YouTube is the new television: Neal Mohan

TV has now surpassed mobile as the primary viewing device for YouTube in the US, CEO Neal Mohan revealed in a blog post outlining his four big bets for the platform in 2025.

In 2025, YouTube celebrates its 20th anniversary; Mohan reflected on two decades of cultural transformation through video and the rise of the creator economy. Thanking the community that built the platform, he expressed optimism for its future, emphasising key focus areas: strengthening YouTube as a cultural epicenter, fostering the creator economy with a “startup mindset,” enhancing TV experiences, and investing in AI-driven tools.

“More than just a platform, YouTube is the epicenter of culture, and we’re committed to fostering a vibrant community where everyone has a voice,” he said, highlighting the first pillar of the platform.

Lauding creators who are bringing a startup mindset to Hollywood, Mohan said that the platform is committed to “meeting creators where they are with tools and features that power their business and communities.”

“We’ll continue to support their growth through more traditional revenue streams like ads and YouTube Premium while introducing new ways for creators to partner with brands to bring their products to life,” he said.

He noted that YouTube’s growth on connected TV is also attracting new advertisers. Mohan vowed to introduce formats that work particularly well on the big screen, like QR codes and pause ads.

“Our subscription services are seeing a lot of momentum, too: YouTube TV has more than 8 million subscribers and YouTube Music & Premium has more than 100 million subscribers (including trials). We’ll continue to improve fan-favorite YouTube TV features, like Key Plays and multiview, and bring new benefits to YouTube Premium subscribers,” he noted.

In his last point, he emphasised the role of AI and how it will make it easier to create and enhance the YouTube experience for everyone.

“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,” he said.

Mohan underscored that YouTube will continue to “responsibly harness the power of AI” as he ended his note by thanking the community of creators, artists, viewers and partners.