A few months before its 20th anniversary, YouTube no longer sees itself as a simple video platform. During an interview with AFP, the general director of YouTube France affirmed that YouTube is the leading television channel in France. False, according to Médiamétrie.
YouTube, France's leading television channel? According to a Médiamétrie study shared by YouTube, the platform brought together more than 42 million users over the age of 15 last May, thus surpassing traditional channels.
According to Justine Ryst, CEO of YouTube France, the platform is today a key player in the audiovisual landscape. But for Yannick Cariou, CEO of Médiamétrie, “ we cannot say that we are a channel but not a media at the same time. Words have meaning« .
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A success driven by the diversity of formats
Record audiences, billions of hours of viewing, a greater anchoring of traditional media in the platform and the observation that “ television is today the second largest YouTube consumption screen in France“…For Justine Ryst, “ we must now consider YouTube as the leading television channel in France« .
The success of YouTube in France is undeniable, driven by the diversity of video formats, particularly long formats. Recent example: the documentary Kaizen from Inoxtag which has 37 million views at the time of writing.
YouTube also highlights a porosity between traditional media and its platform. She cites in particular its collaboration with Arte which publishes exclusive content, or even small screen figures like Claire Chazal and Élise Lucet having launched their own channel. Is this enough to elevate YouTube to the status of a television channel? Not really.
Record audiences are not enough
In a column on LinkedIn, Yannick Carriou responds to Justine Ryst, contesting that YouTube is a television channel:
A channel responds to a clear definition and strong editorial responsibilities. A channel must comply with legal obligations and obeys a logic of permanent investment in content, ultimately sanctioned by audience performance.
Yannick Carriou, general director of Médiamétrie
According to Médiamétrie, YouTube responds to other challenges and must deal with different constraints, particularly on the legal level. To say that YouTube is a television channel would be profoundly lacking in rigor.
It is with this perspective of transparency that Yannick Carriou announces the upcoming creation of a committee cross-media. This will bring together television channels, advertisers, agencies and major international platforms to provide an overview of the audiovisual ecosystem, with the definitions and prerogatives of each of its players.
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