Streaming the news away? Video and audio streaming entertainment and news use in the United Kingdom and Brazil

The rapid rise of streaming platforms has transformed how people consume video and audio content, yet little is known about how this shift affects news use. While prior work emphasizes social media’s role in shaping news consumption, the move from linear broadcasting to streaming introduces technological logics that may reshape opportunities for news exposure. This study examines those who use streaming entertainment more often than linear TV and radio, tests whether they are less likely to encounter news incidentally and asks whether they compensate via streaming platforms. Using nationally representative surveys from the United Kingdom and Brazil, we find that greater relative streaming use is associated with lower incidental exposure and lower traditional news use via TV and radio. It is, however, linked to higher news use on YouTube, but not through podcasts. These patterns, alongside streaming’s popularity among younger audiences, suggest it may reinforce age-related divides in news engagement.