YouTube is well entrenched as the preferred video platform for most age groups, but teens have a much stronger affinity for TikTok.

The insights come from VAM, Numeris’ cross-platform video consumption measurement platform, comparing audiences in Ontario and Francophone Quebec.

Across all audiences, YouTube is most popular, with users spending an average of 6.4 hours a week with the platform, compared to 5.4 hours spent with TikTok.

Among adults in both regions, YouTube is also more popular than TikTok. The 18 to 34 age group spend 8.3 hours on YouTube weekly in Ontario and 7.8 hours in Francophone Quebec. Their TikTok use, on the other hand, is 6.9 hours in Ontario and 4.2 hours in Quebec. That hourly usage continues to trend downward the higher the age group.

However, the picture changes when looking at the 12 to 17 age group. In Ontario, teens spend 11.4 hours a week on TikTok, with those in Quebec spending 11.2 hours. That’s compared to seven hours on YouTube in Ontario and only 2.9 hours in Francophone Quebec.

Although teens 12 to 17 are about 7% of the population, they represent 22% of the TikTok audience in Ontario and 36% of the Francophone Quebec audience. The 18 to 34 cohort, 23% of the total market, makes up 35% of the TikTok audience in Ontario and 25% of its Francophone Quebec audience.

Video behaviors vary by age for younger consumers. Among teens, TikTok use peaks around 9 p.m., while YouTube peaks an hour earlier. The behavior changes for adults 18 to 34: YouTube peaks at 9 p.m. with a 4.7 rating, while TikTok remains under a 2 rating throughout the day.

TikTok is most popular among teens on Sunday, generating a 5 rating, and on Saturday produces a 4 rating all day long. YouTube peaks on Saturday with this group, bringing in a 2.6 rating.

Among adults 18 to 34, TikTok has comparatively low ratings, but they nonetheless peak on Wednesday. YouTube declines gently across the week from a 3.2 rating on Monday to a 2.7 rating on Sunday.

As a mobile-first app, TikTok is mostly consumed via mobile devices across age groups and regions. For YouTube, teens prefer mobile across both regions, as do adults 18 to 34 in Ontario. However, smart or connected TVs are  preferred by Francophone Quebec adults.