Official Blog
What's happening on YouTube
Inviting more players to the game
Thursday, March 10, 2016
The YouTube Gaming team has been on a six-month speedrun. Last summer, we released an app and website designed to connect gamers with each other, and with the creators and content they love. Since then, we’ve enabled
Mobile Capture
, so you can record and live stream mobile gameplay on-the-go directly from Android devices, and we’ve introduced Sponsorships in beta, which makes it easy to back your favorite gamers while receiving extra perks including a live chat badge chosen by the creator and access to exclusive chat sessions.
Now we’re inviting more players to the game. Starting today, the YouTube Gaming mobile app will be available on
iOS
and
Android
in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, homes to top gaming creators like
jacksepticeye
,
Vanoss
, and
TypicalGamer
. Many more countries are coming soon, so get ready.
YouTube Gaming is built just for gamers, and we asked you to tell us how to make it the best way to connect with your community. Today we’re sharing some new ways we're helping you find and watch awesome videos and live streams based on feedback we’ve heard:
Homepage navigation
: Say goodbye to the sidebars! We’ve simplified the homepage to make it easier to find what you’re looking for.
Game and channel browsing
: We’ve added pages for you to manage your games and channels, plus discover new ones.
Dedicated live destination
: You’ll find a new “Live” tab on the homepage that brings together top streams, top games, and streams from channels you’re subscribed to.
Android live playback
: Our Android live stream player joins iOS and the HTML5 desktop player with an upgrade to support quality switching, 60fps playback, and DVR mode.
Pop-out player
: On Android, you can now pop out the YouTube Gaming player to keep it visible above other apps on your device.
We’re so excited to bring YouTube Gaming to more countries, and look forward to watching more together.
Alan Joyce, Product Manager, recently played "
Alpha Protocol
."
Celebrating female voices on YouTube
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Over the past decade, we’ve seen women use their voices to make incredible things happen on YouTube. We’ve laughed with comedians like
GloZell
, watched beauty gurus like
Yuya
create new how-to videos from different corners of the world, and tuned in to see creators like
Gigi Gorgeous
start conversations about her journey as a transgender woman.
Women on YouTube are diverse, creative, and bold. We’re amazed by the way these creators inspire millions of fans around the world. Needless to say, it’s important to us that YouTube remains a place where everyone has the creative freedom to express themselves, their thoughts, and perspectives.
Today, ahead of International Women’s Day, we’re announcing two new programs to continue championing female voices on YouTube. The first is a new, year-long partnership with the United Nations that appoints top YouTube female creators as the very first Change Ambassadors for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Action campaign. The second is a global production program across the YouTube Spaces that puts women both in front of and behind the camera.
Through the years, we’ve seen women on YouTube become beacons of inspiration to their fans. That’s why we’re so excited about this new partnership with the United Nations and to announce
Ingrid Nilsen
,
Jackie Aina
,
Yuya
,
Taty Ferreira
,
Hayla Ghazal
,
Louise Pentland
, and
Chika Yoshida
as Change Ambassadors -- the first group of women on YouTube to join the U.N. in advocating for gender equality as part of U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals. This group of passionate female creators are brilliant role models on YouTube, and we can’t wait to see how they’ll work with the U.N. to inspire and activate their global fan communities as well as women and girls around the world.
Change Ambassadors Ingrid Nilsen, Louise Pentland, Jackie Aina, Yuya, Chika Yoshida, Taty Ferreira, and Hayla Ghazal at the U.N.
An extraordinary community of women has also come together around our new global YouTube Spaces program over the last few months, creating new videos that put female voices in front of and behind the camera. Across our YouTube Spaces in Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, New York, Sao Paulo, and Berlin, these female creators attended workshops and filmed over 50 videos on sets constructed specifically for this program. To help drive an atmosphere of collaboration throughout the program, six female creators including
Anna Akana
(U.S.),
Alexys Fleming
(U.S.),
Julia Tolezano
(Brazil),
Em Ford
(U.K.),
Nilam Farooq
(Germany) and
Kuma Miki
(Japan) acted as Creative Directors in their respective Spaces, helping mentor other creators who also participated in the global video shoots.
From tributes honoring historical female leaders and original scripted content, to discussions about women in the workforce and other women’s issues, these new videos will begin rolling out today on the
YouTube Spaces channel
, as well as the creators’ own channels. Check out all of the channels who participated in the YouTube Spaces Women's Program
here
.
YouTube has always been an open stage where anyone can share her story. We hope these new programs will inspire even more women to find their voices, create their own roles, scripts and stories, and advocate for the issues they care about.
And to the current generation of female creators who express themselves every day, thank you for inspiring all of us at YouTube ... and all of us around the globe.
Danielle Tiedt, Chief Marketing Officer at YouTube recently watched “
Emma Watson at the HeForShe Campaign 2014 - Official UN Video
.”
That’s music to my ears: watch the BRIT Awards live on YouTube
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Jarvis Cocker crashing Michael Jackson’s performance. Madonna’s
badly behaved cape
.
Sam Smith
silencing a whole arena with his incredible voice. The BRIT Awards with MasterCard has given us some of the most memorable moments in music history. For the third year, you can watch this must-view music moment streamed live on the BRITs channel if you’re based outside of Great Britain. Just tune in at youtube.com/Brits on whatever screen you find yourself closest to: mobile, tablet or TV.
Some of your favorite YouTube stars will be there live to bring you yet more action. YouTube stars
Dan
&
Phil
will present the official BRITs YouTube live stream featuring backstage action and yet more fun and games.
Kingsley
will be on the red carpet, rubbing shoulders with the biggest stars as they arrive to create more content for the BRITs YouTube channel.
And what stars! This year, international artists like
Rihanna
will join breakthrough British artists like
James Bay
for an unforgettable night of live performances. Not one, but TWO holders of YouTube’s prestigious “
billion views
” club will also perform:
Adele
and
Justin Bieber
. That’s alongside live performances from
Coldplay
,
Jess Glynne
,
Little Mix
and
The Weeknd
. After the live broadcast, individual artists will upload their performances to their own YouTube channels for you to relive again and again, plus there will be catch-up content on the BRITs channel itself.
So, tune in on February 24 at 3 p.m. ET to the official
BRITs channel
, kick back and as they say in good ol’ Great Britain, prepare yourselves for a right royal knees-up.
Christophe Muller, Head of International Music Partnerships at YouTube and Google Play Music, just watched "
Sam Smith - Lay Me Down (Live at The BRIT Awards 2015)
."
The YouTube AdBlitz Champion of 2016 is ...
Friday, February 12, 2016
Another football season is in the books, but the Big Game ads continue to live on - on YouTube. While there’s been plenty of Monday morning quarterbacking about the best Big Game spots, fans have been weighing in this week by voting for their favorite ads on YouTube AdBlitz.
All the votes have now been tallied, and it’s time to reveal the Top 5 winners. With more brands and more overall ads competing in this year’s YouTube AdBlitz than ever before, the competition was fierce. But one brand rose to the top as the clear-cut fan favorite:
Congratulations to Pokémon! With over three times as many votes as the second place ad, and more votes overall than the other four winners combined, Pokémon has been voted by fans as the YouTube AdBlitz Champion of 2016!
Here are the rest of the Top 5 - all fan favorites as determined by your votes. Second place belongs to T-Mobile’s “Drop The Balls” starring a completely faultless (this time) Steve Harvey:
In third place is … T-Mobile again! This time featuring a very agreeable Drake:
It would be hard to imagine a Big Game ads season without puppies, monkeys or babies. So Mountain Dew Kickstart came to the rescue, snagging fourth place with Puppymonkeybaby:
Finally, KFC became the first brand ever to make the YouTube AdBlitz Top 5 without airing their ad during the Big Game’s national TV broadcast. The ad aired during the CBS live stream of the Big Game, connecting with fans online who then came to YouTube AdBlitz to cast their votes.
Visit
YouTube AdBlitz
to watch all of this year’s Big Game ads.
Posted by Natalie Marchant, YouTube Sponsorships Program Manager, recently watched "
Beyoncé & Bruno Mars Crash Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show | NFL
."
Get your popcorn ready! Our first YouTube Red Originals are now available
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
YouTube Red Originals are now live! The first four original series and movies from your favorite creators are now available, exclusively for YouTube Red members. Members can now enjoy movies and shows from Lilly Singh, Rooster Teeth, PewDiePie and AwesomenessTV. And fans who haven’t signed up for YouTube Red yet can watch short previews or
sign up for a free 30-day trial YouTube Red membership
.
Here are the first of many new YouTube Red Originals to come :
A Trip to Unicorn Island
: From the team at
Astronauts Wanted
, this feature-length movie gives fans an extraordinary look inside the life and journey of
Lilly Singh
as she embarks on a challenging 26-city global tour where she has to remember to practice what she preaches: happiness is the only thing worth fighting for.
Lazer Team
: In this feature-length action-comedy from
Rooster Teeth
and
Fullscreen Films
, four small-town losers stumble upon an alien ship carrying a mysterious cargo, leading to a battle to save Earth from an all-powerful enemy.
Scare PewDiePie
: In this reality-adventure series from the creator and executive producers of "The Walking Dead" at
Skybound Entertainment
and
Maker Studios
, experience thrills, chills and laughter as
PewDiePie
encounters terrifying situations inspired by his favorite video games.
Dance Camp
: This film from
AwesomenessTV
weaves an amazing story of unlikely friendships, unleashing passions, and discovering yourself all through the power of dance.
We’ve loved working with our creators on these series and movies and seeing them take their passion to new heights. We’ve never seen PewDiePie more scared or seen Lilly crush it as hard as she does on her world tour. We’re blown away by Meg DeAngelis’ moves and the way the Dance Camp crew breaks it down. And who ever thought the human race could rely on the Rooster Teeth guys to save them from an alien invasion? We love these new features and couldn’t be more excited to share them with YouTube Red members today.
And as we mentioned in our blog post
last week
, this is just the beginning. We’re also excited to announce two brand new projects set to be released later this year:
Untitled Gigi Gorgeous Project
: YouTube creator
Gigi Gorgeous
and two-time Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple have partnered with SELECTNEXT and Sander/Moses to create this feature-length documentary that explores the intimate journey of a transgender woman from her childhood to life as a successful media personality. Together, they will ask the question, "What does it mean to be transgender in the uncensored new media world?"
Foursome
: An original series from
AwesomenessTV
, stars Jenn McAllister (
JennxPenn
) as Andie, an undateable sophomore -- thanks to her older brother Alec (
Logan Paul
), who makes sure no guy comes near her. Andie must rely on the unbreakable bond she has with her three best friends, as they navigate the hormone-induced journey known as high school.
And as we previously
announced
last
year
, we have a full slate of YouTube Red original series and movies from even more of your favorite creators over the next few months:
Prank Academy
: YouTube's most sensational pranksters, Jesse and Jeana of
PrankvsPrank
and BFvsGF, take their mischief to the next level and put their expertise to work as they mentor celebrity guests, teaching them how to pull off their most ambitious and complicated pranks yet with the help of some of YouTube’s biggest stars.
Fight of the Living Dead
: In an unprecedented social experiment reality show from
Alpine Labs
, "Fight of the Living Dead" takes popular YouTube talent and traps them in a frighteningly realistic zombie apocalypse. They must use their instincts and gaming skills to survive as they battle the elements for the ultimate prize of survival.
Untitled 360 Game Theory
: YouTube educator and pop culture expert MatPat from
The Game Theorists
invites the audience to come along for the ride in an innovative new series and 360 VR experience. In each episode Matt explores the real-life science behind popular video games by throwing gamers into the high-stakes scenarios they play through every day, from water jetpacks to bomb disposal.
Bad Internet
: Written by and starring the cast of
CollegeHumor
, along with special guests, this new anthology series will take a dark and comedic look at the absurdity of Internet culture.
As you can see, 2016 is shaping up to be an exciting year for YouTube Red members with a steady stream of amazing new original movies and series coming soon. YouTube Red members can check out our new
YouTube Red Originals channel
to stay up to date on the latest movies, shows, clips, trailers and exclusive behind-the-scenes content from your favorite creators. And if you haven’t already,
sign up here
for a YouTube Red membership and the first month is on us (if you’re outside the U.S.,
you can click here
for more details on availability in your country).
Susanne Daniels, Global Head of Original Content, YouTube, recently watched "
Elton John Carpool Karaoke
."
Game over. Long live the game on YouTube.
Monday, February 8, 2016
Over 1 million people from all over the country made their way to the San Francisco Bay Area for the Big Game, but for those watching from home, a friend's party or their favorite local restaurant, it was more than just what was happening on the field. During the game, people spent 300K hours watching the Big Game ads
1
and teaser videos on YouTube and overall we’ve seen nearly 4 million hours of Big Game ads and teasers watched so far. Big Game ads and teasers have been watched over 330 million times, with 60 percent of that coming from mobile devices — the most we've ever seen. And that game ain’t over yet.
Brands keep getting in on the game
On YouTube, the game starts well before the kickoff and it continues long after the trophies are handed out, as brands engage with their audience before, during, and after the Big Game. For the ninth straight year, the
YouTube AdBlitz program
is helping brands extend their reach and brands got in on the game more than ever, with the number of teasers and ads up 25 percent over last year. AdBlitz has been a great way for viewers to watch their favorite Big Game ads again and again, and to share them with friends.
Here are some of people’s favorite Big Game ads so far:
Top Trending Big Game Ads on YouTube based on views (as of 2/8 3 a.m. ET)
2
Hyundai -
The Chase – Hyundai Super Bowl Commercial | The 2017 Hyundai Elantra
Pokémon -
#Pokemon20: Pokémon Super Bowl Commercial
MINI USA -
MINI USA | #DefyLabels Big Game TV Spot
Hyundai -
First Date – Hyundai Super Bowl Commercial | The 2016 Hyundai Genesis
Mountain Dew -
Mtn Dew Kickstart: Puppymonkeybaby | Super Bowl Spot
Hyundai -
Ryanville – Hyundai Super Bowl Commercial | The 2017 Hyundai Elantra
Axe -
AXE - Find Your Magic [60 second version]
Doritos -
Doritos® Crash The Super Bowl Finalist - Ultrasound
Snickers -
SNICKERS® – “Marilyn”
Doritos -
Doritos® Crash The Super Bowl Finalist - Doritos Dogs
In years past, we've seen a big spike the day after the game as people get to work on Monday morning and reminisce about their favorite Big Game moment. In fact, last year more than 40 percent of total watch time for Big Game ads happened in the weeks after the game.
3
Some of these ads get ahead, while others will sustain their leadership. Don't forget that you can
vote for your favorite
before February 10 at midnight ET.
Moments to remember
People turned to Google to search for their favorite moments of the game - from going Gaga over the national anthem to an end-zone hand jive. Many of us couldn't get enough of Beyonce's much-awaited performance and went searching for more: We saw a 1,000 percent spike in search interest in Beyonce after the halftime show. Meanwhile, searches for "Longest punt return" spiked 8,000 percent in the first quarter of the game.
Top Searched Moments of the Super Bowl
Beyonce performing “Formation”
Lady Gaga performing the National Anthem
Jonathan Stewart scores touchdown
Brandon McManus scores field goal
C.J. Anderson scores touchdown
The Big Game might be over, but there's always overtime on YouTube. Over the next few days, weeks or years, you get to check out some of the best ads that ran this Sunday. Thanks for joining us once again - and tune in Friday to find out the YouTube AdBlitz winner!
Posted by Natalie Marchant, YouTube Sponsorships Program Manager, recently watched
Super Bowl 50 Highlights | Panthers vs. Broncos | NFL
1
Classification as a "Big Game ad" was based on public data such as headlines and tags, and may not account for every Big Game ad available on YouTube.
2
Trending Big Game ad, teaser or trailer videos from brands based on number of views as of Feb. 8, 2016
3
YouTube data, January–February 2015, global. Classification as a "Big Game ad" was based on public data such as headlines and tags, and may not account for every Big Game ad available on YouTube.
Nearly two centuries worth of Big Game ads watched on YouTube so far
Friday, February 5, 2016
A couple of weeks ago we
announced
our ninth annual AdBiltz program,
1
where fans come each year to watch, share and vote for their favorite Big Game ads. As we approach the Big Game, we wanted to give you an idea of how much we’ve all been watching and enjoying the Big Game ads, some of the amazing trends we’re seeing, and we wanted to highlight the Top 10 Trending Big Game Ads and teasers so far.
More small screens watching Big Game ads
Big Game ads and teasers have been watched more than 140M
2
times so far this year, with more than half of all views coming from mobile devices. In fact people have watched nearly 200 years worth of Big Game ads
3
and teasers so far on YouTube, and while the Big Game is only half a century old, so far we’ve seen over a century’s worth of Big Game ads watched on mobile alone.
Live long and prosper
Close to 40 Big Game ads, and over 130 teasers and ads combined, have been posted to YouTube so far, representing nearly all of the brands who will be airing spots during the Big Game. And for good reason: brands that release their ad on YouTube before the game receive an average of 2.2x more views than those that waited until game day to post an ad.
4
This year,
Pokémon
released their first ever Big Game ad a full two weeks before the game, and it has already amassed more than 12M views. And currently the fastest rising Big Game ad is from
Hyundai
. It has surpassed 15M views in the past three days to become the most watched ad or teaser so far this year.
“We use YouTube to jump-start the conversation around our commercials,” said Dean Evans, Chief Marketing Officer, Hyundai Motor America. “People need to see them, like them and want to talk about them. And that’s what YouTube allows us to do.”
It’s never too late for a first
In our many years of YouTube AdBlitz, we’re still able to see something we haven’t seen before. Every year, voting for your favorite ad begins immediately following the game, and we often see brands encouraging their fans to vote through ads and social media. This year, for the first time, a brand has incorporated a shout out in an exclusive teaser ad created just for AdBlitz. Well played,
Shock Top
!
And now, here are the top trending Big Game ads and teasers, so far:
Top trending Big Game ads and teasers on YouTube (by views) - through Feb. 3
Hyundai -
The Chase – Hyundai Super Bowl Commercial | The 2017 Hyundai Elantra
Pokémon -
#Pokemon20: Pokémon Super Bowl Commercial
Pepsi -
Jerry Rice and Shannon Sharpe Party Fail Study | Walmart | Pepsi
AXE -
AXE - Find Your Magic
TurboTax -
TurboTax 2016 Commercial "George Smoot Simple Questions" (Official :30) TV Ad
TurboTax -
TurboTax 2016 Commercial "Michio Kaku Absolute Zero" (Official :30) TV Ad
UnitedHealthcare -
UnitedHealthcare | Delivery :30
Wix.com -
Kung Fu Panda’s Po Discovers the Power of Wix | Wix.com #StartStunning 2016 Big Game Campaign
TurboTax -
TurboTax 2016 Commercial "S. James Gates W-2" (Official :30) TV Ad
MINI USA -
MINI USA | #DefyLabels Big Game TV Spot
Also don’t forget to check out our
exclusive YouTube AdBlitz creator's series
, hosted by
Jake and Amir
with friends (
MyLifeAsEva
,
Ten Second Songs
,
ScottDW
, etc), as they teach fans at home how to become legends off the field for that special Sunday Big Game party through relevant tips spanning music, food, fashion, dance, and many others.
Of course, this is just the beginning - as people turn to YouTube for Big Game content before, during and after the game, there will be lot more to come.
Posted by Natalie Marchant, YouTube Sponsorships Program Manager, recently watched “
DANCE BATTLE: DENVER vs CAROLINA! #YouTubeAdBlitz (4K)
.”
1
Full disclosure: Okay, so we announced it as our 8th year - for the second year in a row. We're not afraid of aging, it's just that we have so much fun with this program each year, we lost count!
2
YouTube Data Jan. 1 - Feb. 3, 2016. Global. Big Game ads are based on publicly available information and may not account for every such ad on YouTube.
3
YouTube Data Jan. 1 - Feb. 3, 2016. Global. Big Game ads are based on publicly available information and may not account for every such ad on YouTube.
4
Pixability Industry Study. Super Bowl 2015 YouTube Ads.
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