Millennials Eating Up YouTube Food Channels, Driving 280% Growth In Subscriptions

Going on YouTube’s recent numbers around its food content, Millennials are proving to be big-time foodies — or, at least, love watching food videos.

According to Google, YouTube users age 18 to 34 watch 30 percent more food videos than any other demographic, helping drive a 280 percent growth in food channel subscriptions over the last twelve months.

In the past year, YouTube has experienced a 59 percent growth in food and recipe content, and food channels have garnered a 118 percent increase in social engagement (likes, comments and shares).

With help from Millward Brown Digital and Firefly, Google analyzed viewership and engagement around YouTube’s food video content. From the report:

Millennial food lovers are a loyal audience – one that’s powered a 280 percent growth in food channel subscriptions year over year. They’re also inclined to consume this content on the go, as we see from the fact that 75 percent of the growth in YouTube food viewership comes from mobile devices.

YouTube claims 68 percent of Millennial moms buy food products featured in the food videos they watch, while 42 percent of Millennial dads will do the same.

For advertisers that want to benefit from YouTube’s skyrocketing food content trends, Google recommends brands attach their media efforts to a YouTube food celebrity:

Many brands today are finding success with YouTube food audiences by aligning their media strategies with the existing food-related content on YouTube. After all, 78 percent of referrals from YouTube food videos to brand sites are from first-time customers.

As we head into the holiday weekend, YouTube listed the following BBQ videos as the top five trending videos connected to “recipe” searches this month:

Top Trending Food Videos On YouTube In June 2014

1. BBQ Breakfast from Epic Meal Time

2. Itty Bitty BBQ from Grant Thompson “The King of Random”

3. Barbeque Piri Piri Chicken | DJ BBQ in Portugal from Jamie Oliver

4. Fried Smoke BBQ Pork Chops from Barbeque Web

5. Mootz Balls Meatballs by the BBQ Pit Boys by Barbeque Web

About The Author

Amy Gesenhues

Amy Gesenhues was a senior editor for Third Door Media, covering the latest news and updates for Marketing Land, Search Engine Land and MarTech Today. From 2009 to 2012, she was an award-winning syndicated columnist for a number of daily newspapers from New York to Texas. With more than ten years of marketing management experience, she has contributed to a variety of traditional and online publications, including MarketingProfs, SoftwareCEO, and Sales and Marketing Management Magazine. Read more of Amy's articles.