Over 20 mn viewers in India streaming YouTube on TVs, consumption of Indic language content rises

PTI, Sep 16, 2021, 11:21 AM IST

More than 20 million people in India streamed YouTube on their TV screens in May this year – up 45 percent year-on-year – reflecting the increasing preference of users to tune into the platform from their living rooms, the video streaming company said.

The Google-owned platform also highlighted that a growing number of YouTube viewers prefer watching content in Indic languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and others.

”…there are more than 20 million such consumers already, who are watching stories on a connected TV. So, this revolution of consumption of stories, diversity of content, content creators… is not limited to just on mobile phones. It’s a phenomenon, which is working on mobile phones and on connected TV,” Google India Country Manager and Vice-President Sanjay Gupta said.

He stated that Google is committed to help India become a leading digital economy and that ”YouTube and digital videos will play a very pivotal role in shaping the journey”.

Satya Raghavan, Director of YouTube Partnerships, said a large number of consumers use videos for credible content/sources of information, and to learn new skills.

Also, 85 per cent of video viewers said since the onset of COVID-19 in India, they used YouTube more than ever before, with a similar number saying the platform helps them learn or improve skills they are interested in, Raghavan added.

There was 60 percent rise in watch time of career-related videos in India in May 2021, when compared to the same time last year. Over 140 channels on the platform have over 10 million subscribers (100 percent growth y-o-y), while 4,000 channels have over one million subscribers (50 percent growth y-o-y).

About 93 percent of YouTube viewers prefer watching content in Indic languages, as per the data shared.

Gupta noted that YouTube’s increasing use amongst urban and rural audiences, growing ecosystem of creators, and expanding content categories catering to the interests and language preferences of users are paving the way for brands to leverage the platform for incremental reach, creative collaborations, and localization for business impact.

The platform is experiencing the emergence and growth of several new verticals within learning such as farming, finance, food and engineering, while existing verticals like technology, beauty and comedy are evolving to serve hyper-local content in regional languages.

Raghavan pointed out that YouTube creators are also leveraging new formats of personalized video content, such as YouTube Shorts, to unlock imaginative ways to tell their stories.

Marking a year since the YouTube Shorts Beta was first launched in India, the number of Indian channels using creation tools more than tripled since the beginning of December, as creators continue to create engaging content and reach new audiences.

As of July 2021, videos in the new Shorts player – which helps people around the world watch short videos on YouTube – are receiving over 15 billion daily views, driving greater discovery, fan engagement and monetization opportunities for creators.