The average number of videos watched on YouTube each day continues to grow, now passing 4 billion. That's twice the number watched in May 2010, and four times the volume reported in October 29. It's not just the viewing that's exploding - currently, an average of 60 hours of video are uploaded to the site every minute, up from 10 hours-per-minute four years ago, 20 hours-per-minute in May 2009, and 35 hours=per-minute in November 2010.
Despite these numbers, it's still not clear whether Google is turning a profit on YouTube yet. Only 1 in 10 of the videos watched in any week are "monetized." Analysts suggest that YouTube's revenues are on the fast track, rising from $825 billion in 2010, to $1.3 billion last year, and is predicted to surpass $1.7 billion this year. While that sounds like a lot, the storage and server costs to host, handle, and distribute all that content to the world can't be cheap.
Source - YouTubers Watch 4 Billion Videos per Day, The Social Graf
I would agree that although the numbers look staggering, they may be somewhat misguided. Home Media Magazine gives another good overview of the issue at large here. (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/youtube/report-4-billion-youtube-videos-watched-day-26201) One of the more intriguing aspects of the article is the pay-for model that Youtube wants to eventually go to. One of the ways this happens is through moving videos from PC's to TVs -- more specially on-demand type videos. I like the idea of this in terms of Youtube trying to make money, but overall, I'm not sure if it will pan out in the end. You can pretty much already get whatever you desire on-demand, so why does Youtube go that route to only compete with other players? Another interesting point is that Iphones, I think, have really hurt the Youtube market in general. I don't have to pay to get on Youtube, per say, when I want. I'm paying for service of the phone, and maybe there is some Youtube built-in cost, but for the most part, it's free. It's Internet. Millions of people are viewing millions of videos a day with no cost. For me personally, if I don't want to buy a song off Itunes, I can just go to Youtube and plug my Ipod up and, with no payment by me, listen to whatever song I want. It's most likely there. I think this can be potentially damaging for Youtube once the Iphone-model/type of phone really takes off. Before too long, they'll be more people with those phones than without them, ultimately damaging Youtube and it's "free" service.
ReplyDelete