This year, Israelis spent more than nine hours a day in front of screens, glued to broadcasts during the Iran war and hostage returns, and deepened their use of artificial intelligence and video, according to a report released by Yes and Pelephone on Wednesday.
The data showed that the average Israeli household watched 9.1 hours of television per day, a decrease from 10.8 and 10.1 hours in 2024 and 2023, respectively. This year's figures are in line with the 9.2-hour average recorded in 2022.
During the Israel-Iran war in June, viewing hours increased by 23% to 11.2 hours per day.
The other top events included the release of the last 20 living hostages from Gaza in October, and US President Donald Trump's visit to Israel and Knesset address in September.
Additional hostage releases in January and February also ranked among the peak moments.
On the day the 20 hostages were freed, data showed that news views spiked by 4.5 times compared to a typical day, with a surge starting early in the morning as Israelis awaited the release. In the evening hours, viewing declined, and video-on-demand consumption increased by 40%, a pattern similar to that observed during previous security events.
In the sports category, the State Cup final, where Hapoel Beersheba defeated Beitar Jerusalem, was the most-watched broadcast of the year. This was followed by the Champions League semi-finals between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, and between Inter Milan and Barcelona.
Israeli soccer games against Italy and their EuroBasket victory over France also made it to the list of highest-viewed events.
Data regarding the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest showed exceptional viewing figures: 71% of viewers tuned in for the final, a 25% increase over the previous year.
An accompanying survey found that 65% of Israelis believe it is important for Israel to participate in the competition, although 82% believe the judging is politically biased.
Social media as a news source
Social media remained the primary news source for many Israelis, according to the data.
72% of Israelis receive news updates via platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, TikTok, and X/Twitter. 64% use websites, 55% watch television, and only 13% read print newspapers.
43% of Israelis check news updates at least once an hour or every two hours, and 55% prefer short videos over full news editions. During the war with Iran, news viewing time increased by 45%.
The data from Yes also shows an intense channel-hopping culture. The average household switches between channels about 50 times a day, watches 30 films, and 21 series annually.
Nine out of the ten most-watched series were Israeli productions. 55% of viewers choose content based on friends' recommendations, 43% from on-screen promotions, and 37% from social media recommendations.
A third of survey participants took family preferences into account, and 19% rely on professional reviews. 75% prefer watching together, and 77% of home and mobile browsing is dedicated to video and streaming.
Mobile internet and AI usage
In the mobile internet category, data usage per subscriber increased by 12%.
5G subscribers browse 30% more than 4G subscribers. The average Israeli household consumes approximately 700 GB per month, and forecasts indicate that this will exceed 1 TB by 2030.
The most popular app of the year was ChatGPT, with a 227% increase in usage. 96% of Israelis are familiar with at least one AI app, half use AI instead of Google, and 17% already have a paid subscription to an AI service.
Nevertheless, 81% prefer to view content not created by AI, and 86% support labeling AI-generated content.
Telegram usage increased by 47%, and during red alerts, video viewing and live updates rose by up to 600%. While in bomb shelters, 42% of Israelis called their parents, 56% scroll on their phones, and 53% chatted with others present, according to the data.
In data collected on other apps, usage of Spotify, Zoom, Booking, and TikTok increased, whereas Tinder and Twitter declined. The use of digital wallets continued to increase, with 55% of users making almost all payments without cash.
Internet usage among Israeli youth
Among children and teenagers, the picture presented by the data was more complex.
76% of parents surveyed reported that their children play computer games; 56% reported that they believe this reduces their children’s participation in outdoor activities; and only 43% limited children aged 7 to 12 years' phone access. Half of the parents wish their children would stop playing Roblox and Fortnite. During the Israel-Iran war, children's content consumption rose by 33%.
The travel habits of Israelis surveyed were also affected by the security situation.
Among participants, 75% were afraid to travel abroad, mainly to Western Europe, and 67% were afraid to speak Hebrew aloud while travelling.
Greece remained a preferred destination, followed by Cyprus, Italy, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates. 25% reported that their flights were canceled during the year, and 70% prefered to book vacations with cancellation options.
The report was based on aggregated usage data and a survey conducted in December by the 2thePoint research institute. The survey gathered responses from 509 Jewish and Arab Israeli participants aged 18 and over.