Last week YouTube CEO Neal Mohan outlined his vision for the platform in 2024, listing four key bets for what is arguably Google’s second most popular product, and the internet’s as a whole (following Google’s 87.04 billion monthly visits, YouTube has 32.72 billion monthly visits, Facebook, the next most visited, counts up to half the latter).

You can readNeal Mohan’s letterhere, but the TLDR of the four bets is: AI will empower human creativity; creators should be recognized as next-generation studios; YouTube’s next frontier is the living room and subscriptions; and protecting the creator economy is foundational.

Given that advertising and media use cold math to eke out the creativity of scale and from sales, exchange4media asked marketers how far they’d be willing to go along with these bets, and which are the most pertinent. The response was such that, like any goodYouTube video, we’ve had to split it into two parts, the first being just around consumers and their willingness to subscribe. Erudite readers can also subscribe here.

Noting that in the last few years, we've witnessed YouTube's explosive growth in India, and the market is optimistic about its promise of getting YouTube living rooms, Siddharth Dabhade, Global Commercial Board Member and Managing Director, MiQ, says, “As Google TV’s penetration expands in India, linear TVs get smarter with Chromecasts, and streaming speeds increase with 5G internet, YouTube is well placed to grow at a rapid pace. While YouTube promotes its subscription services, exclusive content, discounts, or bundled packages are needed to incentivize subscriptions.”

As for marketing veteran Advit Sahdev, “YouTube's commitment to boost subscriptions and its footprint in living rooms will revolutionise both the advertiser relationships and user experience on the platform. The focus on living rooms points to a deliberate change in direction toward a more enjoyable experience. This action is in line with the increasing popularity of streaming devices and smart TVs, giving YouTube a chance to become the go-to source for content in homes.”

In order to accomplish this, YouTube is probably going to make investments in joint ventures with smart TV manufacturers and enhance its app for a range of streaming platforms, guaranteeing a smooth transition into living room settings. By doing this, YouTube presumably hopes to increase user engagement and subscription adoption while gaining a bigger portion of the at-home entertainment market.

Karan Anand, SVP – Strategy, Interactive Avenues (the digital arm of IPG Mediabrands India) adds thatYouTube's expansioninto original content with YouTube Originals marks a strategic move to bolster its presence in living rooms and attract subscribers to services like YouTube Premium.

“This premium content offers exclusive viewing experiences, strengthening YouTube's foothold in the living room entertainment space and driving subscription growth. For advertisers, this shift presents new opportunities to engage audiences in immersive environments, potentially leading to more impactful advertising experiences integrated with premium content and subscriptions. Advertisers may need to explore innovative formats and strategies, such as sponsored content and product placements, to adapt to this evolving landscape,” he says.

Venugopal Ganganna, CEO, Langoor, finds YouTube's focus on living rooms and subscriptions fascinating. “This means curated playlists and personalized content suggestions tailored to each living room, leveraging viewing habits and demographics. AI can optimize discovery, keeping viewers engaged and glued to the screen.

Creators can now, more than ever personalize content for subscribed viewers, offering exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpses, interactive Q&As, or early access to new releases. This leads to tailoring packages to specific interests and viewing habits, subscribing to specific creators, genres, or even live events – all managed by AI recommendations.

This means that with the help of AI, YouTube can precisely target ads based on living room viewing habits and demographics, reaching audiences with laser-sharp focus. Imagine ads seamlessly integrated into content, triggered by AI-driven understanding of viewer sentiment and attention.

“This will impact relationships with advertisers on the platform in a few ways. First, it will give advertisers access to a larger audience of viewers who are watching YouTube on their TVs. Second, it will create new opportunities for advertisers to create targeted ads that are relevant to specific audiences and viewing contexts. For example, an advertiser could create an ad for a new car that is specifically targeted to viewers who are watching car reviews on YouTube. Finally, it could lead to higher ad rates, as advertisers are willing to pay more to reach viewers who are watching YouTube on their TVs,” says Ganganna.

We will explore more Neal Mohan’s pitch further in the second part of this report.