What is the story about?
Google has revealed that YouTube generated more than $60 billion (£44 billion) in revenue in 2025, marking the first time the tech giant has individually
disclosed annual revenue for its video platform since acquiring it in 2006. The figure, which includes advertising income as well as paid subscriptions, significantly surpasses the $45 billion revenue reported by Netflix, underscoring YouTube’s growing dominance in the global digital video economy.
Subscription Push Gains Momentum
While YouTube’s global advertising revenue for the final quarter of 2025 came in at $11.38 billion (£8.37 billion), slightly below Wall Street expectations, Google executives highlighted broader momentum in subscriptions and platform engagement.
Google chief executive Sundar Pichai described 2025 as a “fantastic year” for the company, noting that YouTube Premium has helped lift paid subscriptions across Google’s consumer services portfolio to more than 325 million.
The company has not disclosed YouTube-specific subscriber numbers. However, Google’s chief business officer Philipp Schindler told investors the platform was seeing “strong traction” in subscriptions.
He added that YouTube has been “innovating to meet consumers where they are” through the rollout of more affordable YouTube TV and Premium tiers. The company has also introduced feature limitations - such as restricting background playback on smartphones to Premium users - as part of its push to drive paid upgrades.
An ‘Infrastructure’ for Digital Natives
Industry analysts say the revenue milestone reflects YouTube’s transformation from a user-generated video hub into a digital utility.
Midia Research senior analyst Hanna Kahlert told the BBC while the revenue disclosure was significant, it was “perhaps not a surprising one” - with the platform becoming “almost infrastructural for digital natives”.
“YouTube is one of – if not the – most-used of all digital offerings, with over 70% of international consumers using it weekly, and over 50% using it daily,” she told the BBC, citing Midia consumer survey data.
Kahlert said the platform’s diversified monetisation model, spanning advertising and subscriptions, allows it to “capitalise well” on its vast global audience.
Shorts, YouTube’s TikTok-style format, is now averaging more than 200 billion daily views, further reinforcing engagement levels.
