I'm old enough to remember a pre-YouTube era, where children played happily in the fields and everyone wore fetching hats to church. Now, though, it's a staple of so many of our lives, mine included. And according to YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, it's not just dominating the arena of our phone and desktop PC video watching, but on track to take over television, too.
In a blog post on the, err, YouTube official blog, Mohan takes a moment to mark the internet video sensation's 20th birthday, with his four "big bets" for YouTube in 2025 (via Sweclockers). "YouTube will remain the epicenter of culture", he says. Heavens help us all.
"For more and more people, watching TV means watching YouTube. Viewers are watching, on average, over 1B hours of YouTube content on TVs daily, and TV is now the primary device for YouTube viewing in the U.S" says Mohan.
"It’s interactive and includes things like Shorts (yes, people watch them on TVs), podcasts, and live streams, right alongside the sports, sitcoms and talk shows people already love."
I feel like following a statement on Shorts viewership with a "yes, really" qualifier is perhaps a tad defeatist, but I'll admit that even I watch the occasional YouTube Short. On my TV, though? That's sacrilege, surely.
In other news, YouTube TV apparently has more than eight million subscribers and YouTube Premium has over 100 million happy payees. Given YouTube's increasingly aggressive (and incredibly lucrative) policy of filling my watching hours with ads, I've considered paying for one myself on occasion.
Ah, who am I kidding. That'd eat into my Steam budget, and I feel its kinda like letting that sort of ad-based incentive win. Anyway, Mohan also boldly states that "YouTubers are becoming the startups of Hollywood," as would-be filmmakers are starting off on the platform in the hope of graduating to the really, really big screen:
"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.
"We're committed to meeting creators where they are with tools and features that power their businesses and communities" he continues. "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."
Best gaming PC: The top pre-built machines.
Best gaming laptop: Great devices for mobile gaming.
Ah good, more brands. It seems like most of my favourite creators are now acting like the QVC shopping channel and hawking dubiously-effective wares, although I've not yet been tempted to buy anything simply because a gurning thumbnail-enthusiast has shoved it in my face mid-video.
Still, it must be working in general. There's gold in them thar hills, or so I've been told.
And actually, while it's fun to poke fun, I think Mohan has a point. Even my dear sainted mother has been known to watch YouTube on her televisual box, and if that's not a sign of mass-adoption, I don't know what is. YouTube is on your phone, your desktop browser, and now, it seems, increasingly replacing the other apps on your TV set-top box.
A brave new world indeed. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to tie a ring of daisies in my hair and frolic among the heather. It's a beautiful day outside, y'know?
