For 20 years, YouTube has captured our culture, from iconic moments to global movements. Now, as it enters its third decade, YouTube has evolved beyond an endless universe of video content into a cultural force.
YouTube is a dynamic ecosystem where talented creators, passionate fans and top brands converge. Underpinned by a unique creator-led culture, these trusted connections are unlike those on any other platform. And for brands, this influence leads to outstanding — and unparalleled — results.
At YouTube’s Brandcast 2025 in Sydney, we celebrated the platform’s milestone birthday by exploring why the future of video is undoubtedly YouTube. From the biggest consumer trends to the innovative advertising solutions, here’s what you need to know.
The new mainstream: Cultural moments and creator content
YouTube has gone from grainy and unscripted videos — think Me at the Zoo and Charlie Bit My Finger — to the home for a new generation of stars. And it’s clear that fans are loving it.
According to Ipsos iris, across all devices, YouTube reached over 20.1 million Australians aged over 18 in May 2025. That’s 96% of the adult online population.1 And according to a survey conducted by Kantar, surveyed viewers in Australia rank YouTube as the No. 1 platform for streaming video content, outperforming all competitors including streaming platforms.2
We’re now in a new era of celebrity; but this era isn’t being shaped by traditional studios. It’s built from the cultural moments that matter to all of us, and delivered by influential creators building a whole new world of content. They’re the writers, directors and producers who build authentic connections with fans, and earn trust with every upload.
According to Kantar, 75% of Australian adults believe YouTube has the most trusted creators,3 which has paved the way for creators to build incredible careers on the platform. Australia has more than 500 YouTube channels with over 1 million subscribers,4 (5X the number we had just five years ago)5, and New Zealand has more than 45 channels with more than 1 million subscribers.6
With the new Creator Partnership Hub, brands now have a centralised spot to discover and connect your creator partnerships across the entire Google Ads ecosystem — making it even easier to connect with likeminded creators and weave their content into your YouTube marketing strategy.
A fundamental shift: How and where audiences are watching
For more and more people, consuming video content is synonymous with watching YouTube — often in the comfort of their living room. That’s because the depth and diversity of content is unrivalled. From short-form user-generated content to immersive high-end production, audiences know they’ll find exactly what they’re looking for.
As YouTube reshapes the entire viewing experience, we’ve seen a fundamental shift in viewing habits. According to Ipsos iris, YouTube reached over 13.3 million Australians aged over 18 on connected TV (CTV) in May 2025, an increase from 12.9 million in May 2024.7 Also, total YouTube on CTV watchtime for online Australian adults grew 11% year on year in May 2025.8
This trend extends across to New Zealand, where audiences are watching over 1 million hours of YouTube on the big screen daily9 – and globally, it’s 1 billion hours.10
An engine for cultural momentum
YouTube’s shift to the TV screen is fuelled by the fact that audiences can engage in both the big cultural moments, and the wave of content that follows. From music to sports to podcasts, Aussies agree that YouTube has the best content for entertainment.11 And, it’s where local passions and global spectacles exist side by side in a single platform.
YouTube is the only place where viewers can watch a full sporting match replay, followed by a 60-second Short to help with a home improvement project. Music fans can watch a music video from a homegrown artist like Troye Sivan, followed by a breakdown of his surprise Coachella appearance alongside Charlie XCX. And podcast fans can watch – not just listen to – their favourite episodes, and then experience the fanfare surrounding breaking news, like after Taylor Swift’s guest appearance on Jason and Travis Kelce’s New Heights.
It’s not just the event itself: 64% of people agree that watching an event feels incomplete without the reactions, commentary and content that surrounds it.12
Advertisers can now show up at the heart of cultural moments that matter most to their brand with YouTube’s new Cultural Moments Sponsorship. There’s a full slate of ownable moments to get a high share of voice, like when Aussies tune in to the Olympics to cheer on their favourite diver and YouTube creator Sam Fricker.
This kind of deep, passionate engagement across every screen, every format and every genre means that brands can meet fans in any moment.
From passionate fans to proven ROI
For marketers, this deep engagement is the critical link to outstanding effectiveness, across short-term results and long-term brand building. In fact, Analytic Partners rank YouTube as the No. 1 channel for ROI that they measure in Australia.13
The modern consumer’s path from discovery to decision is anything but linear, as they move fluidly between streaming, scrolling, searching and shopping. YouTube is the only platform that can effectively reach and influence them at every stage of this complex journey.
YouTube gives your video marketing strategy a powerful flywheel. Great content attracts passionate fans, creating a trusted environment for brand growth. And this flywheel means your message lands with more impact. In fact, YouTube ads drive a 2.4X greater lift in purchase intent compared to digital platforms.14 Nielsen research shows that YouTube campaigns also drive significant lift in offline sales, delivering an incremental ROAS of 2.9.15
And YouTube’s continuous innovation in ad solutions means you can deliver on all your marketing objectives — from mass brand awareness to performance outcomes — with even more impact. With Google AI at the core, new solutions like Shoppable CTV and Peak Points are empowering brands to connect with audiences more effectively — and convert engagement into tangible business outcomes.
The next 20 years: The future of video is on YouTube
Brandcast 2025 was packed with YouTube insights, but the message for brands was clear. Twenty years on, there’s still only one YouTube. In a multi-platform world, it’s the only place that brings together the most influential creators, the most passionate fans, and the world’s biggest cultural moments, with a proven ability to drive business growth through innovative AI-powered solutions.
The future of entertainment and advertising is not about interrupting culture, but becoming a part of it. And that future is being built on YouTube, today.
