YouTube at 20: Streaming Markets Dominating Global Entertainment

Ahead of YouTube’s 20th anniversary, Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., has reported that the platform has gained a 13% year-over-year advertising revenue increase for the second quarter of 2025, reaching $9.796 billion.

This impressive growth showcases the domination of streaming markets in entertainment, as well as YouTube’s top position in this industry. This success is closely tied to changing viewing habits across the globe.

‘YouTube is the New Television’ – Position in Streaming Entertainment 

For the first time ever, more people are watching YouTube on their TV rather than their mobile device. According to Nielsen, it is the number one distributor of TV content in the U.S.

Concept Photo/Shutterstock.com

Commenting on users streaming over 1 billion hours of content per day on their TVs, CEO Neal Mohan stated, “YouTube is the new television”.

The platform has long since surpassed being devoted to simple tutorials and viral trends. However, short-form content remains a valuable asset, as YouTube Shorts has reached an equal revenue per watch hour as core YouTube.

YouTube’s versatility as a Multifaceted platform has significantly contributed to its success. The Gauge reports show that YouTube holds 12% of the TV audience, comparing this to other big names in the streaming industry, further displays YouTube’s dominance:

• Netflix – 7.9%
• Disney + – 5.0%
• Prime Video – 3.5%

Streaming Industry Continued Growth 

Streaming in general now covers a total of 43.8% of TV usage, and subscription to online streaming services has grown by 700 million from 2020 to 2025, according to Forbes.

Outside of YouTube, streaming and live-streaming in particular, has changed how we access and consume our media. Consumers now want on-demand personalized content, and the trend of industries such as TV, music and sport reflects that.

For music artists, live-streaming offers a way to connect to their fans who may not be able to travel or afford to go to concerts, with many platforms offering tickets to live-streamed gigs.

Esports (electronic sports) is the fastest-growing sport in the world, and that is, for a large part, thanks to streaming services. Fans now have the opportunity to watch their favorite video gamers play in competitive tournaments, through YouTube and Twitch, instead of travelling to stadiums to watch traditional sporting events. In 2025, there were a reported 318.1 million eSports enthusiasts.

Streaming has even influenced the iGaming industry, with many platforms now offering live-streamed casino tables where players can interact with a real-life Blackjack or Poker dealer from their own home, providing a more realistic experience for players.

Streaming Market – Predictions for the future 

While the streaming industry will inevitably grow, experts are predicting that the market for platforms will decrease in size.

They argue that the current market is far too saturated, and 47% of consumers say that they pay too much for the streaming platforms they use.

With the cost of attaining and producing content increasing, many platforms simply do not have the means to compete with the streaming giants, and we could see many of the smaller platforms having to find ways to mitigate their losses.

Still, YouTube is predicted to maintain its status as the dominant streaming platform. Its content-driven ecosystem allows it to maintain a diverse range of content compared to its competitors, and with 20 years of history behind it, the platform shows no signs of slowing down.