【AI前沿】YouTube viewers watch 2 billion hours of Shorts on TVs each month

Short-form video is a format that’s built for mobile — these vertically oriented videos are designed to fit the shape of a smartphone. But according to YouTube, this kind of content has become quite popular on the big screen. It seems counterintuitive, but the data is hard to argue against: YouTube viewers watch over2 billion hoursof YouTube Shorts — the platform’s clips that run up to three minutes — on TVs each month.“The living room is YouTube’s fastest-growing screen, and the Shorts experience is further helping connect viewers with the world’s most active creator community from the comfort of their couch,” said Kurt Wilms, YouTube’s senior director of product management for YouTube on TV. “We’ve found that audiences increasingly want to watch their favorite content on the biggest screen at home, whether it’s long-form content, a podcast, or a Short.”The living room has become a major growth target for YouTube overall. U.S. viewers alone are watching over 200 million hours of YouTube content daily. YouTube shows Shorts in search results from users watching on TV, so even if they didn’t set out to watch a minute-long clip on the big screen, they might end up checking one out anyway. Google TV, a platform from YouTube’s parent company Alphabet, recently announced a“Short videos for you”row on the Google TV feed, which is supposed to further boost watch time.Because there’s so much extra screen real estate available when watching a vertical video on a television, YouTube has updated the viewing experience to show comments beside the video.“By tailoring Shorts for the big screen, we unlocked a more immersive way for fans to engage with their favorite content while also creating a massive new stage for creators to reach global audiences and scale their businesses,” said Sarah Ali, VP of product management for YouTube Shorts, in a press release.This trend has even extended topodcast viewership, even though podcasts are generally an audio-first medium. Streaming companies are increasingly betting on podcasts to become the new daytime talk show — something that people can turn on and watch but also still get the gist if they get up to do something else while they listen to the television from an adjacent room.According to YouTube, viewers watched over700 million hoursof podcasts each month on living room devices in 2025, up from 400 million per month in 2024. Netflix has invested heavily in video podcasts too — it signed deals with iHeartMedia, Barstool Sports, Spotify, and other studios to exclusively gain video rights to certain shows.TopicsMedia & Entertainment,Netflix,YouTube ShortsWhen you purchase through links in our articles,we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.Amanda SilberlingSenior WriterAmanda Silberling is a senior writer at TechCrunch covering the intersection of technology and culture. She has also written for publications like Polygon, MTV, the Kenyon Review, NPR, and Business Insider. She is the co-host of Wow If True, a podcast about internet culture, with science fiction author Isabel J. Kim. Prior to joining TechCrunch, she worked as a grassroots organizer, museum educator, and film festival coordinator. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and served as a Princeton in Asia Fellow in Laos.You can contact or verify outreach from Amanda by emailing [email protected] or via encrypted message at @amanda.100 on Signal.View BioMay 27Athens, GreeceStrictlyVC Athens is up next. Hear unfiltered insights straight from Europe’s tech leaders and connect with the people shaping what’s ahead. Lock in your spot before it’s gone.REGISTER NOWMost PopularMusk’s xAI is running nearly 50 gas turbines unchecked at its Mississippi data centerTim De ChantAI voice startup Vapi hits $500M valuation after winning Amazon Ring over 40 rivalsJagmeet SinghAmazon launches 30-minute delivery across the USSarah PerezFintech startup Parker files for bankruptcyAnthony HaLaid-off Oracle workers tried to negotiate better severance. Oracle said no.Julie BortSan Francisco’s housing market has lost its mindConnie LoizosUS defense contractor who sold hacking tools to Russian broker ordered to pay $10M to former employersLorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai