YouTube unveiled four new content and ad offerings at its 13th annual Brandcast at David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center.

Key announcements include:

• WNBA Friday night games: Google and Scripps Sports announced an agreement for YouTube TV to show the locally televised WNBA Friday night games on ION in both the home and away markets of the teams playing. This season, YouTube TV will be the only digital multichannel video programming distributor (dMVPD) carrying local and national WNBA games. The games will be part of the YouTube TV Base Plan starting May 31 and continuing through the regular season.
• Creator Takeovers via YouTube Select: YouTube announced the expansion of this takeover option to more creators, which was initially piloted at the end of 2023. With the formalization of this program, brands will be able to collaborate with top YouTube creators to own a 100% share of voice on their channel, leveraging creator-fan solid connections.
• Non-Skips for Video Reach Campaigns: YouTube announced a new AI-powered format optimized for connected TV (CTV), using non-skippable assets across in-stream inventory.
• Branded QR Codes: YouTube launched branded QR codes, enabling advertisers to drive more interactivity by putting their brand front and center in a more modern QR code.

In addition to these news announcements, YouTube’s executive bench also took the stage to talk about their vision, the importance of content, and innovation in advertising.

Neal Mohan, the CEO of YouTube, said, “Creators are drawing audiences on the big screen because they’re the new Hollywood. They have business strategies, writers’ rooms, and production teams. They’re reimagining classic TV genres, from morning shows to sports commentary. And they’re inventing entirely new ones!”

He added, “Along the way, creators are redefining what we think of as ‘TV.’ And they deserve the same acclaim as other creative professionals. I believe it’s time a creator won an Emmy.”

YouTube CEO Neal Mohanan speaks onstage during YouTube Brandcast 2024 at David Geffen Hall on May 15, 2024, in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for YouTube)

Mary Ellen Coe, the Chief Business Officer of YouTube, said:

“No one is more engaged than loyal YouTube fans. They excitedly count down to new videos, rewatch old ones, and create their own in response. And they rush to their favorite creator’s channel in the 24 hours after new videos are released. Which presents an ideal moment for brands to engage with these fans.”

Sean Downey, the President of Americas and Global Partners at Google, said:

“Google AI has been at the core of our ads solutions for years. As we advance, our ability to help brands drive ROI keeps improving.”

The night featured musical performances by Billie Eilish featuring FINNEAS, Benson Boone, and Stray Kids, as well as various YouTube creators, including Haley Kalil, Kinigra Deon, Ryan Trahan, Shannon Sharpe, and Zach King.

This highlighted why a survey conducted by Kantar found that viewers in the United States say that if they could only watch one service for an entire year, YouTube would be the #1 platform they chose.

Mary Ellen Coe, CBO, YouTube, speaks at YouTube Brandcast. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for YouTube)

The audience gleaned other critical data throughout the evening event, which was part of the Upfronts.

For example, according to Nielsen’s total TV and streaming report for the US, YouTube has remained the leader in streaming watch time every month since February 2023. And 9 out of 10 viewers say they use YouTube, according to a Pew Research Study.

According to YouTube’s internal data, the key CTV metrics included:

• Views in the living room have increased by more than 130% from 2020 to 2023.
• On average, viewers watch over 1 Billion hours of YouTube content on the big screen (television) daily.
• YouTube TV has more than 8 million paid subscribers.
• Over 40 of YouTube’s top 100 channels by watch time have TV as their most-watYouTube’sen.
• Last year, views of Shorts on connected TVs more than doubled.

Advertisers in the audience also snacked on these news nuggets:

• According to a custom MMM meta-analysis commissioned by Google with Nielsen, on average, YouTube drives higher long-term Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) than TV, other online video, and paid social.
• Based on a meta-analysis across 13 NCS sales lift studies, AI-powered video reach campaign mixes earned an average ROAS 3.7x higher (271%) than manually optimized campaigns.
• According to a Kantar survey, viewers in the United States agree that YouTube is the #1 video platform for gaming content, outperforming TV, social, and streaming platforms.
• According to a Google/Ipsos YouTube Trends Survey, 54% of people would rather watch creators break down a significant event like the Oscars or Grammys than watch it themselves.

Now, that’s a lot of news to digest. Still, as I mentioned in “Google Unveils Updates At IAB NewFronts 2024,” YouTube is also “expected to make more announcements at VidCon A” aheim 2024, which will take place from June 26–29, 2024, at the Anaheim Convention Center.

So, as TV newscasters would say in the old days, “Don’t touch that dial.”

Featured Image: Muhammad Alimaki/Shutterstock