YouTube Has No Plans to Invest in Original Programming Again, Despite TV Success

YouTube

YouTube has no plans to revive original content. Executive Pedro Pina revealed during his keynote at MIP London that there is no appetite "whatsoever" to bring back YouTube Originals, the slate of original programming that it shut down in 2022 to focus on other creator initiatives.

Pina pointed to the success of content created by others, stating:

"For us to be successful, we need other people to actually put the content in. Our commercial success will only exist with other people’s content. Our mission is to give that content to users around the world, but in order to do that, we need to have it."

Why It Matters: Given YouTube's success on TV screens, with a mix of user-generated and premium content, it makes sense for the platform to keep the chapter on original programming closed. The high costs and limited success of YouTube Originals play a role in this decision. With audiences increasingly drawn to creator content, reviving Originals would go against the current direction of the entertainment landscape.