A version of this article originally appeared in Ad Age.
Like millions of households in the U.S., my family was abuzz with March Madness excitement earlier this year. During a live game, my son would pull up videos of Purdue center Zach Edey’s greatness on court, before moving onto analysis of his style. In between game days, he would share videos of Edey doing challenges and fun interviews.
This pattern is hardly unique. Whether it’s sports, the Oscars, Coachella, the latest movie, or a new episode from top YouTube creator MrBeast, what people watch on their screens these days is just the beginning of their viewing journey. People don’t just consume content — they truly dive deep on their passions and become fans.
If viewers could watch only one service for an entire year, the No. 1 platform they would choose would be YouTube.
This is a huge shift from years past. Today’s viewers don’t just love a content genre; they love and seek all the content surrounding it. Watercooler conversations aren’t just about the buzziest moment from an event, but whether you watched the creator reactions and takes that followed.
YouTube is the only place where people can watch millions of exciting creators and artists, and go deep into expansive worlds of content. According to a survey by Kantar, if viewers could only watch one service for an entire year, the No. 1 platform they would chose would be YouTube.1
How people consume content and how they actively engage with the media and culture around them is transforming video viewership. Here’s why brands should pay attention.
Viewers are now 24/7 fans
The rise of streaming and creator content has made it easier for people around the world to access, explore, and engage with anything and everything they care about. And once they find the things they care about, they become always-on fans for that content. My son isn’t going to wait around until the next March Madness season. He’s going to go on YouTube to discover other players he wants to follow as Edey moves on to the pros.
This culture of following interests beyond the big spike moments is turning casual viewers into 24/7 fans who bring deep engagement to the communities they follow.
Take the beauty community as an example. There have been 36 billion views on YouTube videos related to skin care in the past year, averaging over 100 million views a day.2 These highly engaged fandoms are shifting viewership in a way we haven’t seen before. Importantly for advertisers, fans come to YouTube with intention and to go deep, and that means brands can reach these audiences while they’re deeply engaged.
The big screen is getting even bigger
What and who people watch in the living room is seeing a big shift as well. People follow their favorite creators to the TV screen. When former NASA engineer Mark Rober posted a video last year about the science behind a Wiffle ball, it received 5 million views in the first 24 hours. Rober’s video went live on the same day as the much-lauded “Succession” series finale, which drew 2.9 million viewers when it premiered, according to HBO.
Viewers globally watch more than 1 billion hours on average of YouTube content on their TVs every day.
According to the Nielsen TV and streaming report for the U.S., YouTube has remained the No. 1 leader in streaming watch time every month since February 2023, and I’d say it’s because the platform has all the creators and content people love in one place. When people turn on their TVs, they don’t just watch reality shows and late-night comedy. They seek all the content and commentary around those shows as well. Tuning in to YouTube in the living room becomes the perfect destination to find everything that surrounds the content people love.
And, as it turns out, they spend a lot of time there. Viewers globally watch more than 1 billion hours on average of YouTube content on their TVs every day.3
TV no longer means just horizontal video. Views of YouTube Shorts on connected TVs in the U.S. grew by more than 75% last year.4 Brands can tap into this fandom by leaning into YouTube Select, which has the top 1% of content on YouTube. YouTube Select is now delivering more than 75% of impressions on the TV screen.
Superfans lead to superbrands
When brands cultivate a community of fans and focus on the values that matter most to consumers, the brand loyalty and business outcomes follow. Let’s consider two words: Stanley Cups. At the heart of the craze over the drinkware brand is something that’s universally true: People are longing to feel part of a community, in this case, one that is committed to living well and staying healthy. From unboxing videos to Stanley Cup accessories, collections of the cups, and creative customizations, the fandom for the cup has kept the brand sold out for months on end.
Billions of fans and viewers come to YouTube every day, which makes it the best place for brands to reach engaged viewers.
Time and time again we see that engaged audiences lead to business outcomes. The fandom for Dyson vacuums is already phenomenal. And, when the brand was looking for a boost in sales, they embraced Google’s AI-powered solutions to identify untapped search demand and reach new audiences. The result? New conversions across Search, YouTube, Display, and more, and a remarkable 70% increase in revenue and 320% return on ad spend year over year.
If this feels like we’re in the midst of unprecedented shifts and an explosion of content, it’s because we are. But brands don’t have to be everywhere to be watched by everyone. Billions of fans and viewers come to YouTube every day and spend time on what’s important to them, which makes it the best place for brands to reach engaged viewers, no matter the screen or the format.
