YouTube Widens US TV-Viewing Lead Over Netflix

YouTube has widened its lead over Netflix in U.S. television viewing: Nielsen data for August put YouTube at a record 15.8% of viewing, up from 13.1% a year earlier, while Netflix fell to 7.7% from 8.7%. YouTube’s viewing rose even as overall TV and streaming use declined, and its share was more than twice Netflix’s. Netflix remains a major, profitable streaming business, but its revenue growth has slowed and its U.S. viewing share has plateaued amid intensifying competition. The company is exploring live sports, video podcasts, creator content and broadcast partnerships to attract and retain audiences as viewing habits shift toward YouTube and other platforms.