YouTube Turns 20

YouTube Turns 20 – Why We Love the World’s Second Biggest Digital Platform

YouTube turned 20 last week – the digital media powerhouse went live in April of 2005. Since then, it’s not only been a video juggernaut, but also a pioneer, pushing the channel forward with landmark advertising and media innovations. Google soon acquired the video upstart in Q4 of 2006 for $1.65 billion in company stock. A quite brilliant acquisition, given that the platform is now valued at over $550 billion!

A Video Advertising Pathfinder

Much of today’s in-video advertising has roots in the early days of YouTube ads. Google soon monetized the platform in 2007 with the introduction of InVideo Overlay ads. The now-familiar pre-roll ads debuted a year later in 2008. Since then, YouTube has continued to develop new ad types and offerings. The first un-skippable ads premiered in 2016. The platform greatly expanded its media diversity with YouTube music in 2015, and YouTube TV just two years later.

Today, YouTube video is an integral part of Google’s Performance Max advertising product. It generated over $36 billion in ad revenue in 2024 alone, up 13% year-over-year. YouTube is number two in the world when compared to all digital platforms, only behind Facebook, with 2.7 billion monthly active users.

Why we Love YouTube

In addition to the vast reach and innovations mentioned above, YouTube harnesses the power of Google’s audience data. The result is niche targeting that includes video placements, demographics, interests, behavior, intent, and ret-targeting. Reporting is also robust, featuring actionable metrics such as completion rate, clickthrough rate, and more.

The price has remained competitive and efficient with cost-per-views that are 3 to 4 times lower than connected TV. One of the reasons for this affordability is that most ads on the platform are pay-per-view, only charging the advertiser after 30 seconds of view or competition, whichever occurs first.

YouTube continues to evolve. This is perhaps most evident in the platform’s growing popularity on in-home television screens. As of December 2024, YouTube is now the most viewed streaming app, beating out Netflix, with a loyal, highly engaged following across all age groups.

Interested in Running YouTube with DCW?

YouTube is a great fit in an era when advertisers are expecting more and more attribution and direct action on their investments. DCW has been running YouTube campaigns for over a decade. From campaigns covering everything from wedding venues to health insurance we’re ready to help your brand or business be seen and succeed on the platform.