YouTube is primarily being watched on TVs, reveals YouTube CEO

New Delhi: There was a time when YouTube was an application offering personal viewing experiences; but things have changed in two decades. In a blog post shared on Tuesday, Neal Mohan, CEO, YouTube, revealed that YouTube is now most watched on televisions. 

Sharing the data for the United States, Mohan highlighted how YouTube is gradually shifting the focus back to horizontal viewing with the television experience getting prominence. He also mentioned the influx of new advertisers attributed to the growth of YouTube on Connected TV (CTV). 

As per the TYNY report by GroupM, India, too, is gaining quick traction with CTV. In 2025, it is estimated that the CTV household base in the country will go beyond 65 million, covering almost 30% Indian TV households. To put things in perspective, YouTube TV has a total subscriber base of 8 million, while Premium + Music has roughly 100 million subscribers, as shared by Mohan. 

YouTube is eyeing innovation within the ambit of CTV. As per Mohan, “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.” YouTube, as Mohan explained, will continue to work in the direction of bringing new formats for advertisers that “work particularly well” on the big screen - QR codes, pause ads, etc. 

Another vertical that Mohan pointed out is thriving is podcasts. Podcasts on YouTube are omnipresent and the video-streaming platform is now the most frequently used service for listening to podcasts in the United States. The key ingredient, according to YouTube, for making this format so alluring is the video vertical. 

“This year we will roll out more tools to support podcasters, improve monetization for creators, and make it even easier to discover podcasts,” Mohan said. 

YouTube has diverse content on its platform and equally diverse will be the sources of monetisation for the creators, Mohan claimed. He 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 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.”