Now more than ever, audiences are choosing to tune into YouTube on their smart TVs rather than via the website or app on mobile devices. YouTube debuted in 2005, created by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. An app quickly followed in June of 2007.
YouTube TV launched back in 2017 and recently upped its subscription cost to $72.99 per month in March of this year. While the cost is creeping up on comparable with standard cable television packages, members still find the service preferable and are willing to pay for a subscription. Free ad-supported viewing is also still provided, sans the exclusive members-only perks.
Sources are stating that approximately 45 percent of YouTube videos are being watched on television sets, quite a jump from the 30 percent reported back in 2020. What once a streaming service only available on the internet has bolstered into a worthy contender as a legit platform – and advertisers are taking note.
“Those shifts explain why advertisers have stopped treating YouTube like a second-class citizen, which will become clearer this month at the start of the annual TV upfronts market, an event where advertisers and ad sellers begin negotiating their spending commitments for the next year. Advertisers widely expect to allocate at least as many dollars to YouTube as on any individual TV company such as Disney and NBCUniversal, according to multiple senior ad-buying executives,” states The Information.
Audiences have been able to tune into YouTube via their smart TVs for years. Most modern smart televisions support the app and members can even begin watching on their mobile devices before flinging videos to their television sets. Samsung, LG, Sony, and a host of other smart televisions come with YouTube already installed, making it that much easier to access. Apple TV 4K and Roku have an option to download the app, as well.