Analysis: America’s Most Searched Streaming Services and George Floyd Search Sparks Movement

YouTube Dominates Streaming Services in Google Search

2020 was a bizarre year for many Americans. On March 1st, America was mandated to a stay at home order for at least a month. People were contained in their homes; therefore, there was a great deal of leisure time for many who were not preoccupied with work and school.

According to an analysis of Google Trends search data, YouTube has been the most searched streaming service the last 12 months. YouTube is a free streaming platform that launched in 2005 and has grown astronomically with millions of views and customized content preferences.

In the graphics, we see that Netflix is ranked second in the google search trends. Netflix is a subscription streaming service. Many forget that Netflix used to be a mail in DVD service back in 2006; however, throughout the years the founders have transitioned to an online platform, which makes it more accessible to customers.

When referring to the Google Trends Search data, Hulu is the least searched streaming service in the last 12 months. Hulu is a streaming service that is a subscription, similar to Netflix. However, the numbers for Hulu are extremely low compared to the two other streaming services even though it launched around the same time frame.

From the subgroup region breakdown we clearly see how YouTube dominates America in terms of the number of google searches acquired in the past 12 months.

There are factors that play on the possibility for YouTube’s popularity for searches. It is a free online streaming service that has new content everyday; therefore, subscribers search YouTube more on the daily compared to Netflix and Hulu. Although each streaming service spiked at the same time during March and November due to the stay home orders placed, YouTube has a strong lead in google search trends.

George Floyd Crushes Google Searches in America

On May 25th, 2020 a tragedy, George Floyd, a 46-year old African American male was murdered by policemen. Derek Chauvin, a Caucasian police officer, was restricting Floyd’s airway by kneeling on his neck for a total of 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Floyd’s death was a tragedy; however it sparked a massive movement known as Black Lives Matter.

According to an analysis of Google Trends search data, George Floyd’s google searches dominated against Black Lives Matter and police brutality. George Floyd google search spiked more on May 31st than on the actual day of the occurrence. This was due to the fact that protests were being organized and people were searching for updates and reports.

These protests were seeking justice for Floyd and all the other African Americans that have lost their life due to police brutality. Individuals organized using #BlackLivesMatter; therefore, it was the second most popular google search according to the trends data. The protest and the hashtag were bringing awareness to the issue.

The issue has a focus on police brutality. Police brutality is the act of an officer using excessive force. This is a deep rooting issue in society. In fact, 1 in every 1,000 black men are expected to be killed by an officer.

Although this is a severe issue, police brutality was the least searched topic in this entire movement. As depicted in the google trends graphic, we see an ever slight spike for the term, but it was nowhere near the other two searches.

In the geographical graphic, we see how the search of George Floyd was spread across America. Floyd’s death made people rally and want answers. Though his life was taken soon, we have people fighting to end police brutality and raise awareness that Black Lives Matter today and everyday.