TOGETHER WITH

It's Wednesday and Disney+ isn’t playing around. Say goodbye to your ex’s account, because the House of Mouse is officially cracking down on password-sharing.

SCREEN TIME

Viewers now watch 1 billion hours of YouTube content on TV screens every day

Forget cell phones—according to YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, it’s time for creators to “optimize their content for the living room.”

The stats: In a letter outlining the platform’s upcoming goals, Mohan told the YouTube community that viewers now watch an average of one billion hours of YouTube content on TV screens each day.

• Much of that screen time comes from YouTube’s Premium and Music tiers—which just hit a combined 100 million subscribers—and YouTube TV. According to Mohan, the latter service has grown to include 8 million subscribers since YouTube signed a seven-year exclusive deal to air NFL Sunday Ticket.

The plan for 2024: YouTube’s goals for the coming year extend far beyond viewers’ living rooms. Mohan says the platform aims to launch new AI features, build out its subscription side, drive Shorts, and “help policymakers and partners…see the economic and entertainment value that creators bring to the table.”

The big picture: With AI lowering barriers to entry for new creators and the number of channels uploading Shorts growing 50% year-over-year, 2024 is likely to be a transformative period for YouTube.

• Creators seeking to remain relevant in that rapidly changing ecosystem will want to meet viewers where they are (especially if they’re camped out in front of the TV).
  
  

• Leading YouTubers like Ms Rachel and Sypher PK are already adjusting to that shift. Per Mohan, the number of “top creators” who receive the majority of their watch time from TV screens has more than quadrupled in the last three years.

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Here’s how Viral Nation propelled three creators into the public eye:

Yuri Lamasbella hit Entertainment Tonight, CBS LA, and more 🔥
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Men With The Pot unmask on MuseTV 🥸
Men With The Pot’s unique cooking set-ups have earned them a massive following—but they waited until this past month to reveal their identities. That "unmasking" was a major milestone, warranting features with outlets like MuseTV and Distractify.

Blonde Brewer talks coffee with Distractify 🤝
After launching his-and-hers products, the creators behind Blonde Brewer Coffee sat down with Distractify to showcase their unique creator brand and delve into the process behind their latest venture.

Visit Viral Nation’s website to learn how their PR team can take your career to new heights:

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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• YouTube’s latest test feature allows users to “create a feed of videos based off color.” (Tubefilter)
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• According to TechCrunch, Spotify says its Premium listening service is now the “second-largest audiobook provider behind Amazon-owned Audible.” (TechCrunch)
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• Users can now sign up for Bluesky—an X rival supported by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey—without an invite. (Gizmodo)
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• Facebook and Instagram will begin labeling AI content from external sources like Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Adobe. (Ars Technica)

DATA • MONTHLY GLOBAL TOP 50 📈

This three-time gymnastics champion is testing his mettle on YouTube

Mariano Razo is now one of Mexico’s most-watched YouTube creators—but he didn’t start his social media journey as a Shorts star.

🤸 Killing it on the mat: Razo first rose to fame in the 2010s as Mexico’s national all-around gymnastics champion. He scored that title in 2013, 2014, and 2015 before breaking out on Instagram.

📸 Breaking out on Instagram: Razo’s Insta-worthy talent helped him build an impressive online following, but it wasn’t long before viewers began visiting his profile for more than gymnastics updates. The influencer’s travel, sports, and slice-of-life content eventually earned him a spot in a creator house called Mansion Lit.

📈 Climbing the YouTube charts: After checking out of Mansion Lit, Razo made his mark on Shorts—where he now routinely rakes in tens of millions of views per video. Although the creator still leverages his acrobatic abilities to smash trending challenges, his most popular clips tend to revolve around his girlfriend, close friends, and video editing skills.

• Case in point: Razo’s most-watched VFX Short has brought in 340 million views all on its own.
  
  

• That variety of content brought the creator’s channel to new heights in January. During the first month of the year, Razo collected 761.4 million views—a 13% month-over-month traffic bump that pushed him to #80 in our monthly Global Top 50.

WATCH THIS 📺

What happens when a chart-topping couple calls it quits?

Readers familiar with our U.S. Top 50 chart will recognize the creators pictured above as The Pink Shirt Couple. Together, Cayden Christianson and Alyssa Eckstein have climbed the YouTube rankings, fostered a community of 20 million subscribers, and released plenty of pink merch.

• Now, Christianson and Eckstein are going their separate ways. So, what happens to their chart-topping channel?
  
  

• In a breakup announcement posted Tuesday, the YouTubers confirmed their intentions to move forward as individual creators. While Eckstein hasn’t yet decided whether she’ll create a new account or continue posting from The Pink Shirt Couple hub, Christianson plans to move forward as @Pinkshirtsingle.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. Drew Baldwin helped edit, too. It's a team effort.