YouTube, the world’s largest video-sharing platform, is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Founded in 2005 by PayPal colleagues Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, YouTube started as a simple video-hosting platform. The domain YouTube.com was launched on 14 February, 2005, and video uploading capabilities were introduced on 23 April, when Karim posted the first-ever video, “Me at the Zoo.” The 19-second clip, featuring Karim at the San Diego Zoo, has since been viewed over 348 million times.
According to Statista, YouTube had over 2.5 billion viewers globally in 2023, with its music and premium subscription tiers reaching 100 million users. Google reports that users now watch more than one billion hours of YouTube content daily on television screens alone.
YouTube is on track to surpass all US cable television services in paid subscribers within two years, according to analysts. It has also become a major competitor to Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime, while simultaneously taking on short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels with its YouTube Shorts, which now average over 70 billion views daily.
One of YouTube’s biggest strengths is its endless stream of content. More than 500 hours of video are uploaded every minute, covering everything from concert clips, political debates, and tutorials to viral challenges and comedy sketches.
A crucial moment in YouTube’s journey was its $1.65 billion acquisition by Google in 2006. This move combined Google’s expertise in search and advertising with YouTube’s growing video-sharing community.
With its continued innovations, expanding creator economy, and increasing dominance in entertainment, YouTube is set to remain a cultural and technological powerhouse for years to come.