YouTube CEO Neal Mohan Has Transformed Video Sharing Platform Into Most Popular Streaming Service on American Television

For the past two years, video-sharing platform YouTube has been consistently ranking as the most popular streaming service on U.S. televisions. The platform, first known for viral videos, has taken over TV screens, The New York Times notes, adding that YouTube “now attracts more viewers on TVs than Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime Video.” The platform is also a popular choice to watch sports, including the ongoing  Olympic Games in Paris. 

The driving force behind this transformation is CEO Neal Mohan, who took over the role in February 2023 after replacing Susan Wojcicki, who headed the online video-sharing and social media platform for nine years. 

One of the most important lessons YouTube learned over the years is to leave content decisions with creators, Mohan told The Times. This gives ordinary creators the ability to decide what to make and cover production costs. “If a video racks up views and ad dollars, YouTube sends the creators 55 percent of that revenue,” The Times explained. “If a video flops, it doesn’t lose any money.” YouTube says it has “paid creators and partners $70 billion for content over the last three years — but always after it has made money, without having to take financial risks,” The Times report added. 

“Our creators are much better at predicting what our fans and audiences want,” the Indian American told The Times. “This is television remade for a new generation.”

The continuing trend of an increase in viewership, “during the pandemic, is a sign of growing interest in a more laid-back TV experience, according to The Times. “The platform’s popularity underscores the sharp differences between YouTube’s hands-off approach to content creation and the billion-dollar bets of old guard media companies like Disney, Paramount, and NBCUniversal as they compete for audiences,” The Times adds. 

When it comes to sports, the viewership has also increased, “as more people switch from smartphones to televisions to view online video,” Mohan told the Financial Times. Speaking to the publication on the sidelines of the Olympics. “More than 35 billion hours of sports content was viewed on YouTube in the past year,” Mohan said, “marking a 45 percent increase on the previous year.” Mohan said the company has seen “the growth of the platform being watched, being consumed on television screen,” calling it “not just the largest screen in the house, it’s our fastest-growing screen.” 

The Financial Times points out that while YouTube, which is part of Google parent Alphabet, is not an official partner of the International Olympic Committee, it has deals with some of the biggest Olympics broadcasters, including NBCUniversal in the US and Warner Bros Discovery’s Eurosport in Europe, to carry highlights from Paris 2024.” Additionally, the platform is working with influencers to offer behind-the-scenes Olympics footage and other “shoulder content” from on the ground in Paris.”

Last year YouTube began showing live NFL matches, through a seven-year contract worth $14 bn to carry the league’s Sunday Ticket supplement across the U.S. Since then the platform has also signed deals with two sports competitions hoping to broaden its reach: the Women’s Super League, the top tier of professional women’s football in England, and F1 Academy, a new motorsport series for female racing drivers.

The change in approach has worked out well for the company. It has topped the list for streaming time on a TV for 17 months in a row, according to data from Nielsen, which tracks TV viewership. In June, its share ballooned to 9.9 percent, setting a record for any streaming platform. That does not include viewers watching from a phone, tablet, or computer. Nor does it include the YouTube TV app, which offers traditional network and cable channels for a fee. In the second quarter, YouTube’s ad sales climbed 13 percent to $8.7 billion. That was a bit less than Wall Street analysts expected, but YouTube also makes money through subscriptions, which grew in the quarter, Alphabet, one of its parent companies, reported. 

Currently, over two billion people across the globe use YouTube to watch and share videos, access information, build community, and shape culture. The video service also performs well among young viewers. In May, roughly 48 percent of its TV viewership was from people under the age of 34, Nielsen found. Netflix, by comparison, had 43 percent of its viewership from that age group. Only Disney+, with its child-friendly content, does better in that demographic.

Move Back to India

Born in Indiana, Mohan was raised in Michigan and Florida, and spent a few years in Lucknow, during high school at St. Francis’ College. The decision of his parents to move back to India “changed his perspective and acclimatized him to changes,” he said during a peer-led interview ‘View From The Top’ at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “Moving from the American Midwest to the bustling Lucknow right before his high school, not only made him lean into change but also thrive amid such change.” 

He told the audience that his story starts with his father, Dr. Aditya Mohan, a graduate of IIT-Kharagpur, who wanted to pursue his PhD in civil engineering in the U.S.  He was admitted to Purdue University, Mohan said of his father, who “landed at JFK with $25 in his pocket.” He was put on a Greyhound by “a kind gentleman,” to  Lafayette, Indiana, Mohan said, adding, “that was sort of the start of my journey.”

Mohan returned to the U.S. to attend Stanford University where he got a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He then earned an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar. 

Before he was appointed CEO, Mohan served as YouTube’s chief product officer, where he was responsible for YouTube products, user experience, and trust and safety on all platforms and devices globally.  Before YouTube, he was  senior vice president of Display and Video Ads at Google. In this role, he was responsible for the company’s ad products on YouTube, the Google Display Network, AdSense, AdMob, and DoubleClick, which are used by millions of Google’s advertising and media partners around the world.  Before that, he was senior vice president of Strategy and Product Development at DoubleClick where he built the company’s strategic plan, rapidly grew the business and helped pioneer the digital media industry. He played a critical role in the sale of DoubleClick to Google, and subsequently led the integration. 

Mohan serves on the Board of Directors of 23andMe and Starbucks. He also serves on the Advisory Council of the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Board of Trustees of The Paley Center for Media, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, he been a member of the Board of Directors of Stitch Fix, the Internet Advertising Bureau and the Mobile Marketing Association. 

Mohan is widely recognized as one of the most successful business leaders in the tech industry. Time magazine listed him as one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2015. Additionally, Fortune magazine named him one of the “40 Under 40: Inspirational Businessman” and among the “50 Most Powerful People in Business.”

In addition to his success in the tech industry, Mohan is also known for his generous philanthropy. He is a board member of the Open Society Foundations, a global network of organizations that works to promote democracy and human rights around the world. Mohan has also donated millions of dollars to support education, health, and social justice initiatives.

He is married to Hema Sareen Mohan, who has worked in the non-profit and public welfare sectors for two decades.

(Top photo: YouTube)