TV is now the primary device for YouTube viewing in the US.
This year marks YouTube’s 20th birthday. In two decades, YouTube has transformed culture through video and built a thriving creative economy. Today’s creators have moved from filming grainy videos of themselves on desktop computers to building studios and producing popular talk shows and feature-length films. And people aren’t just watching YouTube on their computers or phones. TV has surpassed mobile and is now the primary device for YouTube viewing in the U.S. (by watch time),1 and according to Nielsen, YouTube has been #1 in streaming watch time in the U.S. for two years.2 And while it’s still early days, AI is making a big difference in how people create and consume content on YouTube.
Twenty years in, it’s exciting to be at this moment. As I do every year, here are four big bets for YouTube in 2025.
#1: YouTube will remain the epicenter of culture.
For over a decade our mission has been to give everyone a voice and show them the world. That means we provide 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 U.S. Presidential election as Americans came to YouTube for election-related content from a broad range of sources, including Joe Rogan’s interview with President Trump which garnered 55 million views (and counting) and primetime comedy sketches on Saturday Night Live. On election day alone, over 45 million viewers across the U.S. watched content related to the election on YouTube. Some even called it “the YouTube election,” echoing a similar sentiment to the 2008 “YouTube Debates.” From elections to the Olympics to Coachella to the Super Bowl and the Cricket World Cup, the world’s biggest moments play out on YouTube.
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 monetization for creators, and make it even easier to discover podcasts.
YouTube is also a stage for cultural exchange, where content transcends borders. In 2024, more than 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.
More than just a platform, YouTube is the epicenter of culture, and we’re committed to fostering a vibrant community where everyone has a voice.
#2: YouTubers are becoming the startups of Hollywood.
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.
Last November, I attended the opening of Alan Chikin Chow’s 10,000 square foot studio in Burbank. It was a bold, fun and colorful space filled with cutting edge equipment that produces incredible entertainment watched by millions around the world. 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.
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 more traditional revenue streams like ads and YouTube Premium, while introducing new ways for creators to partner with brands to bring their products to life.
Like startups everywhere, creators are also getting savvy about finding new ways to build their businesses, and we’re unlocking more ways for them to earn. Last year, more than 50% of channels earning five figures or more (USD)3 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 recently shared with us that she generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales from a single video reviewing cashmere cardigans. And last year we saw more than a 40% increase in channel memberships.4
We’re also introducing a whole new level of interaction on the platform, giving fans more ways to engage with and support the creators and communities they love. We just opened Communities to thousands more creators and we’ll continue expanding access this year. We’ll also bring Hype, a new feature that helps fans rally around up and coming creators, to more markets around the world.
It’s still the very early stages of what creator-led startups will achieve and we’ll be there to support them at every step of the journey.
