FIFA World Cup 2026 has officially become YouTube's most-viewed FIFA World Cup in history, pushing lifetime views for videos related to the current and past FIFA World Cups past 200 billion views, the streamer reported.

Overall, more than 1.7 billion unique viewers globally watched World Cup-related videos on YouTube during the FIFA World Cup 2026, including over 550 million that watched on their televisions.

Official YouTube broadcasts of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final match between Spain and Argentina on July 19 drew over 21 million average minute audience (AMA) across more than 40 markets. Together, they reached a peak of over 27 million concurrent viewers on YouTube.

The data was released in a blog post by Angela Courtin

Vice president of sports and entertainment marketing on YouTube and Justin Connolly, vice president, global head of media and sports, YouTube.

They also reported that FIFA’s official YouTube channel amassed over 4 billion views and added over 7.5 million new subscribers between June 11-July 19. The channel now has over 34 million global subscribers.

The YouTube executives also noted that the tournament also redefined what it means to be a soccer (or fútbol) fan, with a global roster of creators with a combined 350 million YouTube videos related to the FIFA World Cup uploaded by its creator roster accumulated over 2.5 billion views globally.

YouTube also hosted the first YouTube FIFA Creator Cup exhibition match on July 12, live from Central Park, New York. Led by team captains IShowSpeed and Celine Dept, the official live streams for the event drew over 10 million live views globally, including broadcasts from FIFA’s official channel, participating creators and official broadcasters, the blog said.

YouTube has released a new study showing that in 2025, YouTube’s creative ecosystem contributed over $60 billion to the U.S. GDP and supported more than 540,000 full-time equivalent jobs.

The economic analysis was done by Oxford Economics for the YouTube Report released on July 16.

The study also stressed that the impact is nationwide for both rural and urban areas. YouTube reported that currently all 50 states have at least 10 channels with over 1 million monthly views. Those views translate into business growth: 76% of small- and medium-sized businesses with a YouTube channel say YouTube played a role in helping them grow their customer base by reaching new audiences.

The study also found that 77% of creators say their media and entertainment career started on YouTube.

Other key findings include:

• 87% of viewers report watching music videos, music festivals, or awards ceremonies on YouTube in the last year and 67% of viewers report discussing a YouTube video together with a friend or family member on a monthly basis, rising to 72% for Gen Z.
• 94% of teachers who use YouTube report using YouTube content directly in their lessons and/or assignments, with 81% stating it provides access to educational content that students would not otherwise have. At home, 78% of parents who use YouTube say YouTube (or YouTube Kids for children under 13) provides quality content for their children's learning and/or entertainment.

The full report is available here.

In response to how short-form video has changed since YouTube Shorts launched over five years ago, YouTube has launched a number of new features and updates that aim to produce a cleaner, more intuitive experience.

In a blog post, YouTube described some of the new interface adjustments and new features that will be hitting Shorts soon as follows:

• A new Clear Screen mode will hide all icons and text, stripping away the clutter for an immersive distraction-free view.
• You can now double the playback speed on a Short to absorb information more quickly or find your favorite part faster.
• We're introducing the ❤️ icon to replace the thumbs-up, providing a more meaningful way to express when you connect with a video.
• The “Dislike” button is retiring, so you can more specifically tailor your viewing experience using the “Not Interested” and “Don’t recommend this channel” options.

As streaming TV continues reshaping the global media landscape, new research from DoubleVerify shows that marketers are increasing investment across the world’s largest streaming platforms, with YouTube leading the way.

The findings are part of DV’s newly released 2026 Global Insights report, “Must-CTV: Streaming’s Shift From Promise to Performance,” which draws on proprietary DV measurement data spanning billions of impressions from DV-protected campaigns. It also uses controlled tests where protection controls were not applied, as well as surveys of more than 2,000 marketers and 22,000 consumers across more than 20 global markets.

Key findings include:

• 70% of marketers said they increased streaming investment in YouTube over the last year
• 65% increased investment in Netflix
• 59% increased investment in Amazon Prime
• 48% increased investment in Samsung streaming environments
• The findings underscore the continued acceleration of advertiser investment into premium streaming TV environments as marketers look to reach increasingly fragmented audiences across connected TV (“CTV”) platforms.

“Globally, streaming TV has become a core part of the modern media mix,” said Collette Spagnolo, vice president of marketing, integrated marketing and analytics at DoubleVerify. “Marketers are recognizing the value of platforms where consumers are spending more of their viewing time, particularly environments that can deliver both scale and measurable business outcomes.”

The report also reflects broader industry momentum around streaming TV as advertisers seek greater performance, transparency, and engagement in premium video environments.

Must-CTV: Streaming’s Shift From Promise to Performance, the first of DV’s 2026 Global Insights reports, is now available here.

This year’s NAB Show is focusing its lens onto the exploding content creator economy, with conferences and special exhibit areas showcasing the tech and programming.

Bridging the two worlds of online content creation and traditional broadcast will be discussed in a number of sessions, including one with Jefferson Graham, a Los Angeles based writer-photographer.

Jefferson is the host of the PhotowalksTV travel series on Scripps News and YouTube, a photography instructor for Kelbyone.com, the author of the popular Substack Photowalks newsletter and a former tech columnist for USA TODAY.

“From YouTube to TV (and Back): Building a Cross-Platform Content Brand,” takes place on Monday April 20, 4 PM-5 PM in Rm. 239/241 of the Las Vegas Convention Center during the show.

Jefferson, whose “Photowalks TV” YouTube channel hosts more than 1,000 videos and more than 36,000 subscribers, will discuss how his relationship with Scripps News group evolved over time, moving from weekly updates on a morning news show to his own hosted show.

“I was brought on to be a travel contributor to Scripps News and to go on the air every Friday morning with travel segments,” he said. “At a certain point, I went to the guy who brought me on, and said ‘I'd like to do a whole TV show based on my YouTube channel’ and he said, ‘well, send me something.”

“So I sent him some ideas, and that was on a Friday,” Jefferson continued. “On Monday, he told me, ‘you're on the air in two weeks. We're going to do six episodes, but you're going to expand the YouTube show into a half hour—half hour being 22 minutes—and you're going to do it in three segments. You're going to do an 11 minute segment, a seven minute segment and a four minute segment. That's how we do it in TV.'”

Jefferson said the tone was also different. “On YouTube, the series was about visiting great places and showing viewers where to find the best photo spots,” he said. “For TV, I re-jiggered it into a traditional travel show, one that's shot on a phone, with four minutes of photo tips at the end of each show.”

Planning for a TV show—with its strict time limitations—was probably the biggest challenge transitioning from YouTube to TV, Jefferson said.

"I did episode on Barcelona as a YouTuber, and I had 10 minutes of content… I didn't have 22 and I can't go fly over to Barcelona, to go finish it, right? So that was a challenge,” he said. “But the way you fix that is you just know going in that you're making a TV show, and you're not going to have that problem again, so you just shoot more stuff.”

There are also legal issues that differentiate the two platforms, according to Jefferson. He has used royalty-free background music and obtained other music from some low-cost subscriptions for his YouTube channel but he ran into some rights issues when moving to TV.

“When I made the deal with Scripps, I started off recutting some of my older episodes, and I had to wipe the soundtracks clean and start over again with new music,” he said. “But I have an advantage that most people don't have—I play the guitar, so I'll just record a soundtrack and put it on there. And then my brother is a professional pianist, and I'll call him, and tell him I need some ‘driving music.’”

The half-hour “Photowalks on Scripps News,” airs at 10 AM (ET) on Sunday mornings and replayed at 10 PM (ET) that night, with the previous week’s episode rerun at 10:30 PM on Scripps News affiliate stations. Jefferson says budding content creators who want to get the attention of their local TV stations have a great opportunity in YouTube to experiment with their program strategy.

“I would do what most people are doing, put every story up, put extended interviews, do live chats with my anchors. I would use everything at my disposal to shoot the vertical videos I've done interviews with Scripps reporters,” he said. “One of them was a digital reporter in San Diego, and she shot the interview vertically, because that's how they wanted to run it. I would use every, every avenue available to reach the audience, wherever they are.”

Jefferson says the relationship with Scripps also pays off when he visits communities where Scripps owns a local TV station.

“I get to work with some of the local people there, so big shout out to WCPO in Cincinnati!” he said. “They spent a day with me shooting and then I also went on the air and did a segment with them, that was fantastic,” adding that he also worked with local broadcasters in Detroit, San Diego and Missoula Mont as well

Jefferson adds that the two platforms work off of each other, and as a result boost viewership for both outlets. Since launching in the fall of 2024, more than 70 episodes have been broadcast on Scripps and Jefferson says the relationship has been lucrative. Without revealing his financial arrangement, Jefferson said “it's great because they pay a lot more than YouTube does.”

To register for the NAB Show, visit www.nabshow.com.

PARIS—Ateme HAS announced that its Ateme Encoding products & services are now included in YouTube’s Live verified encoders list, including support for SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) output as part of the certification.

This validation confirms that Ateme’s TITAN meets YouTube’s technical and performance requirements for reliable, high-quality live streaming workflows using SRT contribution. Ateme enables creators and content owners to securely and efficiently deliver low-latency live content to YouTube over unmanaged networks, with enhanced resilience, and secure transmission.

“We are proud to receive the official YouTube seal of approval for our TITAN encoding solution,” said François Guilleautot, head of new media at Ateme. “This milestone is a testament to our commitment to making the best video quality available to all customers in the live streaming industry.”

Ateme’s live encoding and processing technologies are designed to operate in the most demanding live production environments, on-premises, in the cloud, or as SaaS, offering advanced compression efficiency, industry leading video quality across all major codecs including AV1, as well as features such as HDR support and low-latency streaming.

Ateme’s TITAN solution powers the live encoding to YouTube for CazéTV, the Brazilian YouTube channel that says it has hosted 5 of the 10 most viewed live events on YouTube.

FIFA announced today that it has selected YouTube as its “preferred platform” for the 2026 World Cup, taking place in North America in June and July.

Fox Sports and Telemundo—the U.S. host broadcasters for the World Cup—are YouTube’s media partners for the World Cup in the U.S.; in Canada it’s Bell Media and in Mexico, it's TelevisaUnivision and TV Azteca.

As its media partners, the deal will allow the host broadcasters to share premium content on their YouTube channels, including extended highlights, behind-the-scenes footage, Shorts and video-on-demand content.

In addition, for the first time in the event’s history, media partners will have the option of live streaming the first 10 minutes of every match on their YouTube channel, as well be able to stream a select number of matches in full on their YouTube channel.

FIFA will also give select YouTube creators “unparalleled access” to FIFA's Digital Archive from its official YouTube channel as well as to live matches. FIFA says this coverage will help highlight the human drama and tactical elements of the World Cup.

Calling the event “a global cultural moment that demands a stage as large as its legacy,” Justin Connolly, vice president YouTube Global Head of Media & Sports, said the “game-changing event” will deliver “an immersive FIFA World Cup experience, where premium content from the tournament’s media partners and creators live side-by-side, everywhere YouTube is available.”

“FIFA is delighted to welcome YouTube as a Preferred Platform for the FIFA World Cup 2026. By spotlighting FIFA’s premium content and unlocking new opportunities for Media Partners and creators, this agreement will engage global fans in ways never seen before,” said FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström. “As the world’s attention turns to the action in Canada, Mexico and the United States, this collaboration with YouTube reinforces our ambition to maximise the tournament’s impact across the ever-evolving media landscape, offering fans everywhere easy access to an immersive view of the biggest single-sport event in history.”

Little more than two decades old, Alpha’s YouTube service has been crowned the world’s largest media company by a prominent research firm.

Financial research firm MoffettNathanson has estimated that the streaming service, which reportedly earned $60 billion in revenue in 2025, actually brought in $62 billion last year, which would exceed The Walt Disney Co.’s $60.9 billion revenues earned in its media business in 2025.

MoffettNathanson had already crowned YouTube as the “new king of all media” and values the streaming service at an estimated $500-560 billion, which outpaces its closest rival, Netflix, with a current market cap of just under $509 billion.

YouTube earned more than $40 billion in ad revenue in 2025 and also takes in revenues from its subscription services, which include YouTube Premium, YouTube Music, NFL Sunday Ticket, and the YouTube TV virtual multichannel video service, which has about 10 million in subscriptions. YouTube says it has paid $100 billion to creators, music companies and media partners.

The researcher says the streaming service shows no signs of slowing down.

“Over the next few years, unlike almost any other asset we cover, we strongly believe that YouTube will be a major beneficiary of both the structural tailwinds and headwinds facing technology and media companies,” Michael Nathanson wrote in his report.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden—YouTube Live has added the Net Insight Nimbra Edge and Nimbra 400 series to its list of verified encoders.

Inclusion on the list confirms that YouTube has evaluated the Net Insight encoding solutions for live encoder compatibility and operational performance, giving broadcasters and content owners an additional layer of confidence when scaling live distribution to YouTube.

“Broadcasters want the freedom to distribute to every relevant platform without adding fragility to their live operations,” said Net Insight CEO Andreas Eriksson. “Being listed as a YouTube Live verified encoder is a practical proof point, we’ve collaborated closely on the required testing, demonstrating that our solutions are built to run stable, observable live delivery workflows at scale.”

YouTube publishes a list of verified software and hardware encoders to help organizations select solutions that meet its live ingest expectations. Nimbra Edge is listed under software encoders, and Nimbra 400 is listed under hardware encoders.

Broadcasters can stream to YouTube using non-verified encoders. However, verification indicates the encoder has passed detailed testing designed to reduce risk in live operations, including ingest compatibility, sustained stability and robust behavior during fault conditions. For YouTube workflows where SRT ingest is enabled, verification also supports more predictable reliable delivery behavior over SRT.

Audience and monetization strategies increasingly require publishers to diversify outputs across platforms while maintaining operational control. In practice, many teams start with YouTube for pop-up events, experimentation and incremental feeds—then expand into broader, always-on distribution and “YouTube first” approaches as usage grows.

With Nimbra Edge and Nimbra 400 now verified, organizations can adopt YouTube as an endpoint with greater confidence, while keeping workflows consistent across managed IP, internet and cloud environments.

"YouTube's verification program is designed to give content owners confidence that the technology they choose will perform consistently when delivering live streams to YouTube,” said Callum Hewett, Live Solutions consultant at YouTube. “It’s been great working closely with the Net Insight team; their Nimbra Edge and Nimbra 400 have successfully completed our rigorous testing for SRT and RTMP ingest, demonstrating stable and reliable ingestion.”

More information is available on the company’s website.

LONDON—A new study highlights the growing importance of video podcasts for both media companies and consumers with data showing that video podcasts are rapidly going mainstream. An Ampere Analysis survey finds that one in five internet users are now watching them on social platforms and that YouTube is the most popular platform.

Their rapid growth highlights the increasing strategic importance of video podcasts as platforms invest in cost-effective formats to drive engagement and compete for audiences, the researcher reported.

Daniel Monaghan, Senior Research Manager at Ampere Analysis, explained that “As platforms vie for time spent, lower-cost long formats become increasingly appealing. Video podcasts offer these by providing easy viewing akin to linear chat shows. Netflix’s recent deals with Spotify and Gary Lineker’s Goalhanger highlight the growing importance being placed on this format by major players, especially as they look to take on YouTube’s dominance.”

Key findings from the study include:

• 20% of Internet users globally watched video podcasts on social video platforms in the past month (Q3 2025).
• YouTube is the go-to platform for video podcasts, with 11% of Internet users having watched one on its service in the past month. TikTok is proving popular for clips.
• Those aged 18-34 are 24% more likely than average to have watched a podcast.
• Audiences who watch video podcasts are also more engaged with the audio versions. 60% of podcast viewers also listen at least a few times a week, compared with 36% of Internet users on average.
• Video podcasts are particularly popular in mobile-first markets such as Brazil, India, Indonesia and Malaysia, but 20% of Internet users in markets such as Spain, the US and Canada are now also engaging.

The data is from Ampere's Media Consumer survey, which runs biannually across 30 global markets and samples 56,000 Internet users aged 18 to 64 per wave.

NEW YORK—While YouTube continues to attract the largest share of TV viewing, January 2026 data shows that Disney captured the largest month-over-month gain in Nielsen’s January 2026 Media Distributor Gauge report, a monthly view of total TV consumption aggregated by parent company.

The report also noted that in January television viewing reached a 12-month high, Disney added 1.2 share points and finished with 11.9% of total television viewing in January, nearly tying its Media Distributor Gauge best (12.0% in January 2025), and bringing it within 0.6 share points of YouTube’s 12.5% lead.

Disney’s momentum was primarily fueled by ESPN’s coverage of the College Football Playoffs and Championship games, which drove an 82% monthly viewing increase on the network and contributed nearly a full share point to Disney’s total.

Disney also got a boost from its ABC affiliates, with viewing up 10% among them on the strength of multiple NFL games, the Citrus Bowl, the return of broadcast dramas, and seasonal staples like "New Year’s Rockin’ Eve" and "The Rose Bowl Parade". ABC’s "High Potential" and "ABC World News Tonight" were notably the top broadcast programs in each of their respective genres in January.

Netflix represented 8.8% of TV usage in January and maintained the No. 3 rank among distributors. Netflix’s overall usage was up slightly in January (+1%), and its original series "Stranger Things" claimed the top streaming program for a second consecutive month.

NFL games carried on NBC, plus simulcasts on Peacock, were a key factor in the 5% overall increase to NBCU-Versant this month. Peacock also benefited from a new season of its original series "The Traitors". Additionally, Telemundo affiliates saw a 13% jump in viewership powered by the sports reality hit "Exatlón", bringing the network’s monthly share contribution to 0.7 points. Overall, NBCU-Versant represented 8.5% of TV viewership in January (+0.3 points vs. December).

Fox climbed to 7.4% of TV viewership in January (+0.4 share points). This growth was largely underpinned by a 17% jump in viewing on Fox News Channel, which accounted for more than half (+0.25 share points) of Fox’s monthly share increase.

Led by increases on FYI (+46%) and Lifetime (+14%), A&E’s combined viewership climbed 8% in January (+0.1 share point) and moved up one slot in the distributor rankings.

Nielsen noted that while Versant formally completed its spin-off of NBCUniversal cable networks in early January, advertising sales for both entities have been retained by NBCU. For this reason, and to preserve data trends and insights in these reports, Nielsen said that NBCU and Versant will be reported together in the Media Distributor Gauge. However, to further acknowledge the change, the companies’ respective shares will be included in the Media Distributor Gauge chart.

The January 2026 interval spanned four weeks, from 12/29/2025 through 01/25/2026. Nielsen reporting follows the broadcast calendar, with weekly intervals beginning on Monday.

OSLO, Norway—Appear, a global provider of live production technology, today announced that its X Platform has been officially verified by YouTube for Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) live streaming. This verification enables broadcasters, rights holders, and production teams to deliver high-quality live content to YouTube using Appear’s X5, X10, and X20 hardware platforms, providing a seamless, resilient and low-latency high-quality streaming workflow for news, sports, and live event coverage, the company said..

“Becoming a YouTube-verified encoder partner is a significant step forward for us and our customers,” said Thomas Bostrøm Jørgensen, CEO at Appear. “It reinforces our position in professional-grade IP contribution and gives our users a powerful new route to reach global audiences across one of the most important platforms in digital media.”

Appear says its partnership with YouTube was prompted when a major European broadcast platform approached YouTube to request support for Appear’s encoders in their production pipeline. That initiated a collaboration between Appear and YouTube, culminating in full verification for Appear’s hardware-based AVC/HEVC encoding and SRT streaming, further expanding Appear’s reach across a broader ecosystem of FAST, OTT and hybrid broadcasters.

“YouTube collaborates with technology partners to ensure their products meet our highest standards for reliability and performance when streaming to YouTube Live” says Callum Hewett, Live Solutions Consultant, YouTube. “We’re pleased to verify Appear’s X Platform for SRT delivery which we hope will streamline content delivery for all of their partners. It’s been great working with Appear on this and I look forward to seeing high-quality, resilient live production workflows delivered to YouTube via the Appear platforms.”

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—Willow by Cricbuzz, the destination for live, streaming, and on-demand cricket in the US and Canada, has announced a variety of updates to kick off the 2026 cricket season, starting with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, taking place February 7 through March 8.

Willow has entered into a partnership with YouTube, allowing fans to watch all four Team USA matches of the ICC T20 World Cup for free on YouTube. This will be the first time ever that ICC World Cup matches will be available for consumers across the US and Canada for free, on the largest global video platform. The Team USA matches will also be available for free for consumers on Willow and Cricbuzz.

In addition, Willow has partnered with Jomboy Media to introduce a creator-led alternate telecast, available on the Jomboy Media YouTube channel, designed to bring a more in-depth, personality-driven viewing experience to marquee matchups.

Beyond the four USA matches, all the ICC T20 World Cup matches will be available on Willow’s linear channel in the YouTube TV “NFL RedZone with Sports Plus” package and via Willow’s Primetime Channels service accessible from the Willow YouTube channel.

Willow by Cricbuzz is also rolling out an all-new product experience across its website, mobile apps and connected TV apps, built to be faster, deliver higher-quality video, and make it simpler for fans to access live matches, replays and highlights.

“The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup gives fans a chance to experience cricket at a true breakout moment in the U.S.,” said Todd Myers, chief operating officer of Willow by Cricbuzz. “More than a decade ago, major ICC World Cup matches in the U.S. required $100-plus pay-per-view access. We helped bring the sport into an affordable monthly subscription, and now we are taking the next step by offering free access to some of the most anticipated matches of the year, alongside new creator-led programming and a viewing experience built for how fans engage with the game today.

"We're thrilled to partner with Willow by Cricbuzz to bring T20 World Cup USA cricket matches to YouTube for free, enabling our large audience of passionate sports fans the ability to engage with both the main livestream and an alternative creator-led livestream featuring Jomboy Media", said Marc Hatfield, partnerships manager at YouTube. "Existing & new cricket fans will have the opportunity to hear live commentary with unique perspectives that only the YouTube creator community can deliver."

To watch the entire World Cup, fans can subscribe directly to Willow by Cricbuzz directly or through Amazon, YouTube Primetime Channels, Triller TV and FloSports.

More information is available on the Willow by Cricbuzz website.

PORTSMOUTH, NH—Video content created for social media video platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram is having an increasing influence on viewer habits and redefining the concept of TV viewing, according to a new report from Hub.

YouTube has topped Nielsen’s TV viewing charts since 2024, as creators secure high-profile studio deals that rival—and often surpass—those of traditional producers. Streamers are inking major video podcast deals, and the buzz on 3-minute microdramas may finally deliver where Quibi fell short.

Hub Entertainment Research's latest "Video Redefined" study confirms that, beyond traditional TV and movies, the definition of what comprises "watching TV" is broader than ever.

Fielded in December 2025, key findings include:

• Since 2022, weekly TV and movie viewing is down by two hours, while social/creator viewing has held steady. Weekly TV & movie viewing has declined from 21 to 19 hours per week, while viewing of social/creator video viewing has remained steady at about 11 hours per week.
• Viewing of social/creator video is growing stronger among older viewers over 35. Older viewers 35+ are continuing to increase how much they watch social/creator videos, an opportunity to deliver even more to satisfy that growing audience.
• Watching short YouTube videos on the big TV is just as much fun as watching longer TV shows & movies, especially for younger Gen Z viewers 13-34. Well over half of Gen Z viewers embrace YouTube viewing on the TV, compared to less than 4 in 10 viewers age 35+.
• But guilt is often a by-product of social video viewing: more than half of young viewers think they spend too much time watching social. Marketers can both lean into supporting the perceived "vice" of social video or use it as opportunity to remind viewers of the redeeming qualities that longer-form content provides.
• Microdramas may have broken the curse of Quibi: More than one in five (22%) viewers say they have watched these mini (1-3 minute) dramatic stories that play out over multiple episodes. They love how easy they are to watch and the dramatic and suspenseful stories they deliver.
• Still, social platforms remain central to how viewers discover longer-form TV and movies, especially for younger viewers. Well over half of viewers age 13-34 say they discover new TV shows and movies from clips they see on places like TikTok and Instagram.

"Viewers embrace how easy and fun it is to watch social and creator videos at YouTube, Tik Tok and Instagram," says Jason Platt Zolov, study author and Senior Consultant at Hub. "As this content continues to migrate from mobile phones to living room TV sets, there's great opportunity to develop even more compelling creator programming - as well as unique ways to promote traditional TV and movies via those social platforms."

These findings come from Hub’s annual “Video Redefined” report, based on a survey conducted among 1,896 US consumers ages 13-74. Interviews were completed in December 2025. A free excerpt of the findings is available on Hub’s website. This report is part of the “Hub Reports” syndicated report series.

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—In a notable example of how major programming rights have been shifting towards streaming, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and YouTube have signed a multi-year deal that will give YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars, beginning in 2029 with the 101st Oscars ceremony and running through 2033.

The Academy reported that the Oscars, including red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, Governors Ball access, and more, will be available live and for free to over 2 billion viewers around the world on YouTube, and to YouTube TV subscribers in the United States.

“We are thrilled to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to be the future home of the Oscars and our year-round Academy programming,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor. “The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible — which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community. This collaboration will leverage YouTube’s vast reach and infuse the Oscars and other Academy programming with innovative opportunities for engagement while honoring our legacy. We will be able to celebrate cinema, inspire new generations of filmmakers and provide access to our film history on an unprecedented global scale.”

“The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry,” said Neal Mohan, CEO, YouTube. “Partnering with the Academy to bring this celebration of art and entertainment to viewers all over the world will inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars’ storied legacy.”

The partnership also will include worldwide access for film fans to other Academy events and programs exclusively on the Oscars YouTube channel. This will include the Governors Awards, the Oscars Nominations Announcement, the Oscars Nominees Luncheon, the Student Academy Awards, the Scientific and Technical Awards, Academy member and filmmaker interviews, film education programs, podcasts, and more.

In addition, through this partnership, the Google Arts & Culture initiative will help provide digital access to select Academy Museum exhibitions and programs and help to digitize components of the Academy Collection—the largest film-related collection in the world, with more than 52 million items.

The Academy said that its U.S. partnership for the Oscars will continue with Disney ABC through the 100th Oscars in 2028, as will the international partnership for the Oscars with Disney’s Buena Vista International.

LONDON—Viewers who remember a time before YouTube existed are the biggest consumers of the platform’s movies and TV shows, according to a new report from Ampere Analysis.

The world’s most-used video platform began adding free theatrical releases to its menu in 2018 and added TV shows in 2022. This traditional programming has become more popular with middle-aged viewers, 35-64, according to the U.K. researcher, with nearly one in five (18%) users saying they watch full-length movies and TV shows on the platform. The findings reveal that older audiences are transforming global viewing habits, with 35-to-64-year-olds driving a surge in long-form, multigenerational viewing that is reshaping how audiences engage with film and television content online, Ampere said.

Approximately 85% of internet users now watch YouTube each month, according to Ampere Analysis’ latest global consumer tracker of 56,000 adults.

The researcher noted that households with children are another key driver of this viewing, suggesting that both parents and grandparents are increasingly tuning into YouTube for family viewing. Ampere calls these viewers of film and TV shows on YouTube “content super-consumers,” who engage with more genres than the general online population.

The share of internet users watching films and TV shows on YouTube varies widely in the 29 markets in Ampere’s survey. It’s 32% in India, 20% in Saudi Arabia, 15% in the U.S., 12% in the U.K. and falls to its lowest in Sweden at 7%.

A range of factors influences YouTube viewing uptake in each market. “In general, countries with fewer on-demand services and a weaker presence of broadcaster catch-up platforms see higher viewing of films and series on YouTube,” Ampere said.

Brazil and Mexico stand out in this regard, offering attractive distribution opportunities for content owners. These markets not only have large audiences for films and series on YouTube, but also report high levels of YouTube viewing on smart TVs, indicating a broad audience engaging with the platform to watch broadcast-style content in premium viewing environments.

“YouTube’s vast audience makes it an attractive partner for content owners seeking to monetise their catalogues and reach beyond their regular audience,” said Ed Ludlow, senior analyst at Ampere Analysis. “But that same scale means viewing behaviors vary widely across demographic groups — it’s crucial that content owners understand who they’re really engaging when distributing content on the platform."

The return of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to ABC not only produced some of the best ratings for the show in a decade, it also highlighted growing audiences on social media that could play an important role in the business decisions ABC parent The Walt Disney Co., Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair will make during their discussions over its future.

After suspending the late-night talk show following Kimmel’s controversial about murdered conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Sept. 17, ABC resumed airing the show on Sept. 23. However, two of the nation's largest station groups, Nexstar and Sinclair, continue to preempt the program.

The show returned to air with a preliminary 0.87 rating among adults aged 18 to 49. That was the best rating for a regularly scheduled episode in a decade since March 12, 2015, ABC reported.

It also had more than 6.26 million total viewers, despite significant preemptions across 23% of U.S. TV households in markets where Nexstar and Sinclair stations did not air the show.

Perhaps even more notable in terms of its future were stats from social media. ABC reported on Sept. 24 that Kimmel’s monologue garnered more than 26 million views across YouTube and social media.

By 11:30 a.m. ET on Sept. 25, the monologue had more than 19 million views on YouTube alone, indicating that a lot of the audience was now bypassing regular broadcast to watch.

These large audiences could play an important role in the ongoing discussions between Nexstar and Sinclair in restoring the show to broadcast in their markets.

The show's YouTube channel currently has more than 21.4 million subscribers, up significantly from the 20 million sub mark passed on Feb. 3 by the program.

If Nexstar and Sinclair decide to continue preempting the show that could prompt even more viewers in their markets, particularly younger audiences, to move their viewing from broadcast TV, where the stations control ad sales, to social media, where YouTube has a very profitable ad business.

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NEW YORK—Nielsen’s rankings of media distributors by their share of total TV viewing saw YouTube, Disney and Netflix remain the top three ranked companies in August as the start of the football season helped Disney and Fox increase their share of TV viewing.

Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge for August showed that #2 ranked Disney climbed to 9.7% of TV watch-time in August (+0.3 share points vs. July), as football coverage helped drive a 4% bump for ABC affiliates and a 25% surge for ESPN. The viewing impact from Fox affiliates contributed to a 14% monthly uptick, leading #6-ranked Fox to represent 6.7% of TV (+0.2 points).

While the effects of a new football season will not be fully evident until September, its late-month impact was a clear indicator of what’s to come, Nielsen researchers reported.

When comparing the first and last weeks of the August interval (07/28/25-08/03/25 vs. 08/25/25-08/31/25), viewing to Fox affiliates was up 36%, ABC affiliates gained 29%, and ESPN surged 196%, which was due at least in part to a memorable season premiere of College GameDay.

What’s more, Disney’s share of TV started at 8.9% in the first week of the month, and concluded with 11.5% of TV in the final week.

This football-driven surge countered the back-to-school drop in viewing among school-aged audiences, with streaming viewership being the most impacted by this group, a dynamic that was previously described in the August report of The Gauge.

Top-ranked YouTube gave up 0.3 share points and finished the month with a 13.1% share of TV. Meanwhile, Netflix held steady in third, behind Disney in second, with 8.7% of television (-0.1 point) on the strength of owning the top four streaming titles of the month.

Beyond the top three, shares for NBCUniversal and Paramount remained even with July, finishing with 7.6% and 7.1%*, respectively. Like Disney and Fox, both NBCU and Paramount were buoyed by gains across their broadcast affiliates as the two also benefited from the return of football.

The August 2025 interval spanned five weeks, from 07/28/2025 through 08/31/2025. Nielsen reporting follows the broadcast calendar, with weekly intervals beginning on Monday.

YouTube’s first ever global broadcast of an NFL game set a record for most concurrent viewers of a live stream on YouTube, with a global average minute audience (AMA) of over 17.3 million

The game, which featured the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers live from São Paulo, Brazil, attracted an 16.2 million AMA in the U.S. according to Nielsen and 1.1 million. outside of the U.S.

Those numbers were up from 14.1 million who watched the game from São Paulo, Brazil last year on Peacock. But Peacock is a subscription service while the YouTube stream was free.

A YouTube blog reported that “fans tuned in from over 230 countries and territories around the globe…We partnered with the NFL to bring a uniquely interactive and creator-driven viewing experience. The broadcast featured exclusive content from MrBeast, Haley Kalil, Michelle Khare and Marques Brownlee; commentary from Deestroying from the sidelines; pre-game and post-game hosting from Kay Adams, Peter Overzet and NFL Legends Cam Newton, Derek Carr, Brandon Marshall, and Tyrann Mathieu; a dazzling halftime show from KAROL G; and Watch With streams and commentary from a stacked roster of creators including IShowSpeed, Tom Grossi, Robegrill, SKabeche, CazéTV and many more.”

C-SPAN and YouTube this week announced an agreement in which YouTube will sponsor C-SPAN’s America 250 programming and expand access to C-SPAN’s political, public policy, and cultural programming across YouTube and YouTube TV.

C-SPAN will also be added to Hulu + Live TV, a C-SPAN spokesman told Deadline.

The three C-SPAN channels—C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, and C-SPAN3—will all join YouTube TV’s base package lineup this fall. YouTube has also agreed to sponsor the network’s coverage of America 250 celebrations, and “investing in the optimization of C-SPAN's presence on YouTube,” C-SPAN said.

C-SPAN—the only TV network that provides complete gavel-to-gavel coverage of Congress, congressional hearings, and in-depth public affairs events—is a privately funded non-profit television network, operating free of government money and supported primarily through license fees paid by cable, satellite, and streaming companies.

Launched in 1979, C-SPAN is carried by most pay-TV providers and was once seen in more than 100 million homes, but cord-cutting in recent years has dropped viewership to around 70 million. In June, Congress unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution from Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) marking the 39th anniversary of C-SPAN 2’s first Senate broadcast and urging all television providers, including streaming services, to carry the network.

"In addition to the main YouTube platform, we are excited to bring C-SPAN's unfiltered, unbiased programming to YouTube TV’s growing streaming audience," said C-SPAN CEO Sam Feist. "For nearly half a century, C-SPAN has partnered with cable and satellite providers who recognize the value of our important public service. We now look forward to working closely with YouTube to bring C-SPAN's unfiltered coverage of the democratic process to millions more Americans.”

"C-SPAN has long been a vital resource for civic engagement, and we look forward to partnering with them to both expand their footprint on YouTube and to celebrate America 250 together,” said Mary Ellen Coe, Chief Business Officer, YouTube. “Through this partnership, Americans will have access to content that showcases the creators and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future, explores American pastimes and music, and takes a look back at the key historical moments that shaped our nation.”

DALLAS—YouTube, TikTok, Twitch and similar platforms play a central role in consumers’ overall experience with television, according to new research from Parks Associates.

The research group’s newly released “Streaming Video Tracker,” found social video now accounts for nearly five hours of weekly TV video, or 20% of all video consumed on TV—more than the time spent watching pay TV or broadcast video. The tracker examines the impact of creator-driven media on the video ecosystem and the importance of social video for streaming services

Other findings:

• A generational shift is underway. Among consumers ages 18–34, social video nearly matches SVOD viewing on TVs and exceeds SVOD on mobile devices, with 40% watching more than 15 hours per week.
• YouTube dominates. YouTube is the top social video site and the most popular streaming pay-TV service, with about 9.3 million U.S. subscribers to YouTube TV. Its Shorts platform is emerging as a cross-device driver of creator engagement.
• Streaming crossovers are occurring. High-profile deals, such as MrBeast's $100 million partnership with Amazon MGM Studios and Tubi's 2025 launch of "Tubi for Creators," reflect the growing integration of creator-led content into mainstream streaming catalogs.

"As the streaming market matures, consolidation and aggregation are reshaping the competitive landscape," said Elizabeth Parks, president and CMO of Parks Associates. "Platforms are bundling creator-led, studio and niche content into unified experiences to keep viewers engaged across formats."

Parks Associates will also host "Consolidation & Aggregation: Transformation of Streaming Services & Technologies," a Future of Video conference virtual session Aug. 21, noon-1:30 p.m. CDT. The session will explore the strategic mergers, acquisitions, partnerships and technologies defining this trend, along with their implications for market players, Parks Associates said.

More information about the newly released report is available on the company’s website.

More information about the Future of Video session is available on the company’s website.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. —A new study shows that the post-pandemic economic strain and rising prices continue to rattle U.S. consumers, who are keeping an eye on their spending and streaming video price increases. Yet, the results of Hub Entertainment Research’s semiannual “TV Advertising: Fact vs. Fiction” survey also indicate viewers still consider streaming to be a good value.

“Consumers are still feeling aftershocks from the economic disruption of the pandemic, and that anxiety isn’t going away. If anything, recent economic news has made many of them more skittish,” Hub Senior Consultant Mark Loughney said. “Over the past three years, though, we’ve seen viewers saying TV is better than ever, providing a great deal of value for the cost. So, the positive news for streamers is that even if consumers continue to worry about the economy, video subscriptions will be among the last places they look for savings. If the streaming services are judicious with price increases, they can hold on to subscribers through uncertain economic times.”

The study found that the majority of viewers are “very concerned” about the economy; significantly more so than last November.

Hub has been asking viewers about their economic concerns since fall 2022. Throughout that time, most viewers have said they are “very concerned” about the state of the economy. From November 2024 through May 2025, though, consumers expressed significantly more concerns about the economy overall, and specifically about the rate of inflation and the possibility of a recession, the study found.

The data also indicated that during a time of economic uncertainty, viewers are sensitive to the frequency of subscription TV rate increases. Nearly nine in 10 agree that these increases are coming more often than in the past. As a result, many consumers are considering canceling subscriptions or switching to lower-cost, ad-supported offerings, Hub reported.

But when viewers are then asked to consider video subscription costs in the larger context of all entertainment alternatives, TV proves to be more resistant to cost-cutting than other activities. More than half of TV viewers would consider spending more on video subscriptions if it meant they could reduce spending on other entertainment, the study found.

The reason viewers are willing to spend more on TV and movie streaming subscriptions is they perceive them to be a better value than all of the other entertainment alternatives considered, apart from vacations, the study found.

When asked to specifically consider reducing spending on entertainment sources in the next year, streaming subscriptions are near the bottom of the list to be cut, the researchers reported. The entertainment sources most vulnerable to reduced spending tend to be one-off experiences like theme parks, concerts, and restaurant dinners.

Over the past four years, Hub also reported that their surveys have seen a gradual decline in the number of people who declare they cannot tolerate ads in TV content. In the latest wave, only 11% described themselves as ad-intolerant, down from 17% four years ago.

Among those who say they can’t tolerate ads, there has also been a growing number of people expressing a preference for saving $4-5 per month on subscriptions with ads compared to an ad-free service at a higher price.

The survey also highlighted the fact that service aggregators like Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Roku or YouTube have become important players within the video marketplace. Half of all viewers use an aggregator to organize their streaming subscriptions, and among viewers age 18-34 that figure rises to six in 10.

The study also provided data showing the growing importance of aggregators to the overall streaming industry. The half of the TV audience that uses a service aggregator have a considerably higher number of TV subscriptions. Nearly six in 10 of those using an aggregator have six or more video subscriptions. On the other hand, 43% of those who do not use an aggregator have three or fewer subscriptions.

Another notable finding is the growing importance of YouTube. Although more viewers still use YouTube on a mobile phone or tablet, it has evolved to become a formidable competitor on the TV screen. Usage of YouTube services (free, YouTubeTV, YouTube Premium) is almost universal, with just under nine in ten viewers watching or subscribing. That huge audience contributes considerable viewing on big screens, with half of those users regularly viewing the content on a TV, the researchers reported.

Viewers also appreciate YouTube content, especially its free ad-supported offering, the survey found. It leads not only paid subscription sources like AVOD and SVOD for value delivered, but it also comes out ahead of other free sources like FASTs and over-the-air broadcast.

While the study found that streaming video is more resistant to consumers’ cost-cutting than other entertainment, the researchers also stressed that providers should be cautious about price increases.

The postpandemic years have left most U.S. consumers in a jittery state about the economy, with the 2022 inflation spike leaving a lasting impact that Hub has been able to measure. In the current environment, viewers are even more concerned about the reemergence of inflation and the possibility of a recession.

The good news for TV and streaming video providers is that viewers recognize the entertainment value streaming provides. When asked to consider where they might cut if they need to reduce costs, video subscriptions will be among the last places they will look, the data shows.

Streaming services shouldn’t take that as permission to raise prices more frequently than they have, though. Most consumers already think streaming subscription prices are going up more frequently than in the past, Hub reported, and viewers will consider canceling services if they are no longer receiving value.

These findings are from Hub’s 2025 “TV Advertising: Fact vs. Fiction” report, based on a survey conducted among 3,000 U.S. consumers age 14-74 who watch at least one hour of TV per week. Interviews were conducted in May 2025 and explored consumers’ attitudes toward advertising, how it differs across video platforms, and how ad strategy affects viewer engagement. A free excerpt of the findings is available on Hub’s website. This report is part of the “Hub Reports” syndicated series.

LONDON—A new study from Ampere Analysis highlights the dominance of video short-form content, with data showing that more than 60% of tglobal online users now watch ‘swiping’ short-form video content on platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels every day.

The new Ampere data shows that the algorithmic short-form swiping features of social media now score as the second-most used media format daily (63%), after generalist social media apps (73%). These usage rates exceed broadcast TV channels (47%), long-form streaming services (46%) and video games (34%).

“Social media algorithms are responsible for the usage rates in short-form swiping across the globe,“ Ampere Senior Analyst Sam Nursall said. “The platforms employ highly efficient apps to deliver relevant and engaging content, giving them a distinct advantage over traditional media. While broadcast television offers a range of choices for viewers, algorithmic social media knows what people are likely to want to watch before they do. With 63% of the global online population consuming short-form video content on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and other platforms, the growth in viewer appetite within this relatively new medium highlights the power of these algorithms.”

The popularity of short-form content swiping extends beyond Gen Z. While 18-to-24-year-olds are most likely to view short-form swiping content (73% daily usage), those aged 45-54 and 55-64 also have significant daily usage at 58% and 49%, respectively, the Ampere researchers reported.

Respondents who watch short-form swiping content daily are most likely to use YouTube (78% had visited in the past week), Instagram (41%), TikTok (39%) and Facebook (38%).

Short-form swiping has particularly taken hold in Southeast Asia. The Philippines (83%), Thailand (83%) and Indonesia (82%) have the highest proportions of online populations watching this format every day across all the markets Ampere surveyed.

NEW YORK—During the landmark month of May, when streaming surpassed the combined viewing shares of broadcast and cable for the first time, Nielsen’s latest Media Distributor Gauge report found that pure-play streamer YouTube maintained the leading share of total TV viewing, while the largest monthly increases in share belonged to multiplatform distributors, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox.

Warner Bros. Discovery exhibited the largest gain of any distributor in May, adding 0.3 share points versus April to finish the month with 7.0% of total television usage.

WBD’s increase was overwhelmingly powered by TNT, which notched a 69% jump in viewership over last month due in large part to its coverage of the NBA Playoffs, Nielsen reported.

The eight New York Knicks games carried by TNT amassed nearly 7 billion viewing minutes combined. In fact, the NBA Playoffs generated 31.4 billion viewing minutes overall in May across WBD and Disney entities, with nearly a quarter of the viewing total attributable to Knicks games.

Fox added 0.2 points to its share of TV in May. While it was partly due to NASCAR traction on Fox Sports 1, Fox’s increase was primarily due to the continued growth of its FAST service, Tubi, Nielsen said.

Tubi achieved a platform-record 2.2% share of TV viewing in May, driven by a 25% increase among 18-24 year-olds, and accounted for nearly a third of Fox’s overall viewing total.

Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery each finished the month with a 7.0% share of TV, although WBD came out slightly ahead based on unrounded figures and moved up to sixth overall in the distributor ranking.

YouTube extended its streak as the leading media distributor to four consecutive months, gaining 0.1 share point in May to represent 12.5% of total TV. While YouTube actually exhibited monthly declines in virtually every demographic group (with the exception of audiences 65+), its overall decrease was ultimately less than that of total TV, leading to a monthly gain in share and yet another platform best, Nielsen explained.

Other key developments in the May distributor rankings included:

• NBCU moved up to third with 8.0% of television viewing.
• Paramount fell to fourth after losing a full share point, following the conclusions of the NCAA basketball tournament and The Masters.
• The Roku Channel also hit a new platform-best in May with a 2.5% share of TV, boosted by double-digit gains among the 12-17 and 25-34 age demographics.
• The May 2025 interval included dates 04/29/2025 through 05/26/2025. Nielsen reporting follows the broadcast calendar with measurement weeks that run Monday through Sunday.

NEW YORK—YouTube continues to mark its 20th anniversary with more TV viewing data showing its increasingly powerful place in the TV ecosystem.

In Nielsen’s April 2025 Media Distributor Gauge report, which ranks the largest M&E companies by their share of TV viewing, YouTube maintained its lead among media companies with a 12.4% share of audiences’ time spent watching television.

The April ranking marked YouTube’s third consecutive month atop the ranking and its largest share of TV viewing to date.

Nielsen also reported that April was the first time that company rankings in the Media Distributor Gauge have stayed exactly the same month over month since Nielsen began tracking this data in November 2023.

The Walt Disney Co. held the second-largest share of TV viewing in both April and March, and this month represented 10.7% of total television. Disney’s 0.2 point gain in share over March was partly driven by cross-network coverage of the NFL draft on ESPN and ABC, the NCAA women’s basketball tournament and the first round of the NBA playoffs. Disney also owned April’s top streaming title, “Grey’s Anatomy,” which notched 3.9 billion viewing minutes and benefited from its multichannel and multiplatform availability, Nielsen said.

Paramount comprised 8.9% of total TV watch-time in April and exhibited the largest monthly share increase among media companies (up 0.4 share points, which, based on unrounded figures, was slightly larger than YouTube’s increase). Viewership gains to its CBS broadcast affiliates drove more than half of Paramount’s monthly growth.

NBCUniversal rounded out the top four media distributors in April with an 8.2% share of TV, up from 8.0% in March.

Netflix stayed in the fifth spot with 7.5% share of viewing, down from the 7.9% share it had in March.

Warner Bros. Discovery maintained 6.7% of TV usage this month, boosted by a 58% lift in viewership to TNT, which televised 18 first-round NBA playoff games through April 27). WBD was also buoyed by HBO series “The White Lotus,” which was the second most watched streaming title in April with 3.7 billion viewing minutes on Max. The White Lotus was also No. 1 in Nielsen’s Streaming Top 10 during the weeks of March 21-April 6 and April 4-13, totaling 1.31 billion minutes and 1.25 billion minutes, respectively, Nielsen said

The April 2025 interval ran from March 31 through April 28. Nielsen reporting follows the broadcast calendar with measurement weeks that run Monday through Sunday.

YouTube is celebrating its 20th birthday with stats showing how popular the platform has become and by announcing some new features, including the ability for users to create their own multiviewers.

As it marked its 20th anniversary, CNBC cited data from Moffett Nathanson that YouTube could be worth as much as $550 billion as a standalone company and that it’s on track to become the biggest media company by revenue in 2025, surpassing The Walt Disney Co. for the first time.

Separate Nielsen data shows YouTube’s content accounted for 12% of overall TV viewing in March. That was the second consecutive month for YouTube as the top reported media distributor, eclipsing its previous company best share of TV of 11.6%, Nielsen said.

The first YouTube video was uploaded on April 23, 2005, by co-founder Jawed Karim. The 19 second clip, “Me at the Zoo,” shows Karim at the San Diego Zoo. It has since racked up more 355 million views and 17 million likes.

Fittingly for its 20th birthday, YouTube reported that on average, there are over 20 million videos uploaded to the site daily. It also noted that YouTube isn’t the only one celebrating a birthday this year. Both YouTube Music and YouTube Kids are turning 10.

In terms of stats to mark the occasion, the platform reported that in 2024, YouTube users averaged over 100 million comments on videos on a daily basis and that creators hearted comments from an average of 10 million viewers every day. Last year, on average, YouTube videos received over 3.5 billion likes from users per day.

For the occasion, YouTube also announced a number of improvements to the user experience.

In the next few weeks, YouTube TV members can experiment with building their own multiview with select non-sports content, starting with a small group of popular channels and expanding in the coming months.

Last year, a small group of creators gained access to the ability to voice-reply to comments on their videos. YouTube reported that it will be expanding that feature in 2024.

In addition, users can now create your very own personalized radio station with Ask Music. Ask Music is available on iOS and Android for all YouTube Premium and YouTube Music users.

Beyond that, 4 times playback speed is rolling out on YouTube Premium, and a number of other features will be arriving this summer that will provide easier navigation, playback, quality tweaks, plus streamlined access to comments, channel information and subscribing, the company reported.

More information is available here.

NEW YORK—Warner Bros. Discovery captured the largest monthly viewership increase among media distributors in March, according to Nielsen’s latest Media Distributor Gauge report, which breaks down the total TV viewing of content distributed by major media companies.

In the March report, WBD exhibited 3% growth in television viewing compared with February, primarily driven by March Madness coverage on TBS, TNT and truTV. Tournament games were also available to stream on Max, which allowed for additional reach to notably younger consumers.

Max notched the largest month-over-month growth among streaming services in March (up 6%), further contributing to Warner Bros. Discovery’s significant monthly gains, the report explained.

Max’s increased viewing was due in large part to HBO megahit ‘The White Lotus,’ which was No. 4 among most-streamed titles in March with 4.5 billion viewing minutes. The debut season of Max original series ‘The Pitt’ also contributed, generating 2.3 billion viewing minutes across the month and charting in Nielsen’s Streaming Top 10 for the first time during the week of March 17.

YouTube captured 12.0% of overall TV viewing in March to secure a second consecutive month as the top reported media distributor, eclipsing its previous company best share of TV of 11.6%, which it set last month, the researchers noted.

Disney gained half a share point over February to account for 10.5% of TV watch-time in March. Disney benefited from its successful cross-platform simulcast of “The Oscars,” which drew 20.3 million viewers across ABC and Hulu, in addition to the return of “American Idol” and the continued strength of “ABC World News Tonight With David Muir.”

Paramount advanced to No. 3 in the Media Distributor Gauge rankings in March (up from fifth in February) with an 8.5% share of TV (up 0.3 share points). Paramount rode the success of March Madness coverage on CBS, coupled with a robust drama lineup on the network, including “Tracker” and “Matlock,” which drew 10.7 million viewers and 9.2 million viewers, respectively, across the month. “Tracker” episodes represented five of the top 10 broadcast telecasts in March, averaging over 10 million viewers each (on a live-plus-7-day basis).

Despite a 0.1 point decline in viewing share versus February, NBCU climbed from No. 6 to No. 4 in the distributor rankings and finished with 8% of TV viewing in March. Although it did not change from a ranking perspective, The Roku Channel also set a platform record with 2.2% of television viewing, per Nielsen data.

The March interval ran from Feb. 24 to March 30. Nielsen reporting follows the broadcast calendar with measurement weeks that run Monday through Sunday.

NEW YORK—YouTube hit record share of monthly TV viewing in February and had the largest share of TV viewing by the major media companies, according to Nielsen’s February 2025 Media Distributor Gauge, which ranks media companies by the combined share of TV viewing their various networks and outlets achieve.

In February YouTube gained two share points over January to capture 11.6% of time spent watching TV across the month. This marks YouTube’s best share of TV to date, and is the second time the pure-play streamer has topped the Media Distributor Gauge since Nielsen began tracking in November 2023.

Disney came in second with 10%, followed by Fox, which moved up to the third spot for the first time with 8.3% on the strength of Super Bowl Viewing. Netflix was tied for fourth with Paramount at 8.2%, followed by NBCU (8.1%), Warner Bros. Discovery (6.1%) and Amazon (3.5%).

Nielsen reported that YouTube has exhibited steady usage increases for some time. A longer-term look at the platform’s growth illustrates that time spent watching YouTube on television is up 53% versus two years ago in February 2023, and its share of TV has grown from 7.9% to 11.6% in that time, according to Nielsen’s The Gauge™ reports.

Interestingly, the data also showed that the overall viewing bump has been increasingly driven by older audiences. YouTube viewing from adults aged 65+ has nearly doubled in the last two years (+96%), and the demographic now represents a viewing contribution similar to that from kids 2-11 (15.4% vs. 16.9%).

Fox-owned entities gained 5% in February on the strength of a successful multi-platform Super Bowl, in addition to a 3% bump in Fox News Channel viewership, which drove 37% of the company’s total viewing. Fox Sports 1 viewership was also up 45% compared with January, primarily attributable to NASCAR events. Overall, Fox achieved an 8.3% share of TV usage in February and climbed from sixth to third in the rankings to notch its highest placement to date in the Media Distributor Gauge.

Following its best monthly performance to date in the Media Distributor Gauge, which was driven by NFL games and the College Football Playoffs, Disney lost two share points in February. This impact dropped them out of the top slot for only the third time since the inception of the Media Distributor Gauge, the researchers noted.

As YouTube gets ready to celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2025, its CEO posted a blog that shows a tectonic shift in the way consumers use the platform. Last December, TV surpassed mobile as the primary way viewers watch the streaming service in the U.S.

“In two decades, YouTube has transformed culture through video and built a thriving creative economy.,” wrote Neal Mohan, CEO YouTube in his annual letter to consumers. “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,” Mohan wrote. “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), and according to Nielsen, YouTube has been No. 1 in streaming watch time in the U.S. for two years. And while it’s still early days, AI is making a big difference in how people create and consume content on YouTube.”

Overall, Mohan reported that viewers are watching, on average, more than 1 billion hours of YouTube content on TVs daily, and TV was the primary means of YouTube viewing in the U.S. last December. “But the ‘new’ television doesn’t look like the ‘old’ television,” Mohan said. “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.”

The blog also noted that YouTube is now the most frequently used service for listening to podcasts in the U.S. and a popular source of news. “On Election Day alone, over 45 million viewers across the U.S. watched content related to the election on YouTube,” Mohan said. “Some even called it ‘the YouTube election.’ ”

“YouTubers are becoming the startups of Hollywood,” Mohan stressed, with creators “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,” he added. “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.”

In terms of subscription services, he noted that YouTube TV has more than 8 million subscribers and YouTube Music & Premium has more than 100 million subscribers (including trials).

He also stressed the growing importance of AI on the platform, “from powering recommendations to producing captions to helping us identify and remove harmful content.”

“As we look ahead, we'll continue investing in AI tools that empower creators and artists throughout their creative journey,” Mohan said. “Last year, we rolled out Dream Screen and Dream Track which generate image backgrounds, video backgrounds and instrumental soundtracks for Shorts. We’ll continue investing in these features, including integrating Veo 2 into Dream Screen, soon.”

BRISTOL, UK—Consumption of long-form YouTube content is rising rapidly in the U.S., accounting for 73% of all viewing time on the platform by the end of October 2024, according to new research by Digital i, a provider of cross-platform streaming data and analysis.

Findings showed that average viewing time spent by U.S. YouTube users on videos of 30 minutes in length or more rose by 8 percentage points last year, from 65% in October 2023 to 73% in October 2024, illustrating how users are spending more of their viewing time on longer content.

The trend is more pronounced among U.S. young adults aged 18-24-years-old that watched YouTube on mobile devices, with an increase of 21 percentage points in the amount of time spent viewing content of 30 minutes or more during the same period. In October 2023, 58% of content viewed by this demographic on mobile devices was long-form content, rising to 79% by October 2024.

Digital i research also indicated that 18-24-year-old U.S. YouTube users spent an average of 2.7 hours per day on the platform between July and October 2024, watching an average 25 videos per day.

This U.S. demographic spent the highest average time on the platform last year, with Digital i data also showing a decrease in YouTube viewing time corresponding to increasing age of the users.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H.—Social video on platforms like YouTube or TikTok continues to plays an outsize role in the lives of young viewers, at the expense of traditional premium, according to Hub Entertainment Research’s annual Video Redefined survey.

The survey found that young people spend more time watching “non-premium” online video than they do regular TV shows, consumers aged 13-24 estimate that 21% of all their entertainment screen time goes to non-premium video, compared to just 16% spent on traditional TV shows. In contrast, consumers age 35+ spend 39% of their screen time on TV shows – more than twice as much as they spend on online videos (14%).

“While consumers embrace social video as essential entertainment, many are aware that it may be at the expense of watching longer form TV and movies,” said Jason Platt Zolov, senior consultant at Hub and one of the study authors. “Studios have an opportunity to continue to lean into short-form to build connections with audiences - but bringing consumers back to longer-form content can potentially deepen engagement with brands in meaningful ways.”

“These findings underscore why YouTube became the first streaming platform to crack 10% share of total viewing on Nielsen’s Gauge,” added Jon Giegengack, Hub’s founder and co-author of the study. “The next generation of TV consumers recognize the difference between ‘premium’ and ‘non-premium’ content. They just don’t see premium as inherently ‘better.’ Either one is a perfectly legitimate way to spend the time you have available to watch TV.”

The survey indicated that short-form videos aren’t just filler content – about 60% of all viewers under age 35 say that short videos are just as much fun as “premium” TV. And while phones are still the most common screen for short-form video, respondents said that nearly a quarter of those videos are watched on a TV set.

Short-form videos take disposable time away from TV – but they also serve as a gateway for young people to discover longer content, the Hub study found. More than half (57%) of viewers 13-24 say they spend less time watching “regular TV” because of the time they spend watching services like YouTube and TikTok.

Yet, the survey also reported that young people still watch TV and that the relationship between social video and TV can be complementary. More than 60% of them say they often watch shows or movies that they discovered for the first time via clips on social platforms like TikTok and Instagram. In contrast, only 35% of viewers over age 35 discovered shows this way, making social video a powerful tool for engaging critical young audiences.

The growing usage of social video has also reached the point where many viewers are uncomfortable with the amount of time they spend on short-form video, the researchers reported. Close to half of those under 35 feel they spend too much time on platforms like TikTok or Instagram and might better spend their time with TV and movies. And even though viewers age 35+ spend less time with this content, a quarter of them (26%) feel the same way.

These findings are from Hub’s 2024 “Video Redefined” report, based on a survey conducted among 1,919 US consumers ages 13-47 with broadband access. Interviews were conducted in December 2024 and explored how consumer consumption of social video co-exists with viewing of traditional long-form TV and movies. A free excerpt of the findings is available on Hub’s website.

In the film “The Matrix,” the character Neo is given the choice of taking the blue pill or the red pill. If he swallows the blue pill, the perception of life as it is goes on unaltered. If he takes the red pill, though, the veneer of security is ripped away and the reality of life is revealed. TV decision-makers are facing a blue pill, red pill moment.

If planners take the red pill, they’ll enter a world where watching TV is a niche activity among Gen Z, while TikTok and YouTube has become their TV. MrBeast is bigger than any streamed or cable soap or drama—much bigger.

Did Gen Z ever really fall in love with broadcast and cable TV? The body of evidence suggests it didn’t. Almost two years ago, research by Hub found 13-to-24-year-olds spend just 17% of their time viewing TV shows compared to those 35 years or older, who spend 43% of their total screen time watching TV. It found the older demographic spent about a fifth of their time gaming or looking at “nonpremium” videos on social platforms, while 13-to-24-year-olds spent twice as much time gaming and watching videos on platforms like YouTube.

Now it is YouTube, not Netflix or any other streaming service, that wins more TV viewing across all age groups. According to recent Nielsen viewing data, YouTube accounts for more than 10% of all adult viewing in the United States. All broadcast accounts for 22.6%, all cable 26.1%, all streaming is 41% (of which Netflix is the nearest single challenger with 7.9%) while Prime Video and Disney+ trail with 3.6% and 2.5%, respectively.

Data published by Hub in September showed that two-thirds of viewers turn to an online source for watching TV first. Only 26% of viewers say they default to an MVPD set-top box for viewing.

We’re due another detailed breakdown of Gen Z’s TV consumption patterns soon and you can expect the divergence in TV viewing styles to continue. However, we can already see that 60% of Gen Z viewers watch SVOD on a regular basis, compared to 13.3% for cable and 8.6% for broadcast, and they could switch in numbers to AVOD alternatives as subscription costs mount up.

This pattern of change is more or less an international phenomenon. In the United Kingdom, for example, the media regulator Ofcom’s latest viewing analysis for 2024 reported less than half of 16-to-24-year-olds watch broadcast TV in a typical week.

And yet, when it comes to the TV advertising business, the industry acts as if nothing has happened. I’d argue it is time to change how we think about TV in two ways.

Firstly, isn’t it time to recognize that as far as Gen Z, and to a larger degree millennials, are concerned, YouTube and similar platforms are TV? The fact that it mixes social content with TV and film production is surely irrelevant. Vested interest in the production world—which, of course, means TV channel brands—may attempt to promote a form of prejudice against user-generated and influencer-created video, but ultimately the audience will decide. And market power is shifting to younger viewers.

Influencers that produce some of the most entertaining content on video social platforms would argue that their TV product is as valid as any TV drama. And their production values are rising. But TV brands are increasingly using VSPs as a gateway to their product.

Social media’s hold over Gen Z’s attention directly influences what TV they do watch. According to a recent study by CableTV.com, 95% of Gen Z viewers age 18-24 decide whether they are going to watch a show on TV based on what they’ve seen on social media.

In the US, eMarketer estimates that more than half YouTube viewing is done via a CTV device and this could hit 60% by next year. A similar pattern is emerging in the U.K., with 34% of YouTube’s viewing inside homes during 2023 happening on a TV, up from 29% in 2022.

So, shouldn’t we all accept that the audience has decided that YouTube is TV?

Secondly, planners need to swallow that red pill and enter an AV planning matrix in which every 10-year age bracket is plotted by different AV tech and format consumption habits, cross-referenced by interest or behavior group segments and shopping data, as well as people’s relationship with advertising on different AV technologies.

Major sporting events are likely to remain an exception to the new matrix planning rules, which would likely generally identify broadcast TV as an older segment buy and YouTube and TikTok as primary Gen Z and Millennial buys with AVOD providing a more nuanced audience mix.

But watching TV is also an increasingly complex pursuit. Research by Hub shows more that 50% of Americans subscribe to more than three TV streaming services. Major sporting events such as NFL games are becoming spread across a selection of platforms—Nielsen credits Thursday Night Football for a 12% bump in Amazon Prime Video viewership in September.

Planning TV across the multiple formats and platforms is now byzantine in nature, but although the 20th century model still dominates and skews planner’s thinking about the audience, change is coming fast. Statista predicts OTT will be worth $193.6 billion in the U.S. in 2029, compared to $130.5 billion for “traditional TV and home video”.

A fresh way of thinking about how audiences consider TV as an experience both in terms of content and delivery technology is overdue. Let’s enter the matrix.

MEXICO CITY—Amagi said El Reino Infantil has chosen it to expand its reach across new platforms. Launched in October, El Reino Infantil bills itself as the largest Latin American YouTube channel specializing in children’s content.

As part of the deal, El Reino Infantil will deploy Amagi CLOUDPORT, a cloud-native automation and playout platform for broadcast and streaming TV, and Amagi PLANNER, a lightweight content scheduling platform, to simplify channel programming.

These products will enable El Reino Infantil to seamlessly distribute its library of children's content to new digital platforms, expanding its reach and visibility globally, Amagi said.

In choosing Amagi, El Reino Infantil said it sought a robust solution to support its expanding distribution needs. The solution also needed to ensure that El Reino Infantil's content remained accessible to audiences wherever they consume media, be it through streaming platforms, mobile apps, or other digital services.

By leveraging Amagi’s cloud-based solutions, El Reino Infantil is now positioned to meet viewers on their preferred platforms, enhancing audience engagement and brand visibility, the companies said.

“Partnering with Amagi represents a key step forward for El Reino Infantil,” said Alejandra Muchelac, head of music and business development at El Reino Infantil. “We were looking for a solution that could integrate easily with various platforms, offer scalability, and help us strengthen our presence in the market. Amagi's technology delivers exactly that, allowing us to expand our content reach while maintaining the quality and reliability our audience expects.”

El Reino Infantial Digital Director Pablo Lacroix added: “As our channel grows, it is essential that we partner with technology providers who understand the complexities of digital content distribution. Amagi’s solutions not only meet our technical requirements but also enable us to expand efficiently across new platforms. We are excited about the possibilities this partnership opens for us and our audience.”

Ronaldo Dias, sales director, Hispanic Americas at Amagi, said: “We are delighted to support El Reino Infantil in enhancing its 360-degree channel strategy. Amagi's products are specifically designed to scale with content owners like El Reino Infantil, allowing them to seamlessly extend their reach to new platforms and grow their digital footprint. We look forward to seeing their content engage even more worldwide viewers.”

Amagi provides a complete suite of channel creation, distribution, and monetization solutions. The company's clients include some of the world's biggest names, including A+E Networks U.K., ABS-CBN, Astro, Cox Media Group, DAZN, Globo, Lionsgate Studio, NBCUniversal, Tastemade and Vizio.

NEW YORK—NBCUniversal took a commanding lead in TV watch-time among media companies in the August 2024 Media Distributor Gauge report, Nielsen’s monthly view of total television consumption by media company. 

On the strength of its presentation of the Paris Olympics, NBCU added 3.9 share points to garner a 13.4% share of TV usage in August. That set a personal-best for the company and a new record for the largest share of TV consumption by a single media company since November 2023 when Nielsen began ranking media companies by their share of total TV viewing.

The report also noted that NBCU’s recorded double-digit viewership growth across the three main channels that televised Olympics coverage: USA Network viewership jumped 47%, Peacock streaming was up 39%, and viewing across NBC broadcast affiliates rose 62%. 

Additionally, the Democratic National Convention also provided a boost for NBCU in August, as MSNBC’s coverage of the four-day DNC event lifted network viewership by 43% compared to July levels.  

In addition to NBCU, two more companies in the Media Distributor Gauge expanded their share of total TV viewing in August. 

After topping all media distributors in July, YouTube’s watch-time was up 2% in August to finish the month with 10.6% share of TV—another high-water mark for the streaming platform. 

The other company to record growth was The Roku Channel, which received a 3% bump in viewership and added one-tenth of a share point for a total of 1.7% of TV usage, the highest share it has recorded.

With new seasons of football and broadcast programming on the horizon, Disney, Paramount and Fox all experienced the end-of-summer lull in viewership in August, and finished with 9.5%, 7.1% and 6.0%, respectively. 

Nielsen’s researchers also noted that during the Games, NBCU established a successful blueprint for reaching consumers on their viewing platform of choice, which could prove to be an important milestone into the future. 

The measurement month of August 2024 included four weeks: 07/29/2024 through 08/25/2024. Nielsen measurement weeks run Monday through Sunday.

The Gauge is Nielsen’s monthly snapshot of total broadcast, cable and streaming consumption that occurs through a television screen, providing the industry with a holistic look at what audiences are watching. The Gauge was expanded in April 2024 to include The Media Distributor Gauge, which reflects total viewing by media distributor across these categories. 

NEW YORK—Streaming made TV history for a second consecutive month in July as it notched the most dominant performance by a single viewing category ever in Nielsen’s The Gauge, accounting for 41.4% of TV viewing. Streaming levels were over 5% higher in July compared to June, leading streaming to grow its share of TV by more than a point (+1.1 share points) and shatter the previous record it set just last month.

During the month, YouTube became the first streaming platform ever to exceed 10% of total TV usage in July. The most popular streamer shot up 7% versus last month, accounting for 10.4% of TV usage (+0.5 share points). This comes after YouTube hit 9.9% of TV in June and secured the second largest share of TV viewing among all media distributors. 

July also ushered in the beginning of the Summer Olympics in Paris, and despite only three days of coverage included in the July Gauge report, the impact the Games had on TV viewing was evident. Total TV usage was up 2.3% in July compared to the previous month, and up 3.5% compared to July 2023. 

Nielsen also reported that broadcast viewing increased slightly this month to 20.3% of TV, but was up 5% compared to a year ago. The category also finished 0.3 points higher than July 2023 when it recorded its lowest share ever (20.0% of TV). When TV usage is isolated by week, the start of Olympics coverage in the final week of July pushed the broadcast average up to over 22% of total TV. This is further emphasized by the fact that the Olympics accounted for the top five, and seven of the top 10, broadcast telecasts in the July report, with the largest audience averaging 19 million viewers on NBC on Sunday, July 28.

Peacock’s coverage of the Olympics vaulted the streamer to 1.5% of TV (+0.3 share points) and its second best share of TV ever (behind 1.6% in Jan. 2024). Also boosted by viewing to Love Island USA, Peacock’s 33% monthly usage increase in July was the largest for any streaming platform in The Gauge. 

It was followed by two more streamers with double-digit monthly increases: Amazon Prime Video viewing was up 12% from June to notch 3.4% of TV (+0.3 share points), its best since November 2023. The Roku Channel was up 10% and added 0.1 point to achieve a platform best 1.6% of TV. 

July is typically a peak month for streaming usage, and this year, each week of the July interval* led to the top four most streamed weeks ever reported by Nielsen. The streaming fireworks kicked off with a notable week in Nielsen’s Streaming Top 10 when, for the first time ever, 10 titles exceeded 1 billion viewing minutes. What’s more, July 2024 now holds four of the top 10 most streamed days on record.

"House of the Dragon" on Max topped streaming programs in July with 4.7 billion viewing minutes, also helping to drive an increase of over 4% for the streamer to retain its 1.4% share of TV. It was followed by "Bluey" on Disney+ with 4.3 billion viewing minutes in July. Disney+ usage was up 9.2% this month to finish with a platform best 2.1% of TV. Prime Video’s original series "The Boys" was third among streaming programs with 4.2 billion viewing minutes.  

Cable viewing in July was even compared to June, but due to the larger increase of overall TV usage, the category lost half a share point and ended the month with 26.7% of TV. Cable news viewing saw a strong increase in July, driven by the Republican National Convention and coverage of the assassination attempt on former President Trump. The news genre was up 23% compared to June, and up 52% compared to July 2023. Of July’s top 25 cable telecasts, Fox News Channel owned 24 of them.

* The measurement month of July 2024 included four weeks: 07/01/2024 through 07/28/2024. Nielsen measurement weeks begin on Mondays and run through the following

RESTON, Va.—Comscore has announced that it is now providing comprehensive measurement of YouTube audiences across all digital devices in the U.S.  

Comscore said that in July it began delivering a holistic view of YouTube traffic across desktop, mobile, and connected TV (CTV). This new capability expanded Comscore’s existing reporting for YouTube video traffic on desktop and mobile browsers, as well as in mobile apps. 

“Comscore is solving for the convergent shift in cross-platform audiences and continues to lead in digital and video measurement that incorporates person-level insights and deduplicates video audiences across digital,” said Steve Bagdasarian, Comscore chief commercial officer. “Bringing YouTube CTV to Comscore’s Video Metrix Multi-Platform suite will give publishers complete reporting of its reach across all video platforms.” 

With this upgrade, Comscore’s Video Metrix Multi-Platform now includes YouTube CTV data, inclusive of co-viewing, in the U.S. Additionally, this release includes the ability for Comscore clients to access Traffic Sharing in our YouTube CTV measurement. 

Regions outside the U.S. will see the total YouTube audience view beginning in 2025, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Spain and the U.K., the company reported.

NEW YORK—Netflix exhibited the largest monthly growth in the June 2024 Media Distributor Gauge report, Nielsen’s cross-platform view of total TV consumption aggregated by media company. 

With usage up 11.8% compared with May, Netflix added almost a full point to its share of total TV viewing and moved from the sixth ranking media company in May, to fourth in June, accounting for 8.4% of TV usage for the month.

Nielsen’s The Gauge previously reported that 40.3% of time spent watching TV in June was attributable to streaming while broadcast and cable lost share.

Pure-play streamers like Netflix and YouTube saw the most benefit from a big streaming month. Time spent watching YouTube on television was up 4.2% in June to push the streamer to nearly 10% of total TV usage, securing another month with the second largest share of TV among media distributors.

While eight of the 14 companies ranked in the Media Distributor Gauge exhibited usage increases this month, affiliate streaming platforms helped rebalance the viewing share for multi-platform distributors across the board. 

With 10.8% of June’s TV viewing time, Disney maintained the top spot among media distributors, driven by a 15% increase in Disney+ usage. 

Another notable growth story was Tubi. It notched a 2.0% share of TV usage in June and a 15% bump in usage, climbed the ranks among its fellow FoxX affiliates and was the company’s second best performer behind FoxX News Channel, helping Fox climb to 6.6% of TV (+0.2 pt.).

NBCU retained its spot as the third ranking media distributor in June with 8.5% of TV, despite a loss of half a share point. The Olympics will certainly put the spotlight on NBCU throughout July and August as their coverage of the biennial event has historically drawn large audiences to all of its platforms.

The lack of sports and drama content on broadcast networks was, however, beneficial to cable entrants A&E, AMC and Hallmark whose affiliates helped fill the gaps by riding increases in viewing across cable’s feature film and drama genres. A&E posted a 1.4% share of TV, up 11.1% and +0.2 share points. Hallmark had a 1.2% share of TV, up 6.1% and +0.1 share points. AMC had 1.1% share of TV, up 7.7%, +0.1 pt.

A comparison with rankings for the previous months can be found here. 

The measurement interval for June 2024 was 05/27/24 through 06/30/24.

LOS ANGELES—Cineverse Corp. is reporting that its YouTube channels have passed the 10 million subscribers mark, thanks to the success of eight brands that have more than 400,000 subs.  

Cineverse noted that its brands with more than 400,000 subscribers on YouTube alone, included AsianCrush (pan-Asian, approaching 3.5 million), Free Movies from Cineverse (indie film, 1.3 million), K-Crush (K-pop, 938K), RetroCrush (classic anime, 901K), Cineverse Romance (romance movies, 760K), Midnight Pulp (cult movies and TV shows, 636K), QTTV (LGTBQ+, 575K) and Bloody Disgusting (horror, 407K). 

Cineverse's YouTube channels also drive attention to the company's standalone subscription-based apps and free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels. 

The company also reported that Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan has in less than six months has quickly generated more than 10 million views and tens of thousands of subscribers on YouTube (@dogwhisperershow), earning revenue and promoting the FAST channel which is now available on Cineverse (cineverse.com), Amazon Freevee, DIRECTV, Sling Freestream and Xumo, with additional distribution coming soon. 

Additionally, Cineverse and its brands have a presence across other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, with a total social footprint now over 20 million, the company said. 

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.—Cablecast Community Media has announced that it will be previewing its new Social Streaming and Control Rooms features, which simplify direct streaming and simulcasting to social media platforms from Cablecast Automation software, at NAB Show 2024 in Las Vegas (April 14-17). 

Cablecast exhibits at the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel, Suite 839, next to the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. 

Building on the ability to playout and record unlimited network stream sources, the new Social Streaming feature for Cablecast VIO video servers provides municipalities, educational institutions, PEG stations, and businesses with a reliable, straightforward way to stream live events directly from their Cablecast video and automation server to social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch, the company reported. 

Designed specifically for events televised from the TV studio or city council chamber, social streams can be scheduled directly into the playout schedule the same way all live events are scheduled in Cablecast, or as a user-initiated switch in the virtual switcher. 

“Social Streaming is a vital tool that empowers our clients to schedule live events to be streamed directly to their audience's favorite social media platforms. With Cablecast, simulcasting to social media is now a simple and seamless part of your public communication strategy,” said Steve Israelsky, president, Cablecast Community Media.

The new Control Rooms feature will simplify broadcast and streaming event workflows for Cablecast operators by giving them customizable views for live switching. As organizations add more network sources and digital distribution platforms to their channel operations, a single Cablecast system may include several live sources, network encoders, multiple channels, and live streams, the company explained. 

“We see so many PEG operations supporting multiple channels, it can become difficult to navigate the manual controls, even in our streamlined interface,” added Israelsky. “Control Rooms lets you configure a separate, simplified set of devices and outputs – just the ones you need for that particular production – to streamline the live event process.”

With Control Rooms, a station covering council meetings for several cities can create a control room for each municipality that displays only the specific channel, source locations, and outputs needed for each city, the company reported. 

Combined with the Social Streaming feature, the Control Rooms user interface also gives users a shortcut to start an RTMP stream and begin streaming directly to social media platforms like YouTube. Additional tools in the event bar include a countdown, controls for starting and stopping the live event, and testing the live streams. 

Cablecast is scheduling meetings for the 2024 NAB Show to demo its new accessibility upgrades and other PEG channel solutions here.  

LONDON—New data from Omdia highlights a number of major trends in the streaming business with findings that show the number of SVOD services per home is declining in a number of markets for the first time and that YouTube is the top streamer in six major markets. 

According to Omdia's analysis from November 2023, the number of subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services per home has declined in a number of markets for the first time. Simultaneously,  free video stacking is still on the rise, with the number of free services increasing. 

In the U.S. the number of SVOD services fell to 3.0 in Nov. of 2023 while the number of free services per home rose to 7.5. 

The researchers noted that YouTube's continued growth as the top video service provider in key markets, has been fundamental to the growth of the free streaming services over paid video content. This has been buoyed further by strong growth in other social video platforms and Free ad-supported television (FAST) services. YouTube was the most popular streaming service in the U.S., the U.K, Brazil, France, Germany and Spain in Nov. of 2023, Omdia reported. 

Unveiling new insights at Connected TV World Summit 2024 this week, research director in Omdia's Media and Entertainment practice, Maria Rua Aguete commented: "The appetite for free content is ever-increasing and the major streamers are clearly leaning into this as a strategy; by end of 2024, all major SVOD services will have advertising tiers."

FAST services have continued their upward trajectory in the US, with key players Tubi and The Roku Channel entering the top 10 most used services on a monthly basis, the researchers reported. 

In Europe, however, broadcasters remain strong, with traditional free TV and broadcaster video on demand (BVOD) services leading.

Over the last year, Omdia research found that the average number of free video services per video user for the UK increased from 5.1 to 6.2 and in the US 6 to 7.5 services.

In the UK, free-to-air content continues to lead with BVOD services and social media platforms as the most popular services with FAST coming in as third.

The allure of social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels has reshaped how individuals consume video content. With engaging formats and vast user bases, social media services offer compelling alternatives to mainstream streaming services.

Similarly, the availability of free TV options like ITVX, BBC Player, and Channel 4 in the UK provides viewers with access to high-quality content without the burden of subscription fees.

"The landscape of video streaming services continues to undergo a significant transformation. Our data has found that social media platforms, particularly Instagram Reels, coupled with the rise of free TV options like ITVX, BBC Player, and Channel 4, has led to changes in British consumer behavior. Whether these changes are happenings in response to the cost of living increases, paid subscription fatigue, or other factors, it underscores the evolving preferences of consumers who increasingly have more places to go to access video content," concluded Rua Aguete.

WASHINGTON—The 2024 NAB Show, April 13-17 in Las Vegas, will spotlight the people and technology behind the multi-billion dollar “creator economy,” which encompasses traditional media as well as the online community of tens of millions of content creators worldwide. 

Leading the charge is renowned YouTube star, digital creator, filmmaker extraordinaire and multi-media innovator Casey Neistat, who will inspire creators to think outside the box and redefine their creative potential when he takes the Main Stage. Known for his signature "Do What You Can't" motto, Neistat will share his career journey, the unconventional choices that propelled him to success and offer actionable lessons on innovation and creativity.

Do What You Can’t with Casey Neistat will take place Wednesday, April 17 from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. on NAB Show’s Main Stage. Neistat, who has more than 12.6 million subscribers on YouTube and has posted more than 1,100 videos, is a New York-based filmmaker, writer, director, editor and star of the series “The Neistat Brothers” on HBO. He won the John Cassavetes Award at the 2012 Independent Spirit Awards for producing the film "Daddy Long Legs."

On the exhibit floor, NAB Show will debut the Creator Lab – a dedicated experience to foster collaboration, learning and networking through panels, workshops, fireside chats and more. Topics include content monetization, video transformation, AI and mobile content creation. Featured speakers include Chris Laxamana, co-host and producer of The Adam Carolla Show and Marc Hustvedt, president of MrBeast YouTube.

Creators and influencers are carving out a massive niche in the overall media and entertainment landscape becoming their own media brands, shifting video consumption habits and attracting advertising dollars. By 2027, Goldman Sachs predicts the creator economy could be worth $480 billion. These creators, influencers, YouTubers, podcasters, bloggers, artists, musicians, writers and more earn money from their digital creations.

“The creator economy continues to challenge traditional media creation, production, advertising and distribution while borrowing the best of past models,” said Karen Chupka incoming executive vice president and managing director, NAB Global Connections and Events. “NAB Show brings this new generation of creators together with the companies that can help them continue to push the boundaries with new technology and tools for storytelling and expanding their reach.”

NAB Show offers dozens of sessions related to the creator economy, including these panels in the Core Education Collection: Create Series.

• Recess Therapy: How a College Thesis Became an Instagram Sensation: Moderator Jasmine Enberg of Insider Intelligence will host Scott Dunn, VP, Talent and Business Development at Doing Things, and Julian Shapiro-Barnum, creator and host of Recess Therapy, to learn how Shapiro-Barnum’s college thesis became a viral web series. The hit series continues to grow as a major talent with brands turning to it to raise awareness of projects and campaigns.
• Creator Economy: From Million Dollar Listing to Estate Media, Transforming Entrepreneurs into Entertainers: Cami Lincowski will discuss how entrepreneurs are disrupting traditional industries by thinking like a creator-led brand and developing content that engages, monetizes and scales. Founded by real estate mogul and television personality Josh Flagg, of Bravo TV’s “Million Dollar Listing,” the newly launched Estate Media is rolling out a slate of compelling and captivating content that professionals and fans crave.
• Creator Economy: Lessons from Follow Me's Influencer Showdown: The creators and distributors of “Follow Me” – the brand-sponsored reality competition series that gives influencers the chance to make it big on social media, work with major product partners and win a $50,000 grand prize – will give the inside scoop on moving beyond traditional advertising spend to authentically integrate brands on screen. Speakers include Derek Daugherty, business development and sales marketing for M&M’s, FedEx and F1; Michele Fino, head of branded entertainment for Crackle Connex; Charlotte McKinney, model, actress and influencer; and, John Stevens, CEO of V10 Entertainment.

Check out all sessions related to the creator economy here. 

YouTube has released a host of new metrics about its services, including the fact that YouTube TV now has more than 8 million subscribers, making the vMVPD the fourth largest pay TV operator in the U.S. 

The sub numbers were released in YouTube CEO Neal Mohan’s annual letter, which also reported that the YouTube Partner Program has paid more than $70 billion to creators, artists, and media companies between 2020-2023 and that more than 1 billion hours of YouTube is viewed on TVs each day. According to Nielsen's report on streaming in the U.S., YouTube was the leader in streaming watch-time for the past 11 months.

Mohan also wrote that Shorts is averaging over 70 billion daily views, and the number of channels uploading Shorts has grown 50% year over year.

"Since the very first upload, YouTube has opened up a new way to tell stories,” he wrote. “Suddenly anyone with a story could find an audience. And they did just that. People filmed in their kitchens, their bedrooms, and even their backyards. Along the way, they built communities that stretched across the globe. 

“YouTube took this creativity one step further by making a big bet: we decided to share revenue with creators,” he added. “Since then, the growth of the creator economy has been incredible. More people created content on YouTube last year than ever before. And we’ve hit a new milestone. Today more than 3 million channels are in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which gives creators ways to earn money on YouTube. YPP has paid out more than any other creator monetization platform, and we paid over $70 billion to creators, artists, and media companies over the last three years.” 

In the letter, he also argued that “generative AI is driving another evolution that raises critical questions about how we express creativity,” and said that using AI to “empower human creativity” will be their #1 priority in 2024. 

“We want to help everyone create,” he said. “AI should empower human creativity, not replace it. And everyone should have access to AI tools that will push the boundaries of creative expression. We recently announced new AI experiments that demonstrate this drive to innovate. Dream Screen is scaling creativity by giving anyone the ability to make AI-generated backgrounds for YouTube Shorts. It lets you create anything you can imagine by just typing in an idea, like a popcorn volcano or a disco forest. And through our Music AI Incubator, we’re hearing feedback from artists about the ways AI can supercharge their creative process. Last year, we shared Dream Track, one of the first experiments as we explore the possibilities of AI in music in collaboration with partners across the industry. See how it’s going so far.”

The streamers #2 priority is that “creators should be recognized as next-generation studios,” Mohan wrote. 

Its third top priority is “the living room and subscriptions,” Mohan said. 

“When I started at YouTube, people thought about content from major studios and content from creators as entirely different, but today that stark divide is gone,” he noted. “Viewers want everything in one place, from a live sports game to the BBC to Khan Academy and NikkieTutorials. And they’re watching YouTube the way we used to sit down together for traditional TV shows – on the biggest screen in the home with friends and family.”

In addition to the 8 million subs at YouTube TV, Mohan also said that “we passed 100 million Music and Premium subscribers, including trials.” 

For its fourth priority, Mohan wrote that “Protecting the creator economy is foundational.”

“As we work across all of these priorities, our number one commitment is to responsibly protect the YouTube community,” he noted.

After reiterating their commitment to providing a healthy online experience for kids, he also touched on worries that social media platforms will once again be a source of mis-information and propaganda during this year’s elections in more than 50 countries around the world. 

“We’re ensuring that when people look for election news on YouTube, authoritative sources are prominent in their searches and recommendations,” he wrote. “We spent years investing in a playbook to responsibly manage content on YouTube including longstanding, rigorously enforced policies against hate speech, incitement to violence, election interference, and more. We quickly evolve and adapt when new challenges emerge, and we’ll do so again as generative AI makes more sophisticated deepfakes possible and raises new questions. Not only do all of our existing policies apply to synthetically generated content, we’ll also add new layers of transparency and protections. For example, in the coming months, we’ll introduce labels that inform viewers when the realistic content they’re seeing is synthetic.”

NEW YORK—GroupM has launched the GroupM Ad Innovation Accelerator, a new working group that will work to enhance traditional advertising sports for streaming audiences. 

The effort is particularly notable because it brings together a number of major streaming platforms and media companies. GroupM announced that BrightLine, Disney, KERV, NBCUniversal, Roku, Telly, and YouTube will join GroupM’s Ad Innovation Accelerator at launch. 

The effort also reflects the rapid growth of CTV advertising at a time when TV ad revenue has been sluggish. GroupM is forecasting CTV advertising will increase 14.9% in North America in 2024, accelerating from 9.4% in 2023.

Members of the Accelerator will work on strategies and the creation of scalable ad formats for such ad-supported streaming environments such as Peacock, Telly, The Roku Channel and YouTube, among others. 

This program will first roll out in North America for GroupM clients at Mindshare, Wavemaker and EssenceMediacom.

“We have to craft a future of our industry where engagement, innovation, and outcomes converge,” said Andrew Meaden, global head of investment, GroupM. “As we shape the next era of media where advertising works better for people, it is critical we continue to innovate new advertising experiences with our partners around the world to ensure brands are meeting audiences where they are. With more ad-supported options emerging, advertisers must respect audiences’ preferences and use cutting-edge technology to deliver more personalized content.”

Spearheaded by GroupM’s industry-leading investment team, the Ad Innovation Accelerator will aim to evolve the traditional 30-second ad spot by integrating advanced digital technologies that will enhance brand-to-viewer connections and drive measurable results for participating GroupM advertisers.

“Brands advertising in ad-supported streaming environments have an incredible opportunity to engage with attentive consumers, but the rapidly evolving media landscape makes it difficult for advertisers to efficiently and resourcefully launch interactive advertising campaigns,” said Mike Fisher, executive director, investment innovation, GroupM U.S. “Our clients need a simple way to activate interoperable and attributable campaigns across the ad-supported streaming ecosystem. With key stakeholders at the same table, we will shape impactful outcomes that allow advertisers to execute creative, engaging and effective campaigns.”

The newly formed working group will convene in early 2024. Partners of GroupM’s Ad Innovation Accelerator have mutually agreed to:

• Set recurring innovation sessions and quarterly meetings to establish goals and determine outputs for newly created advertising models and methods.
• Launch pilot programs in Q1 2024.
• Co-create advertising formats for agnostic use across the media ecosystem using test-and-learn findings.
• Analyze efficiency and efficacy of media campaigns using newly implemented standards and practices.

“Building on a legacy of setting industry benchmarks and driving responsible media investment, our program is rooted in shared discovery, proven success and forward-thinking. We’re encouraged by our partners’ collective commitments to impactful advertising and their leadership in advancing new ad formats, specifically for streaming video,” said Matt Sweeney, chief investment officer, GroupM U.S. “Uniting partners with varying objectives to streamline ad development will have a multitude of benefits for our advertisers, ultimately allowing for quick iteration and better interoperability across platforms. That’s a win-win for our industry.”

Working group members will closely collaborate with GroupM advertisers that express interest in testing new formats and processes. Benchmark testing will be finalized in early 2024 ahead of 2024-2025 Upfront planning.

GroupM’s Ad Innovation Accelerator will roll out to other markets throughout 2024, with the goal to develop and pilot new ad formats across existing and emerging channels.

GroupM said it is open to collaboration with other partners interested in working together to make the ecosystem of our industry more effective and impactful for advertisers. Companies interested in joining this program can contact adinnovationaccelerator@groupm.com. 

LOS ANGELES—As part of an effort to expand the presence of some of its channels on social media, Cineverse Corp. has signed a new agreement with social channel management company Little Dot Studios to manage and grow three Cineverse owned and operated OTT channels.

As part of the new deal, Fandor (a classic film lovers subscription service); RetroCrush (a fan favorite anime channel) and Midnight Pulp (retro cult movie Fan channel) will now be exclusively marketed and managed on YouTube by Little Dot Studios, which is owned by All3Media

All of the channels are owned and operated by Cineverse and powered by the company’s digital managed service tech, Matchpoint, to streamline delivery. 

“With dedicated specialisms in entertainment, sports and consumer brands, we create meaningful connections with audiences through all digital content touchpoints.” said Larissa Bellamy, partnerships director at Little Dot Studios.  “We will work with the highly engaged audiences on YouTube and Facebook and deliver them highlights and full episodic content from some of the top channels that Cineverse has built via its global FAST and AVOD business.”

“We need to continue to expand our footprint and grow audiences for our unique content and there’s no better place to do that than on YouTube and across social media,” said Cineverse executive vice president of global partnerships, Marc Rashba.  “Through our commercial expansion strategy, we are able to work closely with our internal content teams, and partners like Little Dot Studios, to target audiences that we may not already be reaching via our FAST and AVOD services today.”

Little Dot Studios runs its digital broadcast network of more than fifty channel brands across social platforms as well as eight FAST channels across streaming platforms. Licensing over 20,000 hours of hand-picked long-form content, the network is watched by over 45 million subscribers and reaches over 125 million unique viewers every month.

MINNEAPOLIS—A new survey highlights the growing importance of YouTube among younger viewers, with the Piper Sandler’s 46th semi-annual Taking Stock With Teens survey finding that teens spent 29.1% of their daily video consumption on on YouTube (+100 basis points vs. spring '23) beating out Netflix, which accounted for 28.7% of of their daily video consumption (-220 basis points vs. spring '23). 

The survey was done in partnership with DECA.

The survey of 9,193 teens conducted from September 4 to September 27 also found that TikTok improved slightly as the favorite social platform (38% share) by 80 basis points (bps) vs. spring ‘23. SNAP was No. 2 with 28% share, followed by Instagram (23%). 

Another key finding was a slowdown in teen spending amid economic concerns. The researchers reported that teen “self-reported” spending was down 1% Y/Y to $2,316 and that their data has not shown a spending decrease seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic.Inflation is now the number two social concern, coming in at 9% among teens.

“Our survey points to initial signs of a slowdown in teen spending. Inflation reached its highest mindshare in terms of political and social issues, right behind the environment,” said Edward Yruma, senior research analyst.

In the mobile arena, the iPhone continues to reign as 87% of teens own one and 88% expect the iPhone to be their next mobile device.

The survey also found that mobile devices remained the No. 1 preferred method for customer service interactions (50% share).

Other key findings include: 

• e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. remains the top cosmetics brand, increasing 13 points Y/Y to 29% for female teens.
• Nike maintains its position as the number one favorite brand among teens in both apparel and footwear, with 35% and 61% mindshare respectively.
• Chick-fil-A, Inc. stays the highest ranked restaurant at 16% share.
• Inflation is now the number two social concern, coming in at 9% among teens.
• Males lead the spending increase as NIKE, Inc., lululemon athletica inc. and American Eagle Outfitters Inc. rank among the top clothing brands for teens. Female spending was down overall with specific decreases across apparel and shoes but counteracted with strength in accessories spending.
• The core beauty wallet (cosmetics, skincare and fragrance) stood at $324/year with cosmetics leading at +33% Y/Y. Sephora showed impressive gains as they surpass Ulta Beauty, Inc., becoming the number one preferred beauty shopping destination with a loyalty membership of 67%.

Piper Sandler Taking Stock With Teens survey is a semi-annual research project that gathers input from 9,193 teens with an average age of 15.7 years. Discretionary spending patterns, fashion trends, technology, and brand and media preferences are assessed through surveying a geographically diverse subset of high schools across the U.S. Since the project began in 2001, Piper Sandler has surveyed more than 248,283 teens and collected over 60.7 million data points on teen spending.

To view a full list of key findings and request the full survey report, visit here.   

With streaming and social media platforms alike striving to keep the attention of audiences all over the world, one platform in particular continues to lead the pack: YouTube.

Second only to Google in terms of global monthly visits, the site’s unique proposition has always been as a platform for user-generated content. It is testament to the success of this offering that it continues to pull in billions of users every month.

Despite its overwhelming success, YouTube understands that the world of content evolves quickly. Its viewers are loyal to the content, not the platform, hence its expansion into the competitive Advertising-based Video on Demand (AVOD) market.

And it’s made quite the entrance, to say the least: with the addition of YouTube's AVOD arm last year, the site is now officially the top streaming platform in Europe. 

With this strategic extension, YouTube now not only gives streaming players like Pluto TV and Tubi a run for their money, but also continues to outpace social channels like Facebook and TikTok in monthly visits. By pushing visitors through from user-generated content to its premium films and shows, it keeps them firmly within its own ecosystem, meaning its value will only increase.

With the variety of its content offered so obviously being a core element of its ongoing success, one would instinctively urge social competitors to follow the same route. But is this as simple as it seems? Can YouTube’s winning formula really be copied and pasted just like that?

YouTube’s Unique Offering
YouTube’s offering is highly strategic—and continues to evolve to meet user appetites.

While it was originally known for its long-form content, it has adapted to include short-form videos through the introduction of YouTube Shorts, which are now being watched by over 1.5 billion logged-in users every month—an impressive number considering that many viewers without user IDs will also be consuming this content.

And it’s clear that audiences are happy with the level of variety offered; 87% of people have watched at least 4 of the content formats provided by YouTube over the past 12 months.

This is especially true of Gen Z, 71% of whom report valuing the accessibility of being able to watch different video formats all on one platform.

But, as well as content form, YouTube is also attuned to how modes of delivery can help drive viewing habits. The recent development of its multi-language audio feature, powered by strategic partnerships with AI dubbing companies such as Papercup, allows brands and creators to upload dubbed videos so that viewers can watch in their preferred language.

This improves engagement and meets the needs of new, international audiences keen to consume long and short-form content in their native language. It increases YouTube’s global presence at the same time.

Pioneering Premium
Why premium content? Such a bold move may make other platforms consider making similar plays—and with good reason, given the success that YouTube has seen.

But the fact that YouTube is especially well-suited to hosting paid movies and TV shows can’t be ignored.

Unlike Facebook, Instagram or TikTok, the platform is not heavily associated with the social element. It understands that its users predominantly turn to the platform for content consumption rather than active engagement with others—it’s this understanding of user interests that makes the move towards AVOD so astute.

As its strategy evolves, it therefore remains to be seen how companies will come to interact with the platform. However, by catering to different viewing habits, YouTube not only meets the needs of broader audiences, but draws in a wider pool of advertisers.

Can Other Platforms Catch Up?
Straddling both the ‘sit back and watch’ world of AVOD, as well as the click-fuelled domain of user-generated content is a tricky balance to strike.

And failure comes with a price. The recent drop-off in Threads users after an initial surge, is a good example of when blindly following the innovations of market leaders—in this case, Twitter/X—doesn’t pay off. 

Rather than attempt to replicate the platform’s model, it’s likely more worthwhile for other players to nail their own niche. 

Just look at TikTok’s success nailing the short-form consumer niche through initiatives like its creator marketplace. This has now drawn in over 8 million active TikTok creators, and is only going from strength to strength.

As other platforms look to build out robust ecosystems, they will have more success accounting for what’s unique about their audiences. Strategies that encapsulate and expand upon the interests of their users will always yield the best outcomes.

Copy That
YouTube’s expansion of content to include premium films and shows within its AVOD offering undoubtedly emerges as a vital element of its ongoing success.

For competitors looking to model audience growth on YouTube‘s strategy, they should look to YouTube’s push to make high value content globally available with the introduction of its MLA feature. This clear push to enable content to be consumed in as many languages as possible is where the greatest learnings lie.

Accommodating the needs of vast international audiences can seem daunting, but as YouTube’s viewing stats confirm, doing so pays dividends. Any platform able to challenge the giant in this area will make waves—and the world will be watching.

 New data from Tubular Labs shows that in August of 2023, Tegna’s unique U.S. viewers grew by 43% month-over-month across Facebook and YouTube, partly due to an emphasis on crime-related content, the researcher said. 

Tubular Audience Ratings also indicated that the summer surge took Tegna up to No. 9 among all U.S. media and entertainment properties, shy of Warner Music at No. 8.

Tegna also saw U.S. minutes watched climb significantly month-over-month, increasing 62% across Facebook and YouTube. 

At 291.2 million minutes watched, that put the company ahead of Nexstar and MLB for the month, according to Tubular Labs.

LAS VEGAS—Sphere Entertainment Co. has announced that YouTube will premiere the first-ever brand campaign specifically designed for the Exosphere—the fully programmable LED exterior of Sphere in Las Vegas—in support of NFL Sunday Ticket, the premium NFL subscription product that allows fans to watch every out-of-market Sunday afternoon game.

YouTube is the new home of NFL Sunday Ticket, which gives fans access to all live out-of-market Sunday afternoon games throughout the regular NFL season and is available to purchase on YouTube and YouTube TV. To celebrate, YouTube created an animation that transforms the exterior of Sphere into helmets of all 32 NFL teams. 

YouTube’s multi-week campaign started at 9:00 AM PT on  Sept. 1 and runs through the beginning of the NFL season. To help unveil the activation, YouTube Creators including RDCWorld1, Kurt Tocci, Ayokunle Adewuya, Kelly Wakasa, and Jiedel will be on site at the Sphere in Las Vegas to capture content and document the experience.    

“It’s only fitting that YouTube, one of the most respected and important media platforms in the world, is launching the first-ever brand campaign on the Exosphere to support NFL Sunday Ticket,” said Guy Barnett, Senior Vice President, Brand Strategy & Creative Development, Sphere Entertainment. “I can’t wait to see how NFL fans react once they see their team on the biggest LED screen in the world.”

“Using the Exosphere’s larger-than-life canvas for a brand campaign that combines two of the most widely recognized brands—YouTube and the NFL—resulted in an immersive experience that engages audiences ahead of the start of the season and the launch of NFL Sunday Ticket,” said David Hopkinson, President and Chief Operating Officer of MSG Sports, who oversees global marketing and brand partnerships across Sphere Entertainment and the MSG family of companies. “This activation spotlights the immense opportunity for brands on the Exosphere, which has quickly become an iconic global landmark since it illuminated earlier this summer.”

Sphere Entertainment says its new dome hosts the largest LED screen in the world, consisting of approximately 1.2 million LED pucks, spaced eight inches apart. Each puck contains 48 individual LED diodes, with each diode capable of displaying 256 million different colors.

Scheduled to open to the public Sept. 29, the Exosphere lit up its new screen in July and currently displays a wide range of artistic and branded content daily, spanning everything from a morning ritual to impactful artist and brand campaigns, and culminating with an evening lunar display. 

YouTube has unveiled pricing for NFL Sunday Ticket Student Plan that will cost eligible students only $109 a season.  The student plan was announced last week but pricing was not immediately available. 

The $109 student plan can be bundled with NFL RedZone for $10 more. Games start on Sunday, September 10.

The move comes at a time when some analysts have worried that the NFL might be losing popularity among younger viewers. 

Students looking for the heavily discounted price will have to purchase the package before the start of the regular season and prove their eligibility. 

To do that, students must: 

• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Be enrolled as a student at an accredited college or university.
• Be verified as a student by SheerID.
• While you do not need to be enrolled at a U.S. institution to be eligible, you must be located in the U.S. to watch and purchase NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube.
• You will be required to verify your eligibility before purchasing the NFL Sunday Ticket Student Plan for future seasons.

The Student plan is for individuals and does not allow for family viewing, YouTube also said. 

NEW YORK—Integral Ad Science has announced that it has rolled out new ad measurement tools for YouTube Shorts. 

Through IAS’s Total Media Quality for YouTube product suite, the company is now providing viewability and invalid traffic measurement for YouTube Shorts' rapidly growing inventory so that advertisers can be assured that their ads are seen by real users, the company said. 

YouTube Shorts now reaches 1.5 billion logged-in monthly users with 50 billion daily views. 

"YouTube Shorts is enormously popular with advertisers, and we are pleased to broaden our work to provide this greater level of transparency," said Lisa Utzschneider, CEO, IAS. "YouTube Shorts continues to grow quickly and globally, providing an incredible opportunity for our advertising partners."

For more information, visit integralads.com.