Key Points
- Half of internet users aged 55 to 64 now watch influencer content weekly, driving an 18 percent rise in overall viewing since early 2020, according to Ampere Analysis.
- Streamers like Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus and Netflix are expanding creator partnerships as influencer-driven content gains traction across age groups.
- Smart TV adoption among older adults has surged to 79 percent, helping boost YouTube and TikTok usage in living-room settings.
Young streamers have long been partial to social media influencers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube for their informational and entertainment needs — and new research released by Ampere Analysis shows news influencers are starting to catch on with older consumers, too.
According to Ampere, streamers between the ages of 55 and 64 are turning to online influencers for their news and informational needs at a higher rate than before, with half of internet users in that age group now watch influencer content every week, a trend that signals how creator-driven video is expanding beyond its traditional youth audience.
Across the United States and the United Kingdom, 70 percent of internet users watch influencer videos at least once a week, with overall viewing up 18 percent since the first quarter of 2020, Ampere said, with the report showing older adults in both countries are driving the trend.
In the U.S., weekly influencer viewing among 55-to-64-year-olds grew from 44 percent in early 2020 to 54 percent in the third quarter of 2025. In the UK, the share rose from 30 percent to 38 percent over the same period.
Analysts say that growth is being accelerated by rising smart TV penetration, which has made platforms like YouTube easier to access in the living room. Smart TV ownership among that age group climbed from 59 percent to 79 percent across both markets between 2020 and 2025, and 29 percent now use a smart TV each month to watch YouTube.
YouTube and TikTok continue to expand their reach among general audiences as well. Monthly active users of YouTube grew 12 percent in the U.S. and 34 percent in the U.K. between early 2020 and the third quarter of 2025. TikTok’s monthly active user base reached an all-time high of 30 percent across both markets, with notable year-over-year gains among older adults. Among 55-to-64-year-olds, TikTok usage increased 6 percent in the U.S. and 16 percent in the U.K. between the third quarter of 2024 and the same period this year.
Streaming platforms are taking notice of the broader appeal of influencer-driven content and are leaning on creator partnerships to attract and retain viewers. Amazon Prime Video distributes “Molly Mae: Behind It All,” Disney Plus carries “The D’Amelio Show,” and Netflix has scored strong engagement with “Miss Rachel,” which ranked as the sixth most-watched Children and Family program worldwide in the first half of 2025.
Annabel Yeomans, Senior Research Manager at Ampere Analysis, says the most striking insight from the research is how quickly influencer viewing has expanded beyond younger demographics. She said the shift is blurring the lines between social and traditional platforms and is creating new collaboration opportunities across the streaming ecosystem.
“The biggest surprise in our latest data wasn’t how popular influencer videos have become — it is how rapidly this trend has extended to older audiences,” Yeomans said in a statement on Monday. “As viewing habits diversify and platforms like YouTube and TikTok become part of living-room viewing, the lines between social and traditional platforms are blurring. As a result, new opportunities for collaboration across different platform types are emerging. Streaming services are increasingly partnering with influencers, an approach that first attracted younger viewers and is now gaining traction among older audiences.”
