Replay the Highlights: 2024’s Year of YouTube on TV

The living room took center stage for entertainment in 2024. From watching J Balvin and Lana Del Rey light up Coachella, to enjoying Amelia Dimoldenberg’s Chicken Shop Date with stars like Andrew Garfield and Elmo, YouTube brought the world of entertainment directly to our TVs.

And the numbers prove it—viewers globally streamed over 1 billion hours of content daily on their TVs, with creators bringing their best to the big screen. Here’s a recap of how YouTube dominated the living room experience in 2024.

Sports and Kids Content on the Rise

Traditional TV genres, like sports and kids’ programming, saw massive engagement on YouTube.

• Sports Content: Watchtime for sports on TV grew by over 30% year-over-year as fans flocked to YouTube for highlights, clips, and post-game insights—all in one place.
• Watch With Feature: Our new “Watch With” feature allows creators to provide live commentary, reactions, and analysis, turning your favorite creators into sportscasters. This feature is still rolling out, but it promises an exciting future for sports fans.

For families, YouTube continued to be a go-to platform. The Ms. Rachel channel emerged as a standout, achieving one of the highest TV watchtimes among YouTube’s family-friendly content.

To improve parental control, YouTube introduced a Parent Code feature, allowing families to customize their content settings for safer, more enjoyable viewing.

Podcasts and Creators Dominate TV

Did you know people are increasingly watching podcasts on TV? In 2024, viewers streamed over 400 million hours of podcasts monthly via living room devices. Creators like Bailey Sarian blended multimedia storytelling with true crime and makeup tutorials, captivating audiences in innovative ways.

Creators are also delivering higher-quality content optimized for TV. The number of videos uploaded in 4K resolution increased by 35% year-over-year, while creators earning a majority of their revenue from TV grew by over 30%.

To make it easier for fans to connect, YouTube added a Subscribe button directly to the video player on TVs. Early testing showed a 40% increase in subscribers from TV screens.

What’s Next?

As 2024 wraps up, the future of YouTube on TV looks brighter than ever. We’re dedicated to enhancing the living room experience with more features and opportunities for creators and viewers alike.

Stay tuned for what’s coming in 2025—it’s going to be an exciting ride!