In 2025, the world didn’t just watch videos — it lived through them. We laughed, scrolled, gasped, replayed, and occasionally wondered, “how did this become the internet’s new obsession?”
Across social video platforms this year, nearly 3.7 billion videos generated a jaw-dropping 172.6 trillion views, with YouTube claiming the crown for viewership and TikTok delivering the highest engagement.
The countries leading for uploads across platforms are:
#1. United States
#2. India
#3. Brazil
#4. Indonesia
#5. Mexico
Here are some of our favorite social video hyper-fixations of 2025:
The Louvre Heist in Paris
476M TikTok views across 3.1k uploads
The Coldplay Kiss Cam
1.3B Instagram views across 4.6k uploads
Robert Irwin on #DWTS
819M TikTok views across 9.3k uploads
Blue Origin Space Flight
955M Instagram views across 7.1k uploads
At the end of every year, we join forces with our partners at Chartbeat to track the biggest stories that captured audiences’ attention. Check out the overarching narratives that ruled social media, as well as the most engaging news articles of 2025.
Now that you have a little reminder of what an eventful year it’s been, let’s get into the details.
- What We Watched for Fun
- What We Watched to Cheer
- What We Watched to Understand
- What Will We Watch in 2026?
Videos that Entertained the Masses
Not everything we watched in 2025 needed context — some moments were just fun. From kids content that dominated the feed to flash mobs that stopped us mid-scroll and sounds we couldn’t escape, these categories thrived on delight, surprise, and pure entertainment. Here’s what kept audiences coming back for more.
Pop Culture & Entertainment
The Pop Culture & Entertainment category produced a whopping 91.9 million uploads across platforms, making it one of the internet’s busiest content categories.
What we saw in the data:
- More than 90% of overall uploads came from influencers
- Nearly 40% of all uploads were on TikTok
- Media Companies contributed a modest 6.8% of uploads, but earned the most views per video on Instagram
In other words: creators didn’t just join the conversation — they drove it.
Top 10 Most-Viewed Media & Entertainment Creators within the Pop Culture & Entertainment Category on Instagram in 2025
Uploads & Views
Data Source
Source: Tubular Intelligence | Category Pop Culture & Entertainment | Media & Entertainment Creators | Instagram | Views | 1/1/2025-12/1/2025
Two of the top 10 most-viewed media creators within Pop Culture & Entertainment were from Brazil. TNT Sports Brasil ranked within the top 10 creators, suggesting that this channel succeeds by blending Sports with Pop Culture & Entertainment.
Celebrity Memorials
News of celebrity deaths prompted some of the most concentrated moments of audience attention this year. Memorial videos for Diane Keaton, Gene Hackman, Anne Burrell, and Carl Dean saw sustained audience interest by revisiting career highlights and personal histories.
Diane Keaton videos surged across social, with Instagram generating 227M views in the first week, the highest of all social platforms. Of Instagram’s 227M views, user-generated memorial content accounted for 73% of total viewership. Globally, videos around Émilie Dequenne’s death sparked 38.3M views on Instagram.
Takeaway: Video is an important format for commemoration, and audiences often use social platforms to both grieve and celebrate life. Read more about Celebrity Memorials on Chartbeat’s Top Stories of 2025.
Kids Content Took Over the Internet
Make room, grown-ups…the kids officially stole the show (and the scroll).
This year, 8 of the top 10 most-viewed videos across all platforms were Kids YouTube Shorts. Yes, the toddler tablet takeover is real, and their influence is strong.
One single video even raked in 2.3B views, proving that tiny hands can drive big metrics.
Meanwhile, the two non-kid videos to break into the top 10 were TikToks explaining the platform’s integrated Creator Search Insights tool that helps creators understand what audiences are watching.
Takeaway: Kids’ content isn’t just dominating views — it’s shaping platform algorithms and audience behavior. Advertisers and creators who tap into this family-friendly, high-volume attention stream can unlock massive reach and stay aligned with where digital eyeballs truly are.
Flash Mob Frenzy
The “main character energy” of 2025 was this surprise live performance content that made the world stop scrolling and watch in awe:
Julien Cohen posted a Christmas light flash mob late in the year — and it erupted into 60.8M engagements in less than a week.
If Cohen’s name rings a bell, it’s because he also gave the world the iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody” public performance that hit 105M views in seven days. The man drops crowd-pleasing chaos like ornaments from a tree.
Takeaway: While major news stories like global tariffs or political elections often take over news sites, #GoodNews stories like these holiday videos are very popular on social. Learn more about the news stories that earned a place in our most engaging stories of 2025 here.
The Sounds that Rocked 2025
Every year leaves us with a sonic fingerprint. And 2025’s was unmistakable.
The #1 most-viewed video in Music was Sony Music Animations’ lyric video for “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, pulling in 813M views. Animated lyrics + K-pop? It was almost pre-destined…
Instagram was the most-uploaded platform in Music by Media & Entertainment creators in 2025.
Top 10 Most-Viewed Music Media & Entertainment Creators on Instagram in 2025
Uploads & Views
Data Source
Source: Tubular Intelligence | Category Music | Media & Entertainment Creators | Instagram | Views | 1/1/2025-12/12/2025
Aside from top music produced in 2025, there were the viral songs and sounds of TikTok that colored our world this year. Here are some of the noteworthy tunes that were stuck in everyone’s head:
“Nothing Beats a Jet2 Holiday”
30.1B views across 395k videos
“Shake It to the Max”
22.5B views across 268k videos
“I’m A Mommy”
430M views across 6.8k uploads
Takeaway: Sound is an important aspect of video creation and trend velocity. Choosing the right song or artist can improve video discoverability and earn wider engagement.
Categories That Drew a Crowd
When it came to rallying around shared moments this year, audiences showed up loud. From sports feeds overflowing with global hype to ballroom glam dominating TikTok, certain categories didn’t just trend — they united millions. Here’s a look at the content that drew the biggest crowds (and the biggest cheers).
Sports Were Supercharged
Sports content had an absolutely massive year — and the stats might surprise you.
YouTube and TikTok led for the most-uploads, with the U.S. leading global contributions and Brazil a close second. Instagram, meanwhile, became the home base for sports media outlets.
Top 10 Most-Viewed Media & Entertainment Creators in Sports on Instagram in 2025
Uploads & Views
Data Source
Source: Tubular Intelligence | Category Sports Media & Entertainment Creators | Instagram | Views | 1/1/2025-12/1/2025
A Few Standout Highlights from Sports in 2025
Most Engaging Sports Video
ESPN’s TikTok of a kid joyfully biking through puddles earned 15.2M engagements. The internet loves wholesome chaos.
Most-Viewed Sports Video
A Bandsports YouTube Short featuring a kid playing mini soccer earned 449M views. Kids won sports, too.
Takeaway: Sports content isn’t just popular — it’s a global engagement engine. With massive cross-platform volume, international contributions, and sky-high interaction, sports remain one of the most reliable drivers of attention and brand-safe reach.
The Ballroom Makes a Comeback
After 33 seasons of traditional fox trots and saucy sambas, Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) knew it would need to enlist some heavy-hitting celebrities to pull viewership to the show. Their winning strategy that brought in unprecedented numbers and competition in season 34? Getting some of the internet’s most well-known influencers to participate.
This season garnered a whopping 8.3B TikTok views, an increase of 29% from the previous year (keeping in mind that last year’s videos have had more time to accumulate viewership, so we expect this rise in views to continue growing).
The #1 most-viewed TikTok about DWTS was posted by contestant and influencer, Jennifer Affleck, and earned 31.9M views.
Takeaway: Dancing with the Stars made an unexpected comeback during season 34 by collaborating with some of social media’s biggest stars. With so many viewers watching dances on platforms like TikTok or YouTube, we saw a massive year-over-year increase.
Cowboy Carter Tour
More than 188k videos about Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour were uploaded across platforms in 2025 and UGC made up a whopping 94% of it. Yes, the crowds were indeed cheering! While media publishers only made up a fraction of the content, their most-uploaded platform was Instagram where Brazilian publisher, POPline, produced the most videos (59) about Beyoncé’s 2025 tour.
The #1 most-viewed video about the Cowboy Carter Tour posted by a media publisher was an Instagram post from Netflix U.S. in February captioned “brb rewatching beyoncé bowl for the fifty-leventh time.” This performance of Texas Hold ’Em was actually a 2024 NFL Christmas Day special. The video has so far earned 12.7M views and goes to show that media publishers can benefit greatly from reposting iconic moments.
Of the most-viewed videos about the tour, 8 of the top 10 revolved around Beyoncé’s daughters who graced the stage. It just goes to show, beyond the glitz and glamour, social audiences are always cheering for the humanity in all of us (even Queen Bey).
Takeaway: A good repost is a simple and easy way for publishers to bump up their viewership. And if you really want to get social media buzzing, focus on a heartfelt moment, too.
Making Sense of a Chaotic Year
In a year defined by fast-moving headlines and global uncertainty, viewers turned to both social and on-site publications for clarity. Across social platforms, 2025 proved that when people need to understand the world, they scroll for context and look to the comments to voice opinions.
News, Politics & Government
In 2025, News & Politics was Media & Entertainment creators’ most-uploaded category.
Top 10 Most-Viewed Media & Entertainment Creators in News, Government & Politics on YouTube in 2025
Uploads & Views
Data Source
Source: Tubular Intelligence | Category News, Politics & Government | Media & Entertainment Creators | YouTube | Views | 1/1/2025-12/1/2025
The year was packed with headline-heavy moments, and audiences flocked to YouTube for deeper dives.
The top global topics included:
- Donald Trump — 645M views
- Political Criticism — 554M
- International Relations — 347M
- Breaking News — 228M
Long-form journalism made a strong showing too. Fox News’ 23-minute interview with Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy was one of their biggest YouTube hits of the year.
Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s rollercoaster relationship drove 3.8B views on TikTok in 2025, and 500M of those views came from their feud in June. Media companies led the charge on TikTok around this topic, with the top video by Daily Mail on Musk’s gesture at Trump’s inauguration. It drove 74.1M views.
Meanwhile, the Epstein files generated 1.7B views on Instagram. Content by media companies drove 67% of views on TikTok while influencers on Instagram took the majority with a 52% share of views.
Takeaway: The news on social media gives audiences immediacy, quick context, and often, a human lens with which to view the never-ending news cycle. Tubular partners with Chartbeat to understand how news stories on site inspire and speak to news stories on social. Check out the Most Engaging Stories of 2025 here.
Natural Disasters & Climate
When climate events hit, audiences rushed to social media.
- California wildfires drove 5.2B TikTok views
- UGC outpaced media content by 143%, showing the power of on-the-ground footage
- European storms and floods generated 1.1B YouTube views, mostly from citizen videos
Takeaways: When a widespread event like the California wildfires occurred, people took to social media to share their personal videos, experiences, and opinions. In 2025, real-time, first-person climate reporting wasn’t a trend — it was the norm.
Looking Ahead: What Will We Watch in 2026?
After another newsworthy year, one thing is clear: Social video is now the world’s record-keeper.
It’s where we learn, laugh, grieve, celebrate, vote, daydream, and come together. The trends of 2025 show a future where:
- Creators set the tone
- UGC drives the fastest news cycles
- Politics plays out in real time
- Music shapes collective memory
- And culture is created in the hands of millions
As we head into 2026, one truth remains:
The story of the world is being told in video — and Tubular will help decode every moment of it.