YouTube is by far the dominant digital streaming player in Japan, new research shows.
Behavioral data from AMDP Analytics shows that the Google video platform commands more than 65% of Japan’s video-on-demand hours, with news and baseball leadin the way genre-wise.
AMPD‘s YouTube dashboard intelligence tool shows Japanese audiences watched 2.8 billion hours of content on YouTube in May, which is 38.5 hours per viewer.
“Japan’s YouTube viewing looks far more like television than people assume — long-form content dominates, audiences are spread across every age group, and engagement peaks at nine in the evening. YouTube isn’t competing at the edges of the screen economy in Japan; it’s operating at its centre,” said Sam Yousif, Managing Director of AMPD Analytics.
In terms of viewing trends, ANNnewsCH, TBS News Dig and 日テレNEWS networks led the way, ahead of entertainment brand Oricon. In sports, three channels – PacificLeagueTV (Pacific League baseball), Pivot and SPOTVNOW – lead the way in both free and paid-for streaming, with DAZN Japan and horse racing channel JRA also strong in the free space.
On the entertainment front, Oricon and Netflix Japan sit alongside indie creators such as ほんの1分 and MrFuji from Japan.
Around 70% of all YouTube viewing was for long-form content, with Shorts and live viewing making up the rest. Viewing peaked sharply between 9-10pm on weekdays and weekendsl, which Media Partners Asia-owned AMPD noted mirrors traditional TV.
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