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Netflix and BBC nearly tied as UK viewers' go-to TV service
Ofcom data for 2025 found Netflix attracted a 26% share of viewers choosing it first, while the BBC came in at 25%.
Netflix is nearly tied with the BBC as the first TV service UK viewers turn to, according to Ofcom research cited by the Guardian Business. Netflix is the first port of call for 26% of viewers, edging close to the BBC at 25%.
Despite slowing growth across streaming in the UK, Ofcom found Netflix’s releases continue to draw large audiences. The hit film Kpop Demon Hunters reached an audience of more than 24 million in 2025, while the crime drama Adolescence drew 16 million, with both among the most watched titles in the UK that year.
The report also highlights signs of a resurgence for traditional broadcasters heading into 2026. Ofcom said BBC programming in early 2026, including The Traitors and Tom Hiddleston’s return in The Night Manager, topped ratings, a trend it said continued into summer as BBC and ITV covered the World Cup.
In share-of-total-viewing terms, Ofcom said the BBC led other platforms in 2025 with 18% of total video viewing, followed by YouTube at 15%, ITV at 11%, and Netflix at 9%. The outlet also noted that viewing on people’s TV sets for YouTube has doubled over the past four years and that live TV viewing declined among younger audiences, though Ofcom said this was partly tied to the absence of major sporting events in 2025.