For the first time, a streaming service has overtaken the BBC as the place UK viewers say they turn to first. In Ofcom’s annual Media Nations report, published this week, Netflix was named first choice by 26% of viewers, just ahead of the BBC on 25% and ITV on 15%.
The measure is about instinct, not hours. Ofcom asked viewers which service they reach for first, and for decades the answer in Britain was overwhelmingly the BBC.
A single percentage point is not a rout, but it is a milestone. The corporation has anchored British viewing for generations, and being pipped by a Californian subscription service, however narrowly, marks a shift the BBC has long seen coming and long dreaded.
The wider numbers tell the same story more slowly. Around 70% of Britons watched traditional broadcasters for at least 15 minutes a week in 2025, down from 73% the year before and 78% in 2022, a gentle but unmistakable decline.
The 💜 of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!The broadcasters are not standing still. Their own streaming apps, including iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 Streaming, and 5, grew 9% year on year, as viewers who left the schedule followed the same programmes onto on-demand.
