CTV has become the fastest-growing screen for us over past 5 years: YouTube

Online Indians are curating personal video universes of an average of five content platforms where YouTube is the "foremost" choice for watching videos, the video streaming platform said on Wednesday.

With millions of viewers watching YouTube on their Connected TVs, it has emerged as the fastest-growing screen for YouTube over the past five years, Google's video streaming platform further said while citing rising traction of Shorts and content uploads, as well its growing `Gen Z' appeal.

YouTube, in a statement, said it is the platform of choice for four out of every five people online.

"As the number of Internet-enabled households equals TV households, viewers are bringing YouTube onto the large screens in their living spaces. With millions of viewers watching YouTube on their Connected TVs, it has emerged as the fastest growing screen for YouTube over the past five years," it said.

With creators using Shorts (the short-form video) as another tool in their arsenal to express themselves, YouTube Shorts' average daily views grew by over 120% year-on-year.

"Giving further definition to their content curation, 33% of Connected TV consumers in urban India do not watch linear TV at all, with logged-in viewers averaging 2.5 hours of YouTube watch time per day," it said.

Satya Raghavan, Director, Marketing Partners, Google India said YouTube being the platform of choice for four out of every five people online, is a testament to the unflagging contribution and inventiveness of India's vast and growing creator economy.

"Marketers have responded to this heterogeneity by tapping into YouTube's unique environment to reach their consumers at the right time, in their preferred language, in the right need state, on the right device, with the right creative, and with their most appropriate products," Raghavan added.

According to the release, YouTube Shorts continues to rise in popularity among viewers in India with 96% aged between 18 to 44 using YouTube Shorts.

"Shorts watchtime now also transcends devices with 88% of online 18-44-year-olds watching short-form video content on a TV over the past 12 months," as per YouTube.

Viewers in India are also splitting their viewing time across many different video formats, spending no more than 21% of their viewing time watching one format.

"YouTube is Gen Z's choice as the number 1 place they would spend their entire viewing session, significantly more than social media platforms," it said referring to the current generation of young people.

YouTube content uploads grew 40%, it further said.

"Together with the total hours of content uploaded to YouTube by channels in India growing by over 40% in June 2023 versus June 2022, 35-plus adults averaged over 70 minutes of YouTube per day in this month," it said.

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