please empty your brain below
I am well in the over 55 group and I do tend to watch YouTube and broadcast TV on a television set.
Would never consider having Netflix or any subsctiption channel.

I hope you keep the printed text version of your output when you become a Video Blogger, I think if you get enough Subscribers/Likes on YouTube they pay you as a content provider so you may me onto a little earner

John | 31.07.25 - 7:22 a.m. | #

*checks calendar to see if it's 1st April*

Graham | 31.07.25 - 7:37 a.m. | #

I will return.

Rod | 31.07.25 - 7:44 a.m. | #

I have my popcorn...

Oz | 31.07.25 - 7:57 a.m. | #

Overall I watch more YouTube (or Instagram) videos than terrestrial TV nowadays, but then they are much shorter, so it's not a direct comparison.
The quality though is incredibly high now. Mini documentaries, comedy sketches, music analysis, the sort of content that's better than much of the filler on the smaller TV channels.

Mikey C | 31.07.25 - 8:34 a.m. | #

Surprised to still see ITV's streaming beating out C4's. 4's library is quite impressive, even moreso than than BBC which doesn't keep all their television content on at once. Both BBC and 4 are also a lot better at keeping their film content up for a minimum of 30 days, doing a lot better than ITV there. Especially when you consider Film4's content is thrown in. (I used to complain about wanting a Film4-2 channel for the arthouse content that always went on at 10-11pm, but that's not needed now.)

Chz | 31.07.25 - 8:40 a.m. | #

I can't work out if 'John' is really that gullible or he's doubling down with the sarcasm.

Johnny Topaz | 31.07.25 - 9:06 a.m. | #

I only recently started watching YouTube, but it does have an extraordinary amount of variety in topics of topics, length of video - and, it must be said, quality. Even if the "90% of everything is crap" axiom needs to be nudged significantly upwards for YouTube, that does still leave an awful lot of material that has something to recommend it.

Ben | 31.07.25 - 9:07 a.m. | #

I'm fascinated by hearing Ryan read your words. I guessed within a few seconds that he was AI, but why? I think the first clue is his intonation in 'it runs in one direction only'. He slightly stresses 'runs' as if the sentence continues 'and walks on the way back', whereas a real person would place a slight emphasis on 'one' or 'one direction'. But more generally, your prose is tongue-in-cheek and should probably be read in a more mock-serious tone rather than Ryan's BBC News style.

Peter (of Cambridge) | 31.07.25 - 9:33 a.m. | #

I agree with Ben -- there is a great deal (in terms of volume, not proportion) of high-quality, well-produced content on Youtube, beyond the clickbait. There is also a lot of niche stuff that would never be found on TV.

Anonymous | 31.07.25 - 10:06 a.m. | #

YouTube cuts out the interference, so a specialist channel does just that, no celebrity interviews, fake jeopardy or someone's human interest backstory.

If there is a news event, then the specialist channels can cover it better, for example Katheryn Porter with her 2.27k subscribers did a good video about the substation fire & the Heathrow blackout, it's a 15m because that's how long she thought she needed.

Still Anon | 31.07.25 - 10:11 a.m. | #

I'm geriatric but watch a lot (= far too much) YouTube. Amazing what you can find on there.

As for you, DG, I'll wait and see if you're pulling our legs yet again. Yes I saw your video yesterday and wasn't sure if it was really you.

Caroline | 31.07.25 - 10:37 a.m. | #

I'm an avid user of YouTube audio as a background to morning and afternoon sessions on the laptop. For TV, my default channel is BBC1. If I am not tempted by any offerings on Freeview, the iPlayer beckons (occasionally the offerings from ITVx, More4, 5player etc).

I have developed hitlists from various reference sources for classical, jazz, blues and world music, and can generally find what I am looking for on YouTube. This morning's selection was Rokia Traoré, and YouTube's algorithm has just given me Ali Farka Touré.

Ian Paton | 31.07.25 - 11:13 a.m. | #

Firmly in the 55+ category here!
Rarely watch You Tube (just the odd music video or tutorial).
I don't subscribe to any paid channels and usually record live broadcasts to watch later!
Probably watch less than 10 hours a week though.

Cornish Cockney | 31.07.25 - 12:08 p.m. | #

Average of 4hrs 30mins each day watching video content at home? Blimey - wish I was at home and awake for that length of time each day...

(59-yr-old with no prospect of ever retiring)

Marshwerg | 31.07.25 - 1:30 p.m. | #

This has made me realise that my viewing habits are even more atypical than I realised. I was actually astonished that two thirds subscribe to Netflix, Amazon or Disney+ as I never realised I was so unusual in not subscribing to any. And yet, I'm in the 5% of 35-54 year olds who goes to watch iPlayer first. But I suppose I'm not really a video consumer, much preferring to read articles, blogs and news. I suspect as time goes by I will find this change in media landscape really frustrating when I find my preferred format to be harder to come by.

Anders | 31.07.25 - 1:38 p.m. | #

I may be a pensioner but I definitely find more of interest on YouTube than ITV.
I don't enjoy paying for netflix and appletv but they've produced some top quality stuff. Slow Horses. Drops of God. Department Q. To start with a few.

IslandDweller | 31.07.25 - 3:29 p.m. | #

I find YouTube useful for finding out what certain pieces of music sound like, without traipsing off to the shops and forking out on CD's.

But as for that channel replacing what limited amount of telly-watching I indulge in - no way, and how would I find out what was on, in any case?

cau1khead | 31.07.25 - 4:25 p.m. | #

Exactly what Marshwerg said. I don't watch much TV these days and tend to watch nostalgic stuff on YouTube. Enjoyed Jack Hargreaves showing how cider is made last night and old episodes of World In Action.
I know... It's my age.

Anyoldname | 31.07.25 - 7:20 p.m. | #

Looks like I'm an outlier. I hate my time being wasted by adverts trying to sell me things I'd never consider buying. So the only streaming service I happily use is iPlayer and I only use the others, grumbling through the adverts with the sound off, if the recorder has glitched. Obviously I have an ad-blocker on my laptop to make YouTube watchable but I avoid the service on my smart-TV because there's no way to skip the ads that I've found as yet.



We tried the paid-for ITV streaming as a trial but they couldn't stop themselves interrupting the programmes where the ads would be with annoying irrelevant trailers, so we never took it further. We have Netflix which I watch a few times a year but we watch Disney & Paramount for specific shows when they're released on every night. If they want to advertise to me they need to put it on the radio which I listen to when I'm showering or possibly driving.

RogerTCB | 31.07.25 - 10:00 p.m. | #

“having to read that tiny text on the horrible grey background in a non-mobile friendly template” – dear DG, it is a testament to you that I, a millenial, am still willing to regularly put up with this (I read most of your posts on my tiny smartphone).

Though a mobile friendly version wouldn’t be unwelcome 😉

klm | 01.08.25 - 10:33 p.m. | #











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