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EMARKETER

US Time Spent With Media 2025 Midyear Edition

CTV Finally Surpasses Traditional TV, and a New Demographics Model for YouTube Reveals Some Surprising Trends

Report by Ethan Cramer-Flood  |  Jun 25, 2025
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Time spent with media will inch up as digital media’s gains marginally exceed traditional media’s losses
CTV is still the big story among devices as related activities soak up time
Total time with video continues to rise, despite TV’s struggles
Older age groups are driving YouTube’s time spent growth, while 18- to 34-year-olds are its core users
Media Gallery
About This Report
Total time spent with media per day in the US is no longer growing meaningfully, but there will still be significant churn between devices, activities, and platforms as consumers choose how to spend their time.
Topics
Media Consumption
TV
Digital Video
United States
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Time spent with media will inch up as digital media’s gains marginally exceed traditional media’s losses
CTV is still the big story among devices as related activities soak up time
Total time with video continues to rise, despite TV’s struggles
Older age groups are driving YouTube’s time spent growth, while 18- to 34-year-olds are its core users
Media Gallery

Time spent with digital media in the US is increasing by just enough to offset the decline in time spent with traditional media, but topline growth will be minimal going forward. Still, certain digital devices and activities remain in high-growth mode. And YouTube is doing well across all demographics.

Key Question: How much time will US adults spend consuming media each day in 2025 across devices, activities, and platforms?

Key Stat: Time spent with subscription OTT (sub OTT) video is growing quickly, while time with traditional TV is declining quickly, per our forecast. But watching TV will remain the top media activity for at least a few more years.

This report can help you:

  • Develop media strategy and allocate budget for campaigns (brands and agencies)
  • Showcase opportunities to customers (media platforms and agencies)

Here’s what’s in the full report

2files

Exportable files for easy reading, analysis and sharing.

10charts

Reliable data in simple displays for presentations and quick decision making.

Table of Contents

  1. Executive Summary
  2. Time spent with media will inch up as digital media’s gains marginally exceed traditional media’s losses
  1. CTV is still the big story among devices as related activities soak up time
  2. Total time with video continues to rise, despite TV’s struggles
  1. Older age groups are driving YouTube’s time spent growth, while 18- to 34-year-olds are its core users
  2. Media Gallery

Charts in This Report

Growth in Time Spent per Day With Total Media Will Be Minimal, but Digital Is Still Taking Share (average hrs:mins spent per day with total media, % of total time spent with digital media, and % of total time spent with traditional media, 2020-2027)Traditional Media Will Account for Less Than a Third of Total Media Time Starting This Year (average hrs:mins spent per day with traditional media by US adults, % change, and % of total time spent with media, 2021-2027)
Average Time Spent per Day With Digital Media Is Still Growing, but More Slowly Than Before (average hrs:mins spent per day with digital media by US adults, % change, and % of total time spent with media, 2021-2027)Mobile's Share of Digital Media Time Has Dropped Under 50%, as CTVs and Other Devices Rise
Adults Will Spend More Time With CTV Than With Traditional TV for the First Time This Year (average hrs:mins spent per day with connected TV (CTV) vs. traditional TV by US adults, 2020-2027)Most Major Media-Consuming Activities Are Digital, but Traditional TV Still Tops the List (average hrs:mins spent per day with select media by US adults, digital vs. traditional, 2025)
Total Time With Video Is Still Increasing as Digital Video Rises Faster Than TV Falls (average hrs:min spent per day with TV/video by US adults, by type, 2020-2027)Five Media Options Account for Over 95% of Daily Time With Video, and Traditional TV Still Leads (% of total time spent with TV and digital video by US adults, by format/platform, 2025)
All Age Groups Spend a Lot of Time on YouTube, but 18- to 34-Year-Olds Spend the MostOlder Audiences Are Driving YouTube's Time Spent Growth

authors

Ethan Cramer-Flood

Contributors

Ross Benes
Senior Analyst
Nikolai Dineros
Jasmin Ellis
Forecasting Analyst
Jasmine Enberg
Vice President and Principal Analyst
Penelope Lin
Director, Data Visualization
Emma Noyes
Graphic Designer, Data Visualization
Oscar Orozco
Senior Director, Forecasting
Emman Velasco
Chart Editor
Julia Woolever
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