption Trends 

The onset of September 2023 brought about noteworthy changes in television consumption in Poland. With nearly 6.4 million people starting the new school year, the landscape of screen time and the consumption of video content on television screens underwent a significant transformation.

For the younger audience, aged 4-15, September saw an average decrease of 7 minutes spent in front of the TV screen compared to August. In contrast, viewers in the 35-44 age group were responsible for the most substantial increase in TV viewership, with an average rise of 6 minutes compared to August 2023. This surge was predominantly associated with traditional television, owing to the introduction of new programming on major networks, including both beloved shows and fresh content. Additionally, as parliamentary elections are scheduled for October, there was a heightened interest in news content, both on news channels and news programs.

These shifts have manifested in an increase in the share of cable television viewership and a decline in the share of streaming in the overall video consumption on television screens. Among streaming platforms, both Netflix and YouTube experienced a slight decrease in their market share. Simultaneously, the usage of other streaming platforms like Disney+, HBOMAX, and Player witnessed an upswing.

According to the statistics presented in "The Gauge Polska" for August 2023, the breakdown of television viewership sources was as follows*:

• Satellite TV: 33.8%
• Cable TV: 31.1%
• Terrestrial TV: 23%
• Streaming: 6.6% (of which 1.7% was YouTube, 1.5% was Netflix, and 3.4% was other streaming services)
• Other sources: 5%

From the data presented, it is evident that an increasingly broad audience is choosing to consume content available on YouTube through Connected TV. The direction of this trend remains a topic of great interest. All stakeholders can find reasons to be pleased - advertisers who can more precisely target their ads, content providers whose revenues are set to rise, and, most importantly, users who can enjoy valuable content on their television screens while sitting on a comfortable couch. The synergy of YouTube and Connected TV is undoubtedly shaping the future of television consumption in Poland.

On their website, Nielsen describes The Gauge™ methodology as follows: “The data comes from Nielsen’s single-source panel consisting of 3,500 households and almost 9,700 panelists. The Gauge™: Poland is based on monthly AMR (Average Minute Rating) audience share data. The data is presented for people over 4 years old, broken down into cable, satellite, terrestrial television (both linear and shifted in time up to 7 days), and viewership from streaming (live streaming viewership of TV stations on OTT platforms is classified as streaming viewership). The “Other” category includes views of unrecognized content.”**

*Source: August 2023, Nielsen Single Panel (Linear & TV Streaming) - AMR data on television, TV Consolidated+7.

**Source: https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2023/the-gauge-poland-september/