YouTube dominates CTV streaming in India with 4x viewership growth in 3 years: CEO Neal Mohan

New Delhi: YouTube is the most streamed service on connected TVs (CTV) in India, with viewership growing fourfold in the last three years, said YouTube CEO Neal Mohan ​​during his first visit to the country after being appointed CEO of YouTube in February last year.

"Creators and artists have business strategies, writers' rooms, and production teams. They're creating programs that people love to watch. And along the way, they're redefining entertainment, news, and education. And they're driving growth on YouTube. YouTube is the most watched streaming service on CTVs here," Mohan said at YouTube’s annual Brandcast event held in Delhi.

The platform's evolution as a television destination was underscored by the fact that the number of top creators receiving the majority of their watch time on the big screen has surged by over 400% in the past three years. "Creators are continually innovating to produce worlds of content that foster community and allow fans to explore what they love," Mohan added.

Mohan emphasised the extraordinary growth of Indian creators, with over 11,000 channels boasting more than a million subscribers—a 50% increase year-over-year. "Creators in this country are doing more than just sharing their stories," Mohan said. "They're sharing Indian culture with the entire world."

YouTube Shorts, a 60-second video format which made its global debut in India in 2020, has surpassed a trillion views, said the CEO as he highlighted the global impact of Indian content creators.

"Indian creators are making videos inspired by local trends that go on to define global culture. YouTube is number one in reach and watch time in India. And we just passed a huge milestone. Shorts, which we first launched in India, now have trillions of views here," he said.

Key statistics he stated during the Brandcast event:

• Over 11,000 Indian YouTube channels with over a million subscribers
• The number of top creators with majority watch time on TV increased by over 400% in three years
• YouTube is the most-watched streaming service on CTVs in India
• YouTube Shorts is the most used short-form video platform in India
• 82% of YouTube-connected TV viewers in India prefer YouTube over linear TV

As viewer habits evolve, YouTube is committed to providing advertisers with effective tools to reach their target audience. The company unveiled new initiatives to tap into top creators, enhance interactivity on TV screens, and strengthen connections with viewers in the living room.

Mohan also announced significant advancements in AI technology. "We've launched AI tools that empower human creativity," he said. "Just last month, we started to roll out DreamScreen here. It lets you create AI-generated backgrounds for shorts just by typing in an idea."

YouTube unveiled a range of new ad formats for cTV and Shorts, to enhance engagement and augment results for brands.

It introduced interactive stickers and gestures, and animated image ads for YouTube shorts.

It also launched Pause Ads and Branded QR codes for cTV.

While Pause Ads enable non-intrusive viewer engagement during content pauses on the big screen, Branded QR codes extend reach beyond YouTube to premium broadcasters on OTTs via DV360, YouTube said.

"These new ad formats will enable brands to harness the influence, cultural impact and interactive potential of Shorts and Connected TV while catering to the evolving needs of advertisers," a company statement said.

"YouTube is where India comes to connect, be entertained, and be inspired, regardless of whether it's a Connected TV screen or a mobile one. TV viewing in India has undergone a fundamental shift. We're committed to leading this change by providing the best Connected TV experience and creating ad formats that seamlessly connect marketers with their audiences, on any screen and in any format," Shekar Khosla, Vice-President, Marketing, Google India, said.