50% OF All YouTube Views Come From Mobile Devices

It was recently revealed that 50% of all views on YouTube originate from mobile devices, The Drum reports. This is a crucial milestone in the history of the channel, the article continues, and it seems that this news represents the continuing dominance of mobile devices over that of desktops.

There has also been a rise in overall watch time of 50% – again thanks to the rapid advancement of mobile technology. It was reported not long ago that 41% of total views came from mobile traffic, but Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube, confirmed that this has now reached the 50% mark.

It was noted at the Code/Mobile Conference that this increase in mobile engagement can be attributed to the YouTube app, which is available from both Google Play and the Apple App store. She claimed that mobile is “super important” – not just for YouTube, but “for every business right now.”

She continued to say that YouTube is looking into ways of generating a revenue stream from users that don’t fall under the umbrella of widely-used traditional advertising streams. Wojcicki said that “YouTube right now is ad-supported […] but there’s going to be a point where people don’t want to see the ads.” Subscription services are currently being discussed at the company, with a trial study involving popular content producers such as Sesame Street, National Geographic and UFC currently underway.

Wojcicki, who previously worked at Google, was responsible for both the advertising and analytics departments; it therefore makes sense that she is looking to lead YouTube towards alternative means of creating revenue.