Four out of five Internet Users in India consume YouTube, show report

GenZ users prefer to consume content on YouTube over linear TVs, with 50 per cent of them willing to give up TV over YouTube for a year

YouTube has consolidated its presence in India as four out of five internet users above the age of 18 utilise the platform, according to a survey by Comscore. Additionally, adults over 35 years of age spent an average of 70 minutes daily on YouTube as of June 2023.

Short video content on the platform has seen exponential growth, with 96 per cent of respondents aged 18-44 stating that they use YouTube Shorts. This short-form content alone accounted for 70 billion views per month globally and grew by over 120 per cent year-on-year.

Satya Raghavan, Director of Marketing Partners at Google India, said, "The diverse and burgeoning creator economy in India has contributed significantly to this growth. Marketers are capitalising on YouTube's multifaceted environment to connect with consumers through timely, language-specific, and device-optimised campaigns."

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Indian viewers are diversifying their video consumption, allocating no more than 21 per cent of their viewing time to any single format. Connected TVs (CTV) have become the fastest-growing screens for YouTube use over the last five years. About 33 per cent of urban Indian CTV consumers have completely abandoned linear TV, and 78 per cent of the survey respondents plan to transition to CTVs by next year. As part of its advertising strategy, YouTube has started testing 30-second non-skippable ads exclusive to CTVs.

Among Gen Z users, YouTube has proven more popular than linear TV, with half indicating they would choose the platform over traditional television for a year.

In a recent development, YouTube has introduced a suite of tools in its Ads Creative Studio, allowing marketers to customise display or video ads for various demographics, languages, and contexts. The platform is also integrating artificial intelligence into its advertising services. "Our AI-powered solutions will position businesses at the crossroads of media, creativity, technology, and content, enabling brands to meet their objectives more efficiently," added Raghavan.

The total hours of content uploaded by Indian channels to YouTube increased by over 40 per cent in June 2023 compared to June 2022. According to the survey, creators worldwide are increasingly using generative AI to discover new ideas and audiences, with a significant number of adults willing to engage with AI-generated content.