We’ve entered into a new era of the streaming wars, but the winner was already decided long ago. Previously, the phrase “streaming wars” referred to the battle between platforms like Netflix and Hulu for subscribers. Their greatest weapon in this was original content, which users could access only by paying the required premiums. Every streaming giant had their own strategies, but Netflix ultimately came out on top.

Netflix was one of the earliest arrivals to the streaming game, and it caters to the widest audience. There’s a little something for everyone on Netflix, which naturally means the platform boasts the most subscribers. The recent announcement that Disney would shut down Hulu for good was the final nail in the coffin—Netflix won the original streaming wars.

Of course, the competition isn’t entirely over. Netflix has the lead in subscribers, but this is no longer the metric that companies are turning to to measure their success. These days, Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and all the rest are looking at how much collective time the world is spending on their platforms watching movies and TV. They’re all fighting to increase their wedge in the wheel, but they won’t catch up to the predetermined winner.

YouTube Has An Impossible Lead In The New Streaming Wars

YouTube hasn’t typically been considered a competitor in the streaming wars. After all, the Google company tried and failed to produce its own original streaming content with YouTube TV. However, now that other streaming platforms are turning to overall user engagement to measure success, YouTube has been thrust into first place with absolutely no effort.

According to September 2025 data from Nielsen, Americans spend an average of 12.6% of their overall TV-watching time on YouTube. This is just a bit less than the combined total time spent on Netflix (8.3%) and Disney+ (4.5%). It’s a pretty sizeable lead—even more impressive considering the fact that YouTube’s content is user-powered.

Netflix & Disney+ Must Work With YouTube In The Streaming Wars

The average American spends more time streaming than they do on broadcast or cable TV combined, so the streaming wars are still going strong. However, given YouTube’s sizeable lead, there’s essentially no chance that the other frontrunners can catch up. Instead, Netflix and Disney+ will have to keep their sights set on one another and use YouTube’s overwhelming lead to their own benefit.

Both Netflix and Disney+ have their own official YouTube channels, allowing them to tap into that 12.6% of time Americans spend on the platform. Traffic gained from YouTube could help tip the scales within the smaller battles of the streaming wars. However, when looking at the larger war, YouTube will remain untouchable.