Attest vs Meltwater

How to reach over-50s audiences

A complete look at over-50s' daily media diet, drawn from Attest's 2026 media consumption report, mapping their time, attention and ad tolerance.

YouTube Tops Cable as Americans' Daily Video Habit

Attest’s 2026 Attention Economy Report and related industry data show YouTube has surpassed live television in weekday reach among U.S. adults and that creator-driven video (YouTube, TikTok, others) now commands more daily minutes than live TV plus major streaming services combined. The report finds 90% of Americans access YouTube on a typical weekday, average daily minutes on YouTube are nearly on-par with subscription streaming, and 23% primarily watch YouTube on their television sets. Demographic splits show heavier YouTube consumption among younger cohorts and men. The findings have implications for advertisers, programmers and device makers as viewing shifts toward on-demand, algorithm-driven creator content.

• Attest’s 2026 Attention Economy Report surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults and tracked five years of data, finding 90% of Americans access YouTube on a typical weekday.
• Average daily time: subscription streaming 1h49m, YouTube 1h46m, live television 1h31m.
• Americans spend an average of 3h54m per day with creator-driven video (YouTube, TikTok and other social video platforms), versus 3h20m combined on live TV and major streaming services.

What it really takes to trust your data

In consumer research, every decision rests on a single question: can you trust the data? At Attest, answering that question well is the whole job, and it has two halves people rarely discuss together.

WhatsApp testing in-app browser for iOS

WhatsApp is developing an in-app browser for iOS that would allow users to open any link shared in chats directly within the app, instead of being redirected to Safari or Chrome. The feature, discovered by WABetaInfo in the latest iOS beta (26.41.10.72), is still in development and not yet available to testers. Previously, only certain business links with HTTPS were supported. Once activated via chat settings, users can open any website inside WhatsApp, manage cookies and cache locally, and WhatsApp claims it will not have access to links from encrypted chats. The in-app browser session is separate from the chat view, providing a seamless browsing experience. This is part of WhatsApp's broader effort to enhance user convenience. No launch date has been announced.

• WhatsApp is testing an in-app browser for iOS, discovered in iOS beta 26.41.10.72.
• The feature allows opening any website within the app, with a new 'In-app browser' option in chat settings.
• Users can manage browser data like cookies and cache locally, with WhatsApp not having access to links from encrypted chats.

WhatsApp Develops Scheduled Messages Feature

WhatsApp is rolling out a scheduled messages feature for Android beta testers via update 2.26.40.7, as reported by WABetaInfo. Users can compose text, links, photos, or videos, then hold the send button to select a delivery time between ten minutes and two weeks in advance. Scheduled messages are end-to-end encrypted and can be sent even when the device is offline. They can be managed or deleted from the chat info section. In group chats, messages are only sent to members present at the time of scheduling. The rollout is gradual, with more accounts added in the coming weeks, and iOS testing is underway. No official release date for all users has been announced.

• WhatsApp's scheduled messages feature is rolling out on Android beta 2.26.40.7, with iOS testing also underway.
• Users can schedule text, links, photos, and videos to be sent between 10 minutes and 2 weeks in advance.
• Scheduled messages are end-to-end encrypted and sent even when the device is offline.

LLMs Increasingly Cite YouTube in AI Search Results

YouTube has emerged as a leading citation source across major AI platforms, surpassing Reddit. Meltwater data shows YouTube was the most-cited platform by eight AI systems in August 2026. Tinuiti's Q2 2026 report indicates YouTube's citation share in Google AI Mode quadrupled and more than doubled in AI Overviews from January to April 2026. Long-form videos, particularly those lasting 10–20 minutes, dominate citations, while Shorts lag. However, Scrunch found that citations fade by 43% within a month, indicating short-lived visibility. This trend underscores YouTube's growing role in AI-driven discovery, prompting brands to structure content with clear markers for AI visibility.

• YouTube was the most-cited platform by eight AI platforms (Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok) in August 2026.
• YouTube's share of citations in Google AI Mode quadrupled between January and April 2026, and more than doubled in AI Overviews.
• 94% of YouTube citations go to long-form videos, with 10–20 minute videos accounting for 32.1%.