Short Video Consumption Grew Significantly in 2026

Short video weekly consumption grew by 21 minutes worldwide in 2026, according to the 2026 Global Media Intelligence report from EMARKETER, Starcom, and GWI. This sets a massive outlier compared with most other media formats.

Each of the seven regions’ media habits and behaviors is analyzed by the following metrics: device ownership, smartphone and tablet owners, smart TV owners, average time spent with media, traditional media users, TV viewers, video-on-demand (VOD) viewers, social media/messaging users, digital audio listeners, and voice assistant/search users. New metrics this year include time spent with short video and mobile gaming, plus AI break-outs by activity for all 49 markets.

“The 2026 dataset more than ever highlights the unique media patterns around the world,” said EMARKETER principal analyst Paul Briggs. “Regional distinctions really stand out (e.g., Latin America’s deep attachment to social video, Western Europe’s heavier engagement with traditional media), and there are some fully developed countries that are much slower to adopt digital services and own the latest tech. For media buyers, it’s essential to understand such distinctions before investing in channels targeting these areas of the world.”

“For the first time this year, the report includes data about how consumers are using AI – with the results impressively high across all regions, and all generations. What people use it for tells the regional story. Finding information is the top use in every region, so AI is fast becoming a front door to discovery. Beyond that, Latin America leans creative, South and Southeast Asia is using AI to learn, and East Asia and Oceania is focused on saving time. As with every other medium in this report, there is no single global audience, only local ones,” said Jason Mander, Chief Insight Officer at GWI.

“As the global media landscape continues to evolve, and new technologies rapidly gain widespread adoption, this report is a crucial resource for our media strategists who must navigate this changing environment,” said Eddie Parker, Executive Vice President, Head of Growth Planning, Starcom. “Our teams rely on the Global Media Intelligence Report to understand the trends shaping our industry, gain insight into consumer behavior across markets, including those where data can be scarce, and implement global campaigns that reflect how consumers engage with media in each market – ultimately helping our clients connect more effectively with their audiences and drive stronger business outcomes.”

The Americas dominate the time spent with media rankings. North America and Latin America both lead in four separate time spent categories. Conversely, Asia regions, especially East Asia and Oceania, trail every other global region in most time spent categories. Latin America’s attachment to social media and short-form video is unrivalled. North America leads in streaming content, both video and audio, and time spent with video games, both mobile and PC/console-based. As the home to global content powerhouses like Netflix and Disney, users in North America were first adopters of streaming video as an alternative to live TV.

Western Europe holds on to traditional media more than any other region. Time spent with broadcast TV and radio leads all regions. East Asia and Oceania trail the globe in 9 of 12 time spent categories. The unique media markets of China and Japan are big influences on these regional rankings. Both countries favor domestic media sources for content, and China prohibits many of the global content powerhouses from operating in the country.