**YouTube’s Soaring Success: What’s Behind the Surge?**
Hey everyone, it’s your friendly blogger here! I’ve got some awesome news to share with you all about YouTube’s latest developments.
The latest numbers are in, and YouTube’s subscriber count has busted a major milestone – 325 million users on its Google One and YouTube Premium platforms! That’s a whopping 25 million increase in just three months! And the ad revenue? Yeah, it’s looking pretty sweet too, with a 9% increase to $11.38 billion in the fourth quarter. Okay, I know some analysts might say it didn’t quite meet expectations, but I’m not here to nitpick.
Here’s the real kicker: YouTube’s total revenue for the entire financial year? A staggering $60 billion! That’s a 17% increase from the previous year. And I’m loving the growth of their premium tier, with users shelling out $8 a month for an ad-free experience.
So, what’s behind this YouTube magic? According to CEO Sundar Pichai, it’s all about giving users more choice and flexibility. I mean, who doesn’t love having options, right? They’re launching new YouTube TV plans with over 10 genre-specific packages, catering to the evolving viewing habits of their users.
But YouTube isn’t stopping at TV – their short-form video feature, YouTube Shorts, is still crushing it with 200 billion daily views in the quarter. And get this: in some countries, ads on short-form videos can earn more per hour than in-stream ads! No wonder their AI-powered creation tools are gaining traction, with over 1 million channels using them.
And have you caught on to the podcast trend on YouTube? Users watched a whopping 700 million hours of podcasts on their TVs in October alone. Talk about a format shift!
So, what’s behind YouTube’s success? It’s all about giving users more choice, flexibility, and innovative features. Whether you’re a creator or a viewer, it’s an exciting time to be part of the YouTube community.
That’s all for now, folks! Head over to the source link for the full scoop from TechCrunch.
**Sources:**
* [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/05/googles-subscriptions-rise-in-q4-as-youtube-pulls-60b-in-yearly-revenue/)
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