Netflix is spending freely to bring some of YouTube‘s top channels into its library, prompting a slew of seven-digit counter-offers from Google’s video hub. YouTube is clearly eager to limit Netflix’s creator push, but a recent report suggests that the best way to take on Netflix might involve doing nothing at all.
I’m talking about a raft of data collated by the intelligence company Apptopia, which tracks user activity on mobile apps. Apptopia compared Netflix’s numbers to YouTube’s and uncovered an intriguing trend: Ever since Netflix started encroaching on YouTube’s territory, it has been losing access to the latter company’s users.
Apptopia’s topline finding reveals an uneven playing field between the two measured entertainment hubs. In August 2026, 92% of Netflix users were also YouTube users, but only 16% of YouTube users were also Netflix users.
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That comparison wasn’t also so imbalanced. At the start of the year, according to Apptopia, Netflix reached a greater number of YouTube users. The app data indicates that a drop-off began in January, when Netflix started hosting original podcasts. Other recent arrivals on Netflix, including various short-form formats, have made that decline more pronounced.
Apptopia explained that YouTube isn’t the only service drawing consumers away from Netflix. Another trendy format is affecting the SVOD platform’s reach. I’m talking about microdramas, which have gained ground among major social hubs and brands. Apptopia noted that the number of Netflix users checking out microdrama apps like PineDrama and DramaBox has been increasing throughout 2026.
Since Apptopia only reports on mobile numbers, and there are a lot of factors that influence app traffic, it’s possible that these effects aren’t as pronounced as they seem on the surface. As we’ve seen with YouTube Shorts, the arrival of new content formats tends to throw existing ones into chaos, even if that shift doesn’t necessarily hold up over the long term.
But Netflix is dealing with revenue figures that haven’t quite met expectations while trying to shell out enough dough to woo big-name creators. Apptopia’s report shows the inherent risk of that strategy.
