A few months before its 20th anniversary, YouTube is establishing itself as much more than just a video platform for smartphones. “We must now consider YouTube as the leading television channel in France,” declares Justine Ryst, general director of YouTube France. For the manager, at the helm of the French branch since 2019, the platform is now establishing itself as a key player in the audiovisual landscape. However, certain players such as Médiamétrie are opposed to this observation.
Would YouTube overtake television channels among young people?
The Médiamétrie results, shared by YouTube, show that the platform now exceeds French television channels in number of users among 15-49 year olds but with a total of 42.6 million monthly users over 15 in May The latter would still be ahead of TF1. On average, the French spend 41 minutes on it per day, according to YouTube.
The director of YouTube France highlights the evolution of viewing media. “Television is today the second largest YouTube consumption screen in France, after mobile. It’s a trend that’s taking hold, driven by the success of long formats,” says Justine Ryst. This phenomenon, according to her, contributes to a change in the use of YouTube, transforming viewing practices.
With more than a billion hours of daily viewing on televisions around the world, YouTube has introduced a so-called “cinematic” version of its videos, optimized for the big screen. The platform's growth is based in particular on a diversity of formats, which it continues to explore. “Our uniqueness is multi-format,” explains Justine Ryst. We also offer long and short, horizontal and vertical formats. »
YouTube and traditional media: a complementary relationship
Justine Ryst insists on the links between YouTube and classic audiovisual players. “Traditional media are investing in the platform,” she says, citing the example of Arte which has launched several channels and exclusive programs like “Le Vortex”. TF1 and France Télévisions also have millions of views, reinforcing the complementarity between the two worlds.
This porosity is also observed in the transition of emblematic faces from television to YouTube and vice versa. After the arrival of Hugo Travers, alias HugoDécrypte, on France 2, journalists Élise Lucet and Claire Chazal launched their own channels, accompanied by YouTubers like Squeezie and Gaspard G. to make this transition.
YouTube, a television channel? A vision contested by Médiamétrie
This perception of YouTube as a television channel is, however, nuanced by Yannick Carriou, CEO of Médiamétrie. “YouTube is not a television channel, and even less the first television channel,” he says. According to him, a television channel meets strict criteria of editorial responsibilities and legal compliance, as well as permanent investments in content.
Yannick Carriou warns against confusion between platforms and television channels: “Video platforms respond to different challenges and constraints. Changing behaviors and models implies an evolution in the measurement of uses. » To meet growing expectations for a complete vision of the ecosystem, Médiamétrie announces the creation of a cross-media committee, bringing together television channels, agencies, advertisers and international platforms to establish transparent and equitable measurements.
The CEO of Médiamétrie calls for avoiding confusion of terms and working together to develop suitable measurement tools. “A cross-media measure consists of bringing different objects together, not confusing them. It is essential to preserve clarity to maintain the trust of those who invest in content and advertising,” says Yannick Carriou, emphasizing the need for a rigorous approach.
