YouTube: Five Years On
As YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley steps own as CEO, Kipp takes a closer look at the journey of this billion-dollar company from its infancy as a quirky project.
November 2, 2010 4:05 by Eva Fernandes
Five years on: YouTube’s Five Year’s Channel
To commemorate their fifth anniversary, YouTube launched the YouTube Five Year’s Channel, which invited users to post their videos to share the way in which YouTube has changed their lives. From an Iranian protestor who used YouTube to broadcast footage of the protests over his country’s elections to a recording artist who shot to fame, the channel is a symbol of the popularity of the site.
YouTube also announced on its fifth birthday that its daily views have exceeded 2 billion. A YouTube team member blogged, ‘Thanks to you, our site has crossed another milestone and now exceeds over two billion views a day, That’s nearly double the prime-time audience of all three major US television networks combined.’ The significant traffic attracted to the website everyday has subsequently attracted hoards of advertisers – but Google hasn’t said whether the site is profitable yet. Granted, Google brought in long-time Google exec Salar Kamangar in 2008, in what was seen as an attempt to help make a profit out of their acquisition.
YouTube TV section: Professional content
As senior execs claim YouTube is nearing profitability, YouTube has been adding professional content such as full-length movies and TV shows to attract advertisers. In 2009, YouTube announced it was posting around 4,000 full-length programs including Gordon Ramsay’s F Word, Jamie at Home, BayWatch and ITN News. As it continues to try to increase advertising there have been reports of Google execs working hard to convince TV show, film, and music rights holders to make advertising revenue from their content rather than remove it from YouTube on account of breach of copyright.
CEO Stepping Down: The next phase
YouTube co-founder and CEO Chad Hurley announced this week that he was stepping down from the position of CEO, but will remain a part-time adviser for YouTube. Hurley is said to be stepping down to be able to devote time to his men’s clothing line Hlaska.
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