Youtube Celebrates 20 Years Of Disrupting How We Watch

[KENNEDY FELTON]

Behold—the first-ever video uploaded to YouTube. With 355 cardinal views and 10 cardinal comments, it was uploaded precisely 20 years agone arsenic of Wednesday.

YouTube is celebrating 2 decades successful beingness and releasing numbers that show nan communicative of its emergence to integer dominance.

In a Wednesday blog post, nan level shared immoderate record-breaking stats:

• 20 cardinal videos are uploaded each azygous day
• Over 20 trillion videos person been uploaded successful total
• 300 euphony videos person entered nan billion-views club

But YouTube is much than conscionable a level for video uploads. In 2017, nan institution launched YouTube TV—a live-streaming work that now includes complete 100 channels, unlimited DVR, and moreover a civilization multiview characteristic coming soon for members.

It has grown into a full-fledged streaming contender, competing correct alongside different platforms.

In fact, YouTube took nan apical spot for U.S. TV viewing this February, outperforming moreover Netflix and Disney Plus. It’s connected way to go nan highest-grossing media institution by revenue.

But arsenic for what galore group primitively cognize astir YouTube, that contented has changed nan crippled conscionable arsenic much. Back successful 2009, nan first transmission to deed 1 cardinal subscribers was Fred—a fictional, fast-talking kid created by Lucas Cruikshank.

It was a different era—low-res webcams, skits, and unfiltered viral energy. Then came nan 2010s, erstwhile creators for illustration Ray William Johnson and Jenna Marbles defined early drama connected nan platform.

And successful 2012, PSY’s Gangnam Style became nan first video to transverse 1 cardinal views.

Fast-forward to today, and creators for illustration MrBeast person wholly redefined what it intends to beryllium a YouTuber.

He started by streaming Minecraft and giving proposal connected “how to win connected YouTube.” By 2018, he was known for stunts, challenges, and kindness giveaways. Today, he’s nan astir subscribed creator connected nan level pinch complete 386 cardinal subscribers.

And his latest feat was launching a title bid connected Amazon Prime—which quickly became their most-watched unscripted show ever.

But it’s not conscionable large names dominating anymore. YouTube’s 2024 Trends and Fandom study highlights really niche communities are driving awesome viewership.

One creator built a pursuing astir Taylor Swift lyrics and charm bracelets. Another focused wholly connected trucks scraping against a debased span successful North Carolina.

To people its 20th anniversary, nan institution announced a slew of caller features rolling retired soon, including a civilization multiview characteristic for YouTube TV and caller TV upgrades coming this summertime for easier navigation.

YouTube’s assemblage spans generations. A 2023 Pew Research study recovered that 95% of teenagers watch YouTube. But older generations are catching connected too, pinch Nielsen reporting a doubling successful viewership among adults 65 and older successful conscionable 2 years.