20 years of development of online video sharing platform YouTube

On April 23, online video sharing platform YouTube reached a milestone when it reached more than 20 billion videos uploaded by users since the first clip appeared two decades ago.

The event demonstrates YouTube's remarkable growth and profound influence on global online culture.

From a simple idea that arose at a dinner party, YouTube has undergone a spectacular transformation, becoming an indispensable part of modern life.

In fact, the platform is on track to surpass US cable television in terms of paid viewers, a clear testament to its growing appeal and influence.

The origin story of YouTube began in 2005, when three former employees of PayPal, a company that provides payment and money transfer services over the Internet, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim, came up with the idea at a dinner party.

YouTube.com officially launched on Valentine's Day, February 14 of that year. The big milestone came on April 23, when Jawed Karim uploaded the first video, "Me at the Zoo."

The 19-second clip of Karim standing in front of the elephant exhibit at the San Diego Zoo has attracted a huge number of views, up to 348 million.

In its 20-year journey, YouTube has grown exponentially and gone further than what was imaginable in 2005. Currently, an average of 20 million videos are uploaded every day.

YouTube content is incredibly rich and diverse, from vibrant music clips and engaging podcasts to topical political ads, helpful how-to videos, and countless other unique content.

eMarketer analyst Ross Benes notes that the platform has become the world's largest digital video service in terms of viewer retention and advertising revenue.

He added that YouTube is expected to surpass all US cable services in terms of paid subscribers within the next two years.

Last year, the platform reached more than 2.5 billion views globally; and reached 100 million subscribers to its music and premium YouTube packages, according to market tracker Statista.

Meanwhile, Google reported that users around the world watch more than 1 billion hours of YouTube content on TV alone every day. YouTube plans to upgrade the TV viewing experience on the platform in the summer of 2025 with improved features and quality adjustments.

Analysts say Google's $1.65 billion purchase of YouTube shares in 2006 was a strategic move that combined Google's search and advertising capabilities with a popular video-sharing platform.

Google has used its advertising know-how to build a successful model, sharing revenue with content creators who attract significant audiences. It has also improved its technology and negotiated with movie studios to address copyright infringement.

In addition, YouTube has also made efforts to address concerns about inappropriate or offensive content being suggested to children.

The platform is now competing directly with leading streaming services such as Netflix, Disney and Amazon Prime, as well as emerging short-video platforms such as TikTok and Instagram's Reels, demonstrating its constant growth and strong adaptability./.

(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/dau-an-20-nam-phat-trien-cua-nen-tang-chia-se-video-truc-tuyen-youtube-post1034752.vnp