NI's Top Screens: KPop Demon Hunters, Blue Lights & YouTube Craze!

In Northern Ireland, people have many choices when it comes to watching TV, movies, and videos. According to a new report, the most watched film or TV show in 2025 was KPop Demon Hunters, an animated movie about a K-pop girl group fighting demons. This film was already the most watched movie ever on Netflix, and it was especially popular in Northern Ireland, with over 600,000 viewers. The BBC's police drama Blue Lights was also a big hit, with more than 500,000 people tuning in for the first episode.

The report, made by Ofcom, looked at how people in Northern Ireland watch and listen to media. It found that while traditional TV channels like BBC and UTV are still popular, people are spending less time watching them. Instead, more people are using streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Disney Plus. In fact, Amazon Prime is the most popular streaming service in Northern Ireland, which is different from the rest of the UK where Netflix usually comes first.

YouTube is also very popular, especially among young adults. Almost three quarters of people aged 16 to 34 watch at least three minutes of YouTube every week, and people spend about 40 minutes a day watching YouTube on different devices. Nearly half of YouTube viewing now happens on TV sets, which is more than last year.

Some teenagers, like Faith and Ella, say they are 'YouTube fiends. ' They watch YouTube while eating, relaxing, or just for fun. Faith prefers streaming services over regular TV, but she says it can be hard because some shows are only available for a short time. She thinks you need several streaming services to watch everything you want. Peter, another viewer, likes a mix of streaming and physical DVDs. He says owning a DVD feels special, but streaming gives you access to almost everything.

When it comes to news, the BBC is the most popular source in Northern Ireland. BBC One is used by almost two-thirds of people, followed by ITV and UTV. Many people also use Google and Facebook to get their news, and BBC News online is the most used news app or website. Only one newspaper, The Sun, made it into the top 20 news sources.

People in Northern Ireland also listen to a lot of radio and podcasts. Almost nine out of ten adults listen to the radio every week, and more than a quarter listen online. Podcasts are becoming more popular, especially with young people. The Joe Rogan Experience is the most popular podcast, followed by Tea with Me and others. Music streaming is also common, with almost half of adults using Spotify.

Overall, people in Northern Ireland enjoy a mix of old and new ways to watch and listen to media. They like TV, streaming, YouTube, radio, and podcasts, and everyone has their own favorite way to relax and stay informed.