YouTube revenue hit $60B in 2025: what it means for creators

YouTube didn't just have a "good year." It basically out-earned a lot of "real" media companies while pretending it's still just a website with cat videos and podcast bros. That's the part that should make you sit up a little straighter. ([sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1652044/000165204426000012/googexhibit991q42025.htm))

Because when a platform hits this scale, it stops optimizing for "creator happiness." It optimizes for predictable revenue. Which is great... until it isn't.

What happened

Alphabet's Q4 2025 earnings (reported February 4, 2026) included a new headline metric: YouTube made more than $60B in 2025 revenue across ads + subscriptions. ([sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1652044/000165204426000012/googexhibit991q42025.htm))

Zoom in: YouTube's Q4 2025 ad revenue came in at $11.383B, up from $10.473B a year earlier (that's the company's own breakdown). ([sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1652044/000165204426000012/googexhibit991q42025.htm))

Alphabet also told investors it's planning $175B-$185B in capital expenditures in 2026 - primarily for AI compute and infrastructure - and the market didn't exactly throw a parade (shares fell after the report). ([sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1652044/000165204426000012/googexhibit991q42025.htm))

One more useful comparison: Netflix reported $45.183B in total 2025 revenue. YouTube's now playing in that weight class. ([sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1065280/000106528026000034/nflx-20251231.htm?utm_source=openai))

Why creators should care

1) YouTube is telling you what it values: subscriptions + TV time. In the same earnings release, Alphabet said it now has 325M+ paid subscriptions across consumer services (with Google One and YouTube Premium called out as key drivers). Translation: recurring revenue is becoming the emotional support blanket for the whole business. ([sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1652044/000165204426000012/googexhibit991q42025.htm))

That matters because subscription-heavy platforms quietly shift incentives. Less "click the thumbnail," more "keep people satisfied so they don't cancel." That's a different game: trust, consistency, fewer cheap spikes.

2) The living room is not a vibe. It's a business model. Nielsen's latest data shows streaming hit a record 47.5% of TV viewing in December 2025. And YouTube's been a major force in TV viewing share for a while now. ([nielsen.com](https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2026/streaming-shatters-multiple-records-in-december-2025-with-47-5-of-tv-viewing-according-to-nielsens-the-gauge/?utm_source=openai))

Creators who still think of YouTube as "mobile-first" are basically optimizing like it's 2018. Big-screen viewing changes packaging, pacing, and session time. It also changes what advertisers buy.

3) AI spend this big usually means two things: more automation, more content. Alphabet's spending plan screams "AI everywhere," from creation tools to ad systems to recommendations. ([sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1652044/000165204426000012/googexhibit991q42025.htm))

And yes, that also means more low-effort output flooding feeds. The platform will keep chasing enforcement. The algorithm will keep chasing watch time. Your job is to stay recognizable in the mess.

4) The money headline doesn't equal your paycheck headline. YouTube can generate $60B+ while your RPM swings wildly month to month. But it's still worth remembering: YouTube has said it paid out $70B to creators, artists, and media companies over the last three years, and its partner program includes 3M+ creators. That's the ecosystem you're operating in - massive, competitive, and very, very professional now. ([techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/28/youtube-says-over-25-of-its-creator-partners-now-monetize-via-shorts/?utm_source=openai))

What to do next

1. Update your "who's watching" assumption. Audit your last 10 videos like they're watched on a TV. Bigger text. Cleaner cuts. Fewer "tiny screen" jokes. If it wouldn't hold attention on a couch, fix it.

2. Build for the subscriber era, not the viral era. Start a repeatable format cadence (same day, same promise). Make the channel feel like a "subscription you'd keep" even if a viewer skipped one upload.

3. Treat Shorts as distribution, not identity. If Shorts bring new people in, great - then immediately give them a clear next step: a series, a long video, a live, a newsletter, something that turns "drive-by viewer" into "regular." (Short-form monetization is real, but it's not the whole business.) ([techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/28/youtube-says-over-25-of-its-creator-partners-now-monetize-via-shorts/?utm_source=openai))

4. De-risk your income like a grown-up. Assume ad volatility. Add at least one revenue line you control: sponsorship packages, memberships, digital products, paid community, whatever fits. The platform's top line can be up while your month can still be weird.