Surprising new figures show more Brits are tuning in to watch YouTube over the BBC for the first time ever.
Data gathered by the independent ratings body Barb revealed that the video giant reached 51.9 million people in December, ahead of the 50.9 million who tuned in to the Beeb.
Barb added that the number of people watching YouTube for at least three consecutive minutes per month has consistently been higher than the figure for the BBC since it started measuring it in October.
While the BBC still manages to pull in large amount of viewers for shows such as The Traitors - whose launch show was watched by 6.9million - British YouTubers such as Amelia Dimoldenberg and her series Chicken Shop Dates regularly draws in over 10million viewers.
Insiders at the BBC have downplayed the findings, pointing out they continue to outperform YouTube on relevant metrics for long-form TV such as the number of people who tune in for at least 15 minutes.
But the data is just the latest sign that Brits are switching off the Beeb leading to a rising criticism of the license fee model of funding.
Last year it was revealed the organisation has lost more than £1billion last year as a record one in eight households admitted they don't pay the licence fee.
Some 3.6million households said they do not have a licence because they do not need one.
This is 300,000 more than the previous year, resulting in a potential loss of £617million if converted to paying households, according to a report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
To plug this hole in funding the BBC has proposed showing adverts or putting classic shows such as 'Allo 'Allo behind a paywall.
TV Veteran Steven D Wright described Barb's findings as a 'Tragedy'.
He told The Times:'The tipping point is here and we are now living in a world dominated by and the streamers.
'The TV audience has abandoned the discipline of scheduled TV, and on-demand viewing has killed any loyalty. Who wants to wait when you can click your phone? That audience is slowly dying off and it's a tragedy.'
The Beeb brushed off the findings highlighting that UK audiences watched 351 million hours on the BBC each week last year.
The popularity of YouTube amongst Brits has been growing since the platform was launched in 2005.
In 2024, it replaced ITV as the second most-watched broadcaster.
Its growth has been boosted by the increasing number of older viewers who are turning to the digital platform to watch long-form interviews and documentaries - which were traditionally found on terrestrial television.
The growth in this form of content means 41 per cent of in-home viewing now takes place on a television set.
The Daily Mail have approached theBBC for a comment.