YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has published a letter to the platform’s creators in which he confirms that “TV is now the primary device for YouTube viewing in the US”.
In what has become something of a tradition, Mohan also gave an insight into his future plans by outlining “four big bets for YouTube in 2025”.
YouTube will remain the epicenter of culture: Mohan claimed YouTube provides “a platform for free speech and creative expression unlike any other. This vibrant ecosystem fuels cultural trends and fandom – music videos, trending Shorts, episodic content and hour-long live streams. This was clear in the lead up to the 2024 US Presidential election as Americans came to YouTube for election-related content from a range of sources, including Joe Rogan’s interview with President Trump which garnered 55 million views. On election day, over 45 million viewers across the U.S. watched content related to the election on YouTube.”
Expanding on this point, Mohan said: “One of the most relevant formats driving culture – podcasts – is thriving on YouTube. YouTube is now the most frequently used service for listening to podcasts in the U.S. We’ve long invested in the podcast experience and creators have found that video makes this format even more compelling. This year we’ll roll out more tools to support podcasters, improve monetisation for creators, and make it even easier to discover podcasts.”
On a separate note, Mohan said YouTube is also “a stage for cultural exchange, where content transcends borders. In 2024, 95% of French creator Sarah Lezito’s watch time came from outside of France. And The Amazing Digital Circus, an animated series from the Australian-based channel GLITCH, became a global sensation, appearing in YouTube’s annual End of Year list across eight countries.”
YouTubers are becoming the startups of Hollywood: Mohan said every thriving industry needs a healthy startup culture. “Creators are bringing that startup mindset to Hollywood: leaning into new models of production, building studios to elevate their production quality, and exploring new creative avenues. They are creating a whole new playing field for entertainment and the businesses behind them.”
Mohan referenced the opening of Alan Chikin Chow’s 10,000 square foot studio in Burbank. “And this isn’t just happening in Hollywood: Kinigra Deon is building a studio in Birmingham, Alabama, and last November the creators behind channels Mia Plays and Kouman opened their studio in North Vancouver”.
Mohan said: “We’re committed to meeting creators where they are with tools and features that power their businesses and communities. We’ll continue to support their growth through traditional revenue streams like ads and YouTube Premium, while introducing new ways for creators to partner with brands.”
Last year, according to Mohan, “more than 50% of channels earning five figures or more (US$) on YouTube made money from sources other than ads & YouTube Premium. Shopping recommendations are also becoming a key revenue stream for many creators, like Bora Claire who shared with us that she generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales from a single video reviewing cashmere cardigans.”
YouTube is the new television: Reinforcing his main theme, Mohan said: “For more and more people, watching TV means watching YouTube. Viewers are watching, on average, over 1bn hours of YouTube content on TVs daily, and TV is now the primary device for YouTube viewing in the US.”
This “new” television doesn’t look like the “old” television, said Mohan. “It’s interactive and includes things like Shorts (yes, people watch them on TVs), podcasts, and live streams, right alongside the sports, sitcoms and talk shows people already love. As more creators produce content for the big screen, we’re bringing the best of YouTube to TVs, including a second screen experience that lets you use your phone to interact with the video you’re watching on TV — for example, to leave a comment or make a purchase. We’re also experimenting with a new feature called Watch With, which enables creators to provide live commentary and real time reactions to games and events.”
YouTube’s growth on connected TVs is also attracting new advertisers, and the platform continues to introduce formats that work well on the big screen, like QR codes and pause ads. “Our subscription services are seeing a lot of momentum, too: YouTube TV has more than 8 million subscribers and YouTube Music & Premium has more than 100 million subscribers (including trials).”
AI will make it easier to create and enhance the YouTube experience: No surprise that Mohan made AI one of his big bets. “AI has long been a part of our journey, from powering recommendations to producing captions to helping us identify and remove harmful content,” he said. “As we look ahead, we’ll continue investing in AI tools that empower creators and artists throughout their creative journey. Last year we rolled out Dream Screen and Dream Track which generate image backgrounds, video backgrounds and instrumental soundtracks for Shorts. We’ll continue investing in these features, integrating Veo 2 into Dream Screen.”
Mohan added: “Creators tell us they’re excited about the ways AI can help with their bread-and-butter production. That’s why we’re investing in tools to help them in the everyday work of creation, like coming up with a new video idea, title or thumbnail. We’re also using AI to help creators find new audiences. For videos with dubbed audio, more than 40% of the total watch time comes from viewers choosing to listen in a dubbed language. Last year we launched auto dubbing, which helps creators translate their videos into multiple languages with a touch of a button.”
