YouTube has continued to upend the natural order of UK television by overtaking the BBC on a key measurement of audience reach, according to an analysis by Deadline.
In an unprecedented moment, YouTube passed the BBC in monthly audience reach figures published by Barb, the UK’s official ratings body. The Google-owned video platform began being measured by Barb in the final three months of 2025, and in each of those months, its reach was higher than that of all BBC television channels combined.
