By Gavin Boyle
For the third straight month, YouTube was the most popular TV distributor, accounting for nearly one eighth of all TV usage for the month of April.
“For more and more people, watching TV means watching YouTube. Viewers are watching, on average, over 1 billion hours of YouTube continent on TVs daily, and TV is now the primary device for YouTube viewing in the U.S.,” YouTube CEO Neal Mohan wrote in a February blog post. “But the ‘new’ television doesn’t look like the ‘old’ television. It’s interactive and including things like Shorts, podcasts, and live streams, right alongside the sports, sitcoms and talk shows people already love.”
In April, YouTube accounted for 12.4% of all TV usage, beating out Disney at second place with 10.7% of all TV usage, followed by Paramount (8.9%), NBC Universal (8.2%) and Netflix (7.5%), per Nielsen. YouTube being at the top of all TV distributors is nothing new, as, along with April extending a three month streak, it has been trading first and second place with Disney since November 2023.
Independent content creators who are willing to takes risks which Hollywood studios no longer will fuel YouTube’s dominance. As corporate media begins to play it safer and safer with its content, content creators who produce creative and innovative content are drawing more and more viewers – to YouTube’s benefit.
The platform is following this innovative spirit, working to deliver new experiences that draw in even more viewers. Mohan previously explained how YouTube is working to offer new TV experiences that differ from traditional viewing.
“As more creators produce content for the big screen, we’re bringing the best of YouTube to TVs, including a second screen experience that lest you use your phone to interact with the video you’re watching on TV – for example, to leave a comment of make a purchase,” he said. “We’re also experimenting with a new feature called Watch With, which enables creators to provide live commentary with real time reactions to games and events.
YouTube is also treating its creators well, always looking for ways to allow for more revenue generation. Earlier this month, the platform revealed it will be paying its Shorts creators the same ad-revenue split as its long-form creators. This is a major step forward for these creators who often earn pennies on the dollar compared to their long-form counterparts.
As streaming continues to transform the TV landscape, it is interesting to see how unexpected players, like YouTube, rise to the top. While YouTube currently seems unstoppable, it remains to be seen if others will transform their platforms to better compete.
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