Barb Lifts The Lid On YouTube’s Viewership Reality

Barb’s long-anticipated data measuring the “most-watched” 200 YouTube channels in the UK —designed to provide context against how TV is traditionally measured for currency—is finally out!

The standout stat for me: just 3.5% of all YouTube viewing comes from the top 200 channels. That begs the question: what exactly are people watching on YouTube? Clearly, it’s the long tail that drives the vast majority of viewership on the platform. Barb’s data also shows that kids—particularly very young children—are the biggest drivers of YouTube viewing on TV sets in the UK. 

We often forget why TV advertising is so powerful and hard to replicate. It’s because you can get huge reach instantly in shared environments. That reach drives footfall for the week, tomorrow’s sales, and the kind of cultural impact advertisers dream of. This is why the Super Bowl remains so impactful.

Looking at Barb’s data, it’s very difficult—if not impossible—for planners to achieve that level of reach and impact via YouTube alone. It’s a reminder that buyers should approach YouTube with a more informed strategy.

Jonathan Waite, EVP and Global Head of Planning at Havas Media Network, summed it up:
“Barb’s work is a welcome step toward demystifying YouTube’s role in the video ecosystem. The data reinforces what many in the industry have long suspected: that YouTube’s viewing is highly fragmented and driven by the long tail, not marquee channels. This kind of transparency is essential if we’re to make informed decisions about where and how to invest.”

It’s no coincidence that Barb has released this data while Google has decided to step back from supporting BARB in any meaningful way. One could infer this was the straw that broke the camel’s back—but what are they worried about? Much of this data confirms what buyers already suspected.

Everyone—consumers, media buyers, small businesses—relies on YouTube to some extent. It’s an incredible tool and could be so much more with greater insights and transparency. In my view, this all stems from Google’s decision to call YouTube “TV.” That prompted BARB, as a JIC, to level the playing field.

There’s still debate among buyers about whether YouTube is truly “TV,” how it should be measured, and whether Google should engage with trusted industry JICs.

Waite added, 
“I don’t really think YouTube wants to ‘be TV,’ but it certainly wants the budgets it believes its audience scale should command. If YouTube wants to compete for TV budgets, it must be willing to be measured by TV standards. The fact that Google stepped away from supporting BARB after this release is disappointing—it suggests a reluctance to embrace the kind of accountability that would benefit the entire ecosystem.”

Despite this, it’s no secret that YouTube is chasing TV budgets—and you can’t blame broadcasters for supplying data to protect their share. Opinions are split on whether the strategy is working. Anecdotally, some clients are shifting spend from TV to YouTube, but when I speak to data and spend experts, they haven’t seen a major shift. My take: the narrative is having some impact, but it’s not huge—yet.

Kelly Williams, MD Commercial for ITV, supports the move toward greater transparency and Barb’s role in setting a standard across different video assets.

“Barb is strategically extending its industry-standard measurement to encompass VOD streamers and video-sharing platforms alongside TV. While this initial release covers 200 YouTube channels—just 0.3% of total viewing—it marks a significant first step. Independent, transparent measurement of YouTube content is long overdue and should be welcomed by advertisers, broadcasters, and regulators alike.”

Kids’ Content Dominates TV-Set YouTube Viewing

Barb publicly revealed the top 20 channels, with the other 180 behind a paywall. Looking at TV-set viewing, 15 of the top 20 channels are kids’ content—and I mean little kids. Parents are clearly using YouTube on the TV to occupy toddlers while cooking, cleaning, or taking a break. As a father of four, I can confirm: I’ve been there.

Nearly all these channels is aimed at 18 months to 5 years old— not the best advertising demo. Yes, you could argue parents are in the room, but that’s a stretch. Most of the content is intolerable for adults—bearable only because it pacifies intolerable toddlers.

For instance, if I ever went into the torture business, I’d start with 24/7 Blippi with eyes held open by cocktail sticks. Watch five minutes of Blippi and you’ll understand. The top 20 also features endless nursery rhyme videos—bright colors and repetitive music designed for pre-schoolers. I’ll admit, we’ve relied on these videos with our one-year-old (yes, questionable parenting!).

I’ve worked on and seen projects with major brands questioning where their YouTube ads actually ran. Often, they discover heavy exposure to kids’ content. This data confirms what clients long suspected but couldn’t prove.

Global Hype vs Local Reality

YouTube loves to quote big global numbers, but they’re meaningless until broken down. Google isn’t alone in promoting vanity metrics—but they do confuse marketers and distort reality. 

Take MrBeast. He’s YouTube royalty, with 400M+ subscribers and appearances at upfronts. But the perception vs reality is stark. In the UK, his channel reaches just 319,000 weekly TV viewers (4+)—almost exactly the same as BBC3 Parliament. That is also content I’d use should I enter the torturing business. 

This is the classic gap between global hype and local, demo-specific reality. YouTube will keep selling massive global reach, but market-level data tells a different story.

Ross Sergeant, Global Head of Media for Allwyn, made a sharp comparison:


“That global reach quote reminds me of when we used to buy CNN global feed in the early 2000s—it was the biggest news channel in the world, but never the biggest in any single market. It just looked great on a PowerPoint.”

He also criticized the “top 200 channels” approach as retrofitting a linear TV mindset onto a platform that doesn’t work that way. On YouTube, algorithms—not channels—drive discovery. Skipping is rampant, and top 200 data doesn’t capture the real long-tail behavior.

Sergeant views YouTube as social video, not TV. I don’t fully agree with this point of view. YouTube positions itself as TV, so comparison data is valid—and broadcasters should continue to demonstrate the differences. 

The Bigger Picture

Social platforms sell themselves on outcomes and KPIs, and many clients are happy as long as results appear. But ignoring where ads actually run is a mistake, in my view. 

Ian Whittaker, who has spoken on this topic frequently, also weighed in:


“Barb’s data suggests a risk for YouTube in trying to be all things to all people. Even its biggest stars don’t match TV audiences, and it risks being outmaneuvered on social by TikTok. It may need to choose a lane—and soon.”

Ultimately, YouTube still acts like a social video platform even as it chases TV budgets. Buyers remain divided: they value the new data but also argue YouTube isn’t consumed like TV.

As Waite summed up:


“Trying to measure YouTube through a linear lens misses the nuance. Discovery is algorithm-driven, feeds are personalized, and audiences dip in and out. But unlike TikTok, YouTube also has longer-form content and a robust creator economy, making it a hybrid—neither fully TV nor fully social video.”

For now, Barb has given the TV industry a new narrative—with data to back it up. Whether it will change advertiser behavior remains to be seen.