The use of video on social media has significantly increased in Sweden. Unlike traditional media, the content is dominated by short clips presented in endless feeds, according to Mediavision’s latest analysis of video on social media. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube offer similar formats, but TikTok has emerged as a leading player in the market. Just over 30 per cent of all Swedes aged 15-74 watch video on social media on an average day, and over a week, this figure rises to 50 per cent.

TikTok, which launched in Sweden in 2017, has played a crucial role in the development of social video and is now one of the largest platforms among young people.

According to Mediavision, TikTok now reaches over 1 million daily viewers in Sweden, with a large portion of these being young people. Among individuals aged 15-24, over 30 percent use the platform on an average day.

“Social media, and particularly TikTok, has a very strong influence among younger audiences,” commented Marie Nilsson, CEO of Mediavision. “The increase in recent years is significant. Social video is taking up a growing share of both viewing interest and advertising revenue.”

TikTok, like other social video actors, is financed through advertising. As viewers increasingly spend their time on social video, advertisers’ interest also grows. According to estimates, advertising revenue for social video in Sweden already exceeds SEK3 billion (€0.27bn). This is as much as all other video streaming advertising, such as on YouTube and Swedish ad-supported streaming services.

“There is now a significant difference in viewing habits between younger and older people,” added Nilsson. “Social video is further proof of how major changes in consumption also affect how media companies generate revenue.”