Netflix edges past the BBC as UK viewers’ first choice

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...

Copyright of this story solely belongs to thenextweb.com. To see the full text click HERE