When it comes to streaming, YouTube is king. And not just on your phone or your laptop, but on your TV screen too. A Nielsen report showed that the 20 year old platform made up 9.7% of all TV viewership in May, the largest share ever recorded for a streaming service.

People watch over 1 bn hours of YouTube per day, said YouTube CEO Neal Mohan earlier this year. In the US alone, Over 150 mn people use their TVs to contribute to the astronomical number of hours people are spending on the streaming platform, Variety reports. These numbers are reflected in YouTube’s ad revenue, which clocked in at USD 31.5 bn in 2023, up 8% from the preceding year.

Friend or foe? Media executives at Netflix and Disney haven’t made up their minds about whether or not YouTube is an enemy or an ally, Media analyst Rich Greenfield told CNBC. The user content-led platform may not directly compete with professional media companies, but as viewers increasingly turn to creator content, the more of a threat it becomes to the entertainment industry.

Disney believes that the throne belongs to them. Nielsen reported Disney’s claims that they represent 11.4% of TV viewership if you add both cable and streaming services, and if you include Disney-owned Hulu and ESPN. The company has historically used YouTube to promote their own platforms, posting single episodes from Disney+ and Hulu series to draw in viewers who aren’t already subscribed to their streaming services.

The reality is that the entertainment industry only fuels YouTube’s popularity. Fans of media on streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ will flock to YouTube to consume supplemental content generated by other users, viewing discussions and critiques being created in response to TV shows and movies, as well as reviews of subsequent parks, rides, and merch. While Disney loses sleep over losing viewers to YouTube, Netflix chooses to believe that the platform caters to a different consumer need.

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