Media consumption under the microscope: Ukrainians spend more time in messengers than in front of the TV
7 November 23:05
INFOGRAPHICS
Ukrainians are spending more and more time online: 44% admit to spending more than three hours a day on messengers, 36% spend the same amount of time on video platforms, and 30% on social media, while TV remains important for only 17% of the audience. These are the results of a new study, Media Consumption 2025, conducted by Gradus.
The analytics demonstrates how Ukrainians’ habits in the digital space are changing.
Online rhythm: more than three hours of media daily
Almost all respondents – 91% – consume content from a smartphone, and this trend has no age exceptions. The mobile device has become a universal media center – a channel for news, entertainment and communication at the same time.
What Ukrainians choose: humor, sports, and podcasts
In 2025, Ukrainians are increasingly choosing lighter and more dynamic content. Humor shows and stand-ups have become more popular, with the audience for these formats growing from 49% to 54%. Interest in sports programs has increased from 31% to 35%, and podcasts are already listened to by 29% of respondents, up six points from last year.
Telegram and video platforms are the main channels of influence
Messengers remain the main channel for news consumption: 75% of Ukrainians receive information via Telegram, Viber and other services. Their popularity is not growing, but remains at a consistently high level, reflecting the established habit of learning about events in the format of short, personalized messages.
Social media is strengthening its position in informing – 60% of respondents use Facebook, Instagram or other platforms to receive news (compared to 56% last year). At the same time, video platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, etc. increased their share from 51% to 54% – video content continues to become the main source of information, especially among younger audiences.
Websites remain in a stable zone (42%), while linear television lost another three points over the year to 27%. This indicates a long-term trend of shifting trust and attention towards digital channels.
Entertainment content is becoming a universal language of communication
When it comes to leisure and entertainment, the dominance of video platforms is even more evident: 61% of Ukrainians say YouTube is their main place for leisure. It is followed by social networks (58%) and messengers (53%). The dynamics of the last two years show that messengers actually serve as a personal media hub – a space that combines news, humor, music, analytics, and private communication.
Interest in streaming services for music and video is growing: 41% use Spotify or YouTube Music, up seven points from last year. Online movie theaters are also gradually expanding their audience – from 31% to 34%. This indicates that Ukrainian users are maturing to paid, high-quality content.
The study was conducted by Gradus research company using a self-completion questionnaire in the Gradus mobile application. The sample reflects the population structure of cities with more than 50 thousand inhabitants aged 18-60 by gender, age, settlement size and region, excluding temporarily occupied territories and territories of active hostilities. The period of the field: september 15-17, 2025. Sample size: 1100 respondents.
Telegram strengthens leadership, WhatsApp gains weight
Telegram remains the undisputed leader among messengers – 92% of users use it weekly, and this figure continues to grow. Viber holds the second position, while Facebook Messenger has recovered its share after falling last year. At the same time, WhatsApp showed the largest increase – from 30% to 41% over the year.
Instagram is growing, TikTok is the second fastest growing
Among social networks, the top positions are stable: Facebook remains the main platform for 72% of users, but Instagram continues to grow its audience – 67% (plus 6 percentage points over the year). TikTok demonstrates the most noticeable growth – from 49% to 54%. This network is increasingly being used not only for entertainment but also for news, especially by young people.
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Pinterest’s interest is also growing, indicating the expansion of niche visual content. LinkedIn increased its presence to 7%, reflecting the interest of Ukrainians in professional communities and career development in digital.
Media consumption has become a reflection of our lifestyle. We strive to stay informed, but at the same time seek relief from information noise. It’s a balancing act between control and fatigue: people simultaneously seek closeness to events and distance from them, creating a new culture of attention,” summarized Yevheniia Blyzniuk, founder and CEO of Gradus.
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