Forecast: Digital Video Viewing to Top Traditional TV in US

A Netflix logo is pictured in Los Angeles, California, US, September 15, 2022. (Reuters)
A Netflix logo is pictured in Los Angeles, California, US, September 15, 2022. (Reuters)
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Forecast: Digital Video Viewing to Top Traditional TV in US

A Netflix logo is pictured in Los Angeles, California, US, September 15, 2022. (Reuters)
A Netflix logo is pictured in Los Angeles, California, US, September 15, 2022. (Reuters)

For the first time ever, US adults will spend more time this year watching digital video on platforms such as Netflix, TikTok and YouTube than viewing traditional television, Insider Intelligence forecast on Wednesday.

In the historic first, the market tracker expects "linear TV" to account for less than half of daily viewing, dropping to under three hours while average daily digital video watching climbs to 52.3 percent with 3 hours and 11 minutes.

"This milestone is driven by people spending more and more time watching video on their biggest and smallest screens, whether it's an immersive drama on a connected TV or a viral clip on a smartphone," Insider Intelligence principal analyst Paul Verna said in a release.

"Given teens' preferences for social and streaming video over TV, we can expect these trends to continue to shift in favor of digital."

Netflix and YouTube are "neck and neck" leaders when it comes to digital video audience attention, with US adults tuning in for about 33 minutes daily on average at each platform, according to Insider Intelligence.

Live sporting events becoming available on video streaming platforms is also helping power the shift away from traditional television, as is the popularity of shared video clips on apps, the market tracker said.

TikTok is a key driver with the average amount of time spent there daily by US adults climbing sharply, according to Insider Intelligence.

"TikTok versus Netflix will be a major trend to watch this year," said Insider Intelligence principal analyst Jasmine Enberg.

"The lines between social and entertainment have blurred, and TikTok is now coming for the bigger-screen video players."

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will testify in March before US lawmakers in Washington, where the Chinese social media app faces accusations that it is beholden to the Communist Party in Beijing.

TikTok, whose parent company ByteDance is Chinese, is fighting for survival in the United States with rising calls from mainly Republican lawmakers that the company should be outright banned because of its alleged links to Beijing.

Insider Intelligence noted that while Twitter is not primarily a video platform, overall time spent on the platform by US adults is expected to drop this year and next year as its ranks of users decline.

"The problem is that Twitter's efforts to encourage more original videos, from Vine to Fleets, have so far been unsuccessful," Enberg said.

"Twitter owner Elon Musk's attempts to bring more video to the app, including potentially incentivizing YouTube creators to post to Twitter, will be futile at improving time spent among all US adults unless he also manages to stave off a user decline."



South Korean Actor Kim Soo-Hyun Denies Underage Dating Accusation

South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun sheds tears during a press conference at a hotel in Seoul, South Korea, 31 March 2025, to deny underage dating allegations involving late actress Kim Sae-ron and offer an apology for causing controversy. (EPA/Yonhap)
South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun sheds tears during a press conference at a hotel in Seoul, South Korea, 31 March 2025, to deny underage dating allegations involving late actress Kim Sae-ron and offer an apology for causing controversy. (EPA/Yonhap)
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South Korean Actor Kim Soo-Hyun Denies Underage Dating Accusation

South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun sheds tears during a press conference at a hotel in Seoul, South Korea, 31 March 2025, to deny underage dating allegations involving late actress Kim Sae-ron and offer an apology for causing controversy. (EPA/Yonhap)
South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun sheds tears during a press conference at a hotel in Seoul, South Korea, 31 March 2025, to deny underage dating allegations involving late actress Kim Sae-ron and offer an apology for causing controversy. (EPA/Yonhap)

South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun on Monday denied allegations that he dated the actress Kim Sae-ron when she was underage, breaking down in tears as he said he could not "admit what is not true."

Brands including Prada have cut ties with the actor amid the controversy over his relationship with Kim Sae-ron, who was found dead in February in a suspected suicide. She was 24.

The 37-year-old Kim said he dated Kim Sae-ron five years ago for about a year, but not when she was underage. He said a YouTube expose released earlier this month cited testimonies and evidence that were false, including screenshots of messages that could not be from the actress.

Kim Sae-ron was born in July 2000. The age of consent in South Korea is 16.

"I did not date the deceased when she was a minor. And it is also not true that the deceased made a tragic choice because of me turning a blind eye," Kim told a press conference on Monday, alluding to claims that their relationship led to her suicide.

Lawyers representing Kim Soo-hyun and his agency said on Monday they had sued people involved in the YouTube expose for a total of 12 billion won ($8.15 million) in damages, and reported them to the authorities for defamation and violation of the information protection act.

A lawyer representing the relatives of Kim Sae-ron could not immediately be reached for comment.

Kim Sae-ron was one of South Korea's most promising actresses until her career took a hit after a drunk driving incident in 2022.

Kim Soo-hyun rose to fame in South Korea and China over his role in hit South Korean drama series "My Love from the Star" and "Queen of Tears".