Short-form video content has taken over the social media world. From TikTok to Instagram Reels, short videos have become an apex of entertainment on our phones. YouTube’s CEO Neal Mohan recently stated that their version of these videos, called Shorts, are so popular that they have reached parity on revenue per watch-hour with their regular, and longer, videos.
Short-form video content has become one of the most popular forms of entertainment on social media. TikTok and Instagram reels are some of the most popular and well-known versions of this kind of media, and YouTube Shorts have now reached a milestone that shows just how successful this content really is.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan recently spoke at the platform’s big ad pitch and party in New York City where he shared a major milestone for the company. YouTube Shorts have reached parity on revenue per watch-hour relative to core YouTube videos in multiple countries, including the US, according to reports from Variety.
In some countries, the monetization rate of Shorts has also exceeded regular long-form YouTube videos.
At the MoffettNathanson Media, Internet & Communications Conference this week, Mohan said that the rapid rise in YouTube Shorts monetization is credited to more advertisement impression options. Additionally, the platform’s AI-targeted placements and higher overall usage has fueled that monetization.
In Q1 2025, YouTube Shorts viewing increased 20% year over year, Mohan stated.
“Especially for younger users, viewing video is increasingly participatory in nature … and Shorts just makes that easy and straightforward. About 70% of channels on YouTube upload Shorts today.”
Mohan also stated that throughout the past 12 months, YouTube advertisements viewed on connected-TV screens drove over 1 billion conversions. In the first quarter of 2025, TVs surpassed the mobile phone in terms of being the primary devices viewing YouTube.
YouTube also recently announced a new package for advertisers so that they can buy spots in relation to key cultural events such as the Oscars, the Met Gala, and the PGA Championship. This way, brands show up in the search results for topics and ads surrounding that content, Mohan said.
MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson, who interviewed the CEO, then asked about the potential for artificial intelligence and how it can be used on the platform as well.
“We’ve been investing in AI for years and years,” he responded, noting that YouTube has used the technology to enforce the platform’s policies and for copyright-flagging.
Mohan also explained that he sees AI as a vital tool for the platform’s creators as well. He said that technology and YouTube are working together to boost creative industries while making sure AI is being used safely.
“I really view AI as a technology that is going to empower human creativity.”
Mohan said that one of YouTube’s biggest priorities is always to provide tools and platform creators to grow their personal businesses, brands, and projects by boosting and investing in podcasts as well. Podcasts on YouTube bring in more than 1 billion monthly viewers.
YouTube’s dual revenue streams, Variety reported, along with the ad-supported aspect of the business and subscription services are driving the platform’s monetization. YouTube Music, TV, Premium service, and Sunday Tickets are all widely used and driving that revenue up.
YouTube has more than 125 million subscribers for YouTube Music and its Premium services. If YouTube itself was a standalone business, it would be worth between $475 to $550 billion, according to Nathanson who called the platform the “new king of all media.”
In 2024, YouTube was the second-largest media company by revenue at $54.2 billion, and in 2025, it’s gearing up to take the top spot ahead of Disney.
Mohan also acknowledged YouTube’s milestone birthday this year: “Happy birthday YouTube. It’s hard to believe it’s our 20th anniversary.”
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
