The TikTok Ban in America: An Opportunity for Media Owners Amid Shifting Attention
As discussions around the potential TikTok ban in America intensify, the question of what will happen to the billions of hours of user engagement spent on the platform is at the forefront. Currently, Americans spend approximately 140 million hours per day on TikTok.
01.16.2025
With the potential for this massive audience to be redirected elsewhere, media owners should look at this moment not as a challenge, but as an opportunity for increased viewership on platforms like YouTube, SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand), AVOD (Ad-Supported Video on Demand), and FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV).
The Impact of a TikTok Ban on Social Media
The TikTok algorithm has been a game-changer in how people consume content. With its sophisticated algorithms, TikTok delivers highly personalized, short-form videos that keep users glued to their screens for hours.
If TikTok is banned in January 2025, users will need to find new places to turn their attention, and the migration of this audience could significantly impact not only other social platforms, but SVOD, AVOD and FAST platforms as well. While Instagram Reels is a natural competitor, it is unlikely to fully capture the 140 million hours spent on TikTok daily. Reels has struggled to replicate the magic of TikTok’s algorithm, and although it may see an increase in usage, the algorithmic gap remains substantial.
Opportunities for YouTube, FAST, AVOD, and SVOD
For media owners, the shift in attention could prove to be financially beneficial. Platforms such as YouTube, with its strong ad-based model, and those in the FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) space stand to benefit the most.
YouTube’s ability to combine long-form and short-form content (via YouTube Shorts) makes it a natural contender for TikTok refugees. As YouTube builds out its Shorts format and continues to improve its algorithms, it could become the primary destination for users who previously spent hours watching TikTok videos.
Similarly, the rise of FAST platforms like Pluto TV, Tubi, and Peacock could provide another avenue for displaced TikTok users. While SVOD could see an increase in viewing time due to the TikTok ban, it is unlikely that they will see a material increase in users, as people are much more likely to replace a free service (TikTok) with an alternative free service (YouTube, FAST).
Capitalizing on Shifting Attention
The disruption of a major player like TikTok in the U.S. presents a moment of change, but for content owners and media businesses, it is a chance to capture new audiences and better monetize their content.
As YouTube, FAST and AVOD see an increase in viewing hours, the demand, and budgets, for quality long form content rises. Further, advertisers who are currently advertising on TikTok will need to find an alternative use of that budget, some of which is sure to go toward YouTube, FAST and AVOD platforms.
While the potential TikTok ban presents challenges for some, it is undoubtedly an opportunity for media owners on YouTube, FAST, AVOD, and SVOD platforms. The migration of attention from TikTok will drive demand for fresh, engaging content, and those well-positioned to meet that demand will reap the benefits.
