How many hours of video are streamed every day worldwide?

How streaming dethroned broadcast television

Streaming is video on demand over the internet: Netflix, YouTube, TikTok, Disney+, Twitch. In July 2022, streaming overtook cable as the largest share of US TV viewing (Nielsen). Globally, 6.12 billion internet users now consume an average of 33 h 30 min of online media per week (DataReportal Digital 2026), with online video the single most popular weekly activity (91.1% of adults). At roughly 4.5 hours of online video per day per user, humanity streams about 27.5 billion hours daily - nearly 319,000 hours every single second.

What 4 hours of daily streaming does to your evening

The counter above counts global streaming hours across Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Prime Video, Spotify, and every other platform humans are watching or listening to right now. The average person in a high-income country streams roughly 4 hours of video per day. That is more time than most people spend eating, exercising, and socialising combined.

The psychological design of streaming platforms is significant here. Autoplay removes the active decision to continue. Episode lengths are engineered so you are always mid-story when tiredness sets in. Netflix famously noted that its "biggest competitor is sleep." The result: the average viewer watches 2.7 more episodes per session than they intended when they sat down.

There is a tension worth naming: streaming is one of the most passive forms of leisure, yet people consistently report it as among the most satisfying uses of their time in post-activity surveys. The explanation, researchers suggest, is that it is effortless - and effortlessness is increasingly rare in an age of constant demands on attention.

Streaming by the numbers: what 27.5 billion hours/day looks like

The streaming wars: from Netflix DVDs to 23 billion hours a day

1. 2007Netflix launches streaming service in the US, beginning the SVOD era
2. 2010Netflix available in Canada; YouTube accounts for 2 billion views/day
3. 2020COVID-19 drives global streaming surge; estimated 16+ billion hours/day globally at peak
4. 2022Streaming overtakes linear TV as dominant format in most major markets globally
5. 2024~23.6 billion hours/day streamed globally; 4.3 hrs/day per internet user (DataReportal 2024)
6. 2026~27.5 billion hours/day streamed globally; 6.12B internet users; online video #1 weekly activity (DataReportal Digital 2026)

Global streaming volume growth: 2010 to 2024

Streaming overtook traditional TV viewing around 2021 and has grown relentlessly since, expanding from a broadband-era novelty to the world's dominant video format.

Streaming hours vs. social media time, accumulating today

The two dominant discretionary time uses of the digital era compete for the same waking hours. Together they account for 6+ hours per day for the average person.

The streaming economy: how we watch now

What viewers and researchers say about streaming habits

In perspective

How the number is calculated

The 27.5 billion hours/day figure is derived from DataReportal's Digital 2026 Global Overview Report (Jan 2026) and Digital 2026 Mid-Year Update (Apr 2026). DataReportal reports 6.12 billion internet users globally (April 2026) and – via GWI – an average of 33 h 30 min per week per online adult spent consuming online media overall, with online video now the single most popular weekly media activity (91.1% of adults). Applying ~4.5 hours/day of online video per internet user (a conservative split of total online-media time) × 6.12 billion users = ~27.5 billion hours/day. The per-second rate (318,750/sec) is 27.5 billion ÷ 86,400. Platform-specific data from Netflix (~2 hrs/day per subscriber), YouTube (1 h 25 min/day per Android user), and TikTok (1 h 37 min/day per user) are used as cross-checks.

Sources: Nielsen - The Gauge and Streaming Unwrapped Reports (2021-2024) - DataReportal - Digital 2024 Global Overview Report - DataReportal - Digital 2026 Global Overview Report. Methodology →

Frequently asked questions

How many hours of video are streamed per day globally?

Approximately 27.5 billion hours of video are streamed globally per day, based on DataReportal Digital 2026 (6.12 billion internet users, online video as the top weekly media activity) and cross-checks with Nielsen and platform-level viewing data.

When did streaming overtake traditional TV globally?

Globally, streaming surpassed linear and broadcast TV as the dominant viewing format around 2022-2023, depending on the market. DataReportal Digital 2026 shows 94.6% of online adults watched online video in the past 30 days and 91.1% watched it in any given week - more than any other media activity.

How much has global streaming grown since 2020?

Estimated global streaming hours have grown from roughly 8-10 billion hours per day in 2018 to ~27.5 billion hours per day in 2026, driven by 5G rollout, more affordable mobile data, and the expansion of streaming platforms (plus short-form video) into emerging markets.