TikTok times out YouTube

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…at least in the US and the UK, where viewers spent more time watching video content on TikTok than on YouTube, according to data collected by App Annie. Though these figures only pertain to mobile Android devices, there is no reason to think that results would be any different with iOS devices. In June, ByteDance app users watched more than 24 hours of content each month, versus 22 hours 40 minutes on Google’s video platform. In the UK, the gap is even wider: TikTok outpaced YouTube in May, with users watching close to 26 hours of content per month, versus 16 hours on YouTube. Young people (and, increasingly, not-so-young kids) are really hooked.

Even though YouTube tried to compete with TikTok using YouTube Shorts, a TikTok clone launched in the US in May, it didn’t have the expected results. TikTok is one of the rare Chinese apps that has met with worldwide success. ByteDance, who produced the app, is headquartered in Beijing and is partly owned by the state. Due to its ties to the Chinese government, TikTok was banned in India and was nearly banned in the US as well.

⇨ The Verge, Jon Porter, “TikTok reportedly overtakes YouTube in US average watch time.”

2021-09-07