YouTube CEO says it has become the 'new TV,' as the primary viewing device shifts from smartphones to TVs

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan published his annual letter on YouTube on February 11, 2025, marking the 20th anniversary of the company. In it, Mohan noted that in the United States, televisions have replaced smartphones as the primary device for watching YouTube, and that 'watching television now means watching YouTube.'

From the YouTube CEO: Our big bets for 2025 - YouTube Blog
https://blog.youtube/inside-youtube/our-big-bets-for-2025/

YouTube is now even bigger on TVs than phones | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/news/609684/youtube-bigger-tvs-phones-streaming

YouTube TV Viewing Overtakes Mobile Viewing, CEO Neal Mohan Says
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/youtube-tv-viewing-overtakes-mobile-ceo-neal-mohan-1236132074/

According to Mohan, YouTube users on average watch more than 1 billion hours of YouTube content on their TVs per day, and TVs are quickly becoming the primary device for watching YouTube in the United States.

YouTube changed the layout of its TV app in 2024, allowing videos to be played on the left side of the screen while comments and descriptions for the video are displayed on the right side. In addition, a 'Season' feature has been added that allows users to easily switch between video series with a remote control, and a 'Watch With' feature has been experimentally introduced, allowing creators to add commentary and explanations to games and events in real time.

'YouTube TV' is revamped to a 'highly immersive UI' like Netflix - GIGAZINE

In response to this, more and more YouTube creators are producing content for big screens with TV viewing in mind, while users continue to enjoy mobile content, such as short vertical videos, on their TVs.

'For more and more people, watching TV means watching YouTube, but new TV doesn't look like old TV,' Mohan said. 'YouTube is interactive, and it's not just the sports, sitcoms and talk shows people love, it's the short movies, podcasts and livestreams they watch on TV.'

In a section titled 'YouTube Remains a Cultural Hub,' Mohan also noted that 45 million Americans watched election-related content on Election Day in the 2024 presidential election, and that interviews with President Trump and videos featuring his rival, Kamala Harris, have been successful on YouTube.

In addition, according to the announcement, 40% of the total viewing time of videos with dubbed audio is played in the dubbed language. In 2024, YouTube will also release an 'auto-dubbing feature' that allows creators to translate videos into multiple languages with the click of a button.

YouTube releases automatic dubbing feature that generates translated audio tracks such as 'English to Japanese' - GIGAZINE

Looking ahead to the next 20 years, CEO Mohan said, 'It's amazing how YouTube has helped people create, learn and connect for 20 years. As we embark on this new chapter, we're committed to empowering creators, cultivating our community and continuing to redefine how people around the world watch, listen and connect.'