Not all content heroes wear capes; some are quietly drawing digital native viewers on to streaming platforms through appealing formats, tight pacing and niche genres.
As competition for audience attention intensifies, it is vital for streamers to understand not just which of their titles drive engagement and retention, but also the content that draws attention away from competitors. Increasingly, those competitors are not only rival SVOD services, but also YouTube.
From research that we first presented at the 2025 CIMM Summit, it is evident that certain SVOD titles significantly overperform (or ‘over-index’ in data parlance) among heavy YouTube users – who we define as the top third of measured accounts as ranked by total viewing time.
This means that these YouTube users are far more likely to watch this SVOD content than the average viewer.
From Q1 to Q3 2025, we investigated the cross-platform SVOD (Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+ and Prime Video) and YouTube usage of users in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Poland, The Netherlands, Japan, South Korea and Australia.
Ranked by reach percentage, our top 10 of SVOD titles that over-perform with heavy YouTube users highlights clear similarities among the genres that resonate with these highly engaged, digital-first viewers.
Dystopian draw
At the top of the list was Netflix’s adult animation series Love, Death & Robots, which was viewed by 10.5% of the overall audience, but 15.6% of heavy YouTube users.
The series spans the science fiction, horror, fantasy and comedy genres in bite-size instalments. Its anthology format and short-form storytelling, with episode lengths ranging from six to 21 minutes, mirror the high-impact, scrollable content that thrives on YouTube.
This suggests that audiences who favour short-form video will still be drawn to longer content when it is fast-paced and easily digestible.
Black Mirror also makes the top 10, with a 7.1% reach percentage from heavy YouTube users vs 5% reach percentage for all audiences. Like Love, Death & Robots, Black Mirror is a predominantly science fiction anthology series on Netflix that tackles similar themes of technological dystopia and transhumanism.
This further suggests a common genre interest from these digitally native heavy YouTube users that is driving viewing towards SVOD platforms.
Scroll, swipe, action!
Trigger (aka Teurigeo) rounds out the scripted series in the top 10 list, over-performing with heavy YouTube users at 9% vs the 5.9% reach percentage from all audiences.
While the South Korean action thriller does not share genre themes with the other two scripted series, it is noted for its intense action - and action is very much at the forefront of the movie titles on the list, indicating another content preference from heavy YouTube users.
Films like Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning (10.4% vs 7%), Venom: The Last Dance (8.7%vs 5.3%) and Kraven the Hunter (7% vs 4.4%) demonstrate the pull of action spectacle and recognisable IP, the latter two titles both being from the Marvel superhero universe.
These films, alongside other action titles like Lucy (7.1% vs 3.7%) and Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (8.8% vs 4.5%), offer visually engaging set pieces and accessible narratives that align closely with popular YouTube genres.
Fighting for attention
Live wrestling series WWE Monday Night Raw also over-performs (10.8% vs 7.5%) with heavy YouTube users, who may be engaging with this content because, like the films above, it showcases action, spectacle and easily digestible narratives.
Wrestlers have distinct personas and catchphrases, much like YouTube influencers, while the fights may be generating viral clips and reaction content on YouTube that drives audiences to watch the full bouts.
The sport also enjoys a strong community, with heavy YouTube user fans likely engaging with commentary channels and reinforcing how communal viewing experiences still matter to digital-first audiences. The title also appeared in our recently shared research into the top SVOD ‘first views’ of the day that highlighted its appeal as appointment viewing.
Despicable Me 4 (10% vs 5.6%), meanwhile, may appear to be an outlier on this list, but children’s animation often combines high-concept ideas with visual creativity, much like the adult-targeting Love Death & Robots, which again mirrors the appeal of YouTube-native content.
The takeaway here for streamers is that drawing heavy YouTube users out of their native ecosystem and on to SVOD platforms does not require a new content strategy, but rather a shift in emphasis.
Content that is visually distinctive, easily digestible and immediately engaging appears to have an edge, with a focus on format, pace and brand recognition standing a better chance of reclaiming attention from YouTube for the streamers.
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