The news: Creator video content now accounts for 26% of time spent with TV and video, representing about 1.7 hours daily, according to recent data from Media Dynamics. Linear (35% of viewing time) and streaming (33%) still command larger shares—but the findings show that creator content is now a distinct viewing category that marketers can no longer treat as peripheral.

Zooming out: Creators are becoming a larger part of consumers’ everyday video habits, particularly as their content expands onto TV screens.

• The average time spent weekly watching social/creator video is strong across age groups. Viewers 13 to 24 spent over 12 hours with this content in 2025, while those between 25 and 34 spent nearly 13 hours, per Hub Research.
• Consumer content preferences are evolving. For Gen Z especially, relatability outweighs production value: Most say social media content feels more relatable than traditional TV or movies, while creator videos rank as their favorite social video format, according to 2024 Deloitte data.
• Creators are taking up TV time because platforms like YouTube are making it easier to access this content on living room screens. Nearly half of the views for some creator channels now come from connected TV devices. Amazon, meanwhile, is launching a Creator Hub on Fire TV to further encourage engagement with creator content in CTV environments.

Implications for marketers: Creator content increasingly commands consumer attention, making creator marketing a must-have investment for many brands. Nearly half (48%) of marketers already see creator partnerships as an essential investment, per IAB and Advertiser Perceptions, making the channel a core part of media planning.

But as creator content gains popularity, the volume of marketers investing in the strategy inevitably increases. Brands that stand out will choose creators whose audiences, values, and content styles naturally align with the brand; develop ideas that feel original rather than copied from existing trends; and build ongoing partnerships that remain relevant to what audiences care about over time.

This content is part of EMARKETER’s subscription Briefings, where we pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports. Our Briefings prepare you to start your day informed, to provide critical insights in an important meeting, and to understand the context of what’s happening in your industry. Non-clients can click here to get a demo of our full platform and coverage.