Longform content consumption on YouTube rising fast, according to Digital i research

Consumption of longform content on YouTube is rapidly rising in the US, according to UK streaming data analysis company Digital i, which has found longer content accounted for 73% of overall viewing on the platform towards the end of last year.

Digital i’s findings showed that average time spent by US YouTube users on videos of 30 minutes in length or more rose by 8% last year, from 65% in October 2023.

The trend is more pronounced among young adults aged 18-24 who watch YouTube on mobile devices. The average time spent viewing long-form content for this demo rose by 21%, from 58% in October 2023 to 79% a year later.

Research also found that 18- to 24-year-olds in the US spent an average of 2.7 hours per day on YouTube between July and October 2024, watching an average 25 videos per day.

This demographic spent the highest average time on the platform last year, while Digital i’s data showed a decrease in YouTube viewing time corresponding to increasing age of the users.

It comes as Digital i gears up to launch a new product offering data on viewing and search history from YouTube users across more than 20 territories in Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific.