Eseandre Mordi
● YouTube has quietly become a $60.3 billion-a-year powerhouse. The money comes from three main sources: $41 billion in ads, $9.8 billion from Premium and Music subscriptions, and $9.5 billion from YouTube TV. That's roughly a 68-32 split between advertising and subscriptions, with revenue growing about 15% year over year.
● The numbers are eye-opening. If YouTube were its own company, analysts say it could be valued around $500 billion—placing it among the top 20 most valuable companies globally. For context, that's larger than most Fortune 500 companies.
● But size brings scrutiny. YouTube faces growing pressure around content moderation, data privacy, and fierce competition from TikTok, Netflix, and Meta's platforms. Balancing creator payments with profitability while expanding into live TV is no small task.
● The subscription side is becoming increasingly important. About 125 million people now pay for Premium or Music, providing steady income that cushions YouTube against advertising downturns. YouTube TV, with 9.5 million subscribers, is carving out real space in streaming and live sports.
● Perhaps most striking is YouTube's cultural footprint. As Deedy notes, "Over 2% of all human waking time is spent on YouTube—one of the greatest products ever built." That's billions of people spending a meaningful chunk of their lives on the platform every day.
● YouTube isn't just Google's golden goose—it's one of the defining platforms of the digital age.
Eseandre Mordi
