• by Wayne Friedman , April 18, 2014

Looking to shift more media executives' minds to digital from TV, Google says nearly one-fifth of those watching YouTube are watching less TV.

A U.K. study found 19% of YouTube viewers are paying less attention to TV and that 17% are watching less TV overall. Three percent have stopped subscribing to premium cable networks and 1% have stopped watching TV entirely.

Some 1,583 U.K. respondents ages 13-64 were included in the study from June to September 2013: 1,171 were YouTube users, 412 were non-YouTube users.

Top 10 category of YouTube viewers: music videos, 59%; comedy 44; how-to/DIY 40%; and food, cooking and recipes, 21%.

Dispelling some myths, the study says not all YouTube users are teenagers -- 90% of YouTube viewers are ages 18 or over and 50% are older than 35, with 10% ages 13-17. In addition, YouTube users don’t watch “screens” all day. For five hours a week, they read books and magazines; for seven hours a week they listen to the radio.

YouTube users are heavy “brand evangelists,” with 58% of U.K. YouTube users talking up brands that they love, compared to 33% of nonusers.