Global internet usage increased nearly 40% from February 1- April 19, and YouTube was the biggest traffic source, accounting for 15.94% of usage, according to research company Sandvine.
Indeed, there has been tons of data from a lot of research sources suggesting internet usage has been up amid pandemic quarantine. But the Dude abides by Sandvine, which consistently tracks this kind of consumer behavior.
Notably, Sandvine said that YouTube accounted for 8.69% of global data usage during the same period of 2019. So its market share is way up.
Netflix was the second biggest traffic source during the measured quarantine period at 11.42%, but its share actually declined by 1.45%.
In the U.S., the four biggest online video distributors—Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and Disney Plus—each ranked in the top 10 in terms of data usage. That’s the first time that’s ever happened, Sandvine said.
Netflix accounted for 19.11% of traffic in the U.S. to finish in the top spot.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, YouTube is a major source of information for consumers—not just on what is happening in the world, but also on new recipes, fitness programs, DIY masks, and a whole host of topics that people seek an authoritative voice on—which YouTube is regarded to be the worldwide leader in,” Sandvine said in its report.
You can access the report here.
