MUMBAI: YouTube’s not just for prank videos and pet fails anymore. That was a point made by YouTube global head Neale Mohan earlier this year when he talked about the platform being watched  more on TVs in the US than on handsets.  Now, this has been confirmed by the latest  consumer research from  Ampere Analysis. The only difference it is beginning to spread globally.  

Nearly four in ten (38 per cent) of the platform’s global monthly users watch traditional TV shows, films and documentaries. The shift signals YouTube’s growing ambitions beyond the smartphone screen—right into the living room.

Once the digital playground of vlogs and viral clips, YouTube is fast becoming a home for full-length content from major studios and broadcasters. And it’s not just padding out the platform—TV and film content now ranks among YouTube’s top five most-watched genres. Documentaries alone are pulling in 24 per cent of users each month, while 23 per cent are turning up for shows and movies.

What’s interesting is how distinct the audiences are: only 22 per cent of viewers watch both. The rest are split between docu-devotees (41 per cent) and drama-only fans (37 per cent). And while the appeal spans age groups, there’s a slight tilt towards 35–44-year-olds and family households.

The trend is strongest in Asia Pacific (45 per cent) and Latin America (40 per cent), but less so in Western Europe (28 per cent). North America sits bang on the global average at 37 per cent.

The rise of smart TVs is a game changer here. While smartphones still dominate (used by 77 per cent of long-form viewers), a hefty 34 per cent of those watching both docs and dramas are doing so on smart TVs—compared to just 22 per cent of all YouTube users.

Ampere, senior research manager Daniel Monaghan sums it up: “YouTube has come a long way from meme montages and low-res vlogs. We’re now seeing serious, studio-backed content that’s pulling in eyeballs. Sure, there’s a risk of cannibalising traditional platforms—but the ad-share potential and massive reach make it a no-brainer.”

Whether YouTube counts as TV may still be up for debate. But with your gran and your sis now watching documentaries on it from their smart TVs, it might just be time to drop the “user-generated” label.