Google has disclosed that YouTube generated more than $60 billion in revenue in 2025, underscoring the video platform’s growing dominance in the global media and entertainment market as the company sharpens its focus on expanding paid subscriptions. The figure includes income from advertising as well as subscription services and places YouTube well ahead of streaming rival Netflix, which reported revenues of about $45 billion during the same period.
The announcement marks a rare moment for Google, which has typically bundled YouTube’s financial performance into broader earnings reports since acquiring the platform in 2006. Industry analysts say the scale of the revenue highlights YouTube’s evolution from a user-generated video site into a core digital utility for millions of people worldwide.
Hanna Kahlert, senior analyst at Midia Research, described the milestone as significant but not unexpected, noting that YouTube has become “almost infrastructural for digital natives.” Citing consumer survey data, she said more than 70% of international users access YouTube on a weekly basis, while over half use it daily. According to Kahlert, YouTube’s diversified business model—spanning advertising, premium subscriptions and other paid services—allows it to effectively monetise its vast and highly engaged audience.
While YouTube’s global advertising revenue for the final quarter of 2025 came in slightly below Wall Street expectations at $11.38 billion, Google chief executive Sundar Pichai said the platform’s overall performance contributed to what he described as a “fantastic year” for the company. He pointed to strong growth in paid offerings, revealing that Google’s consumer services, including YouTube Premium, had surpassed 325 million subscriptions in total during 2025. Google does not disclose YouTube’s standalone subscriber figures.
Philipp Schindler, Google’s chief business officer, told investors that YouTube subscriptions were showing “strong traction,” driven by efforts to meet users “where they are” through the introduction of cheaper and more flexible tiers for services such as YouTube TV and YouTube Premium. The company has also been experimenting with features that encourage users to upgrade, including restricting background video playback on smartphones to Premium subscribers.
Alongside long-form content, YouTube’s Shorts feature—designed to compete with TikTok—has also surged in popularity, with Google saying it now averages more than 200 billion daily views, further strengthening the platform’s advertising appeal.
As YouTube marked its 20th anniversary last year, its influence was particularly evident in the UK, where regulator Ofcom identified it as the second most-watched media service after the media. The platform is used by 94% of UK adult internet users, with average daily viewing time rising to 51 minutes per person. The media has since announced plans to create original programming specifically for YouTube, signalling a shift in how traditional broadcasters engage with digital audiences.
Despite surpassing Netflix in revenue, analysts caution against direct comparisons. Forrester’s Mike Proulx said YouTube’s largely user-generated content differs fundamentally from the studio-driven model of traditional streaming services, although he acknowledged that boundaries between platforms are increasingly blurred. YouTube is set to host the Oscars from 2029, while competitors such as Disney+ are experimenting with short-form, creator-led content.
At the same time, concerns are growing among creators about the impact of artificial intelligence on visibility and traffic. Some have linked Google’s AI-generated search summaries to declining views, prompting regulatory scrutiny in Europe and the UK. Google has said it is seeking a balance that gives publishers more control, even as it commits to investing heavily in AI technologies in the year ahead.
