YouTube Is "At The Forefront" Of New Entertainment Era, CEO Neal Mohan Says; Company Expands Creator Takeovers, Debuts Non-Skip Connected-TV Ads

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan kicked off the company’s 13th annual Brandcast by telling advertisers the video platform is “at the forefront of this new era of entertainment.”

Viewers of YouTube videos, he said, “are not just audiences. They’re ride-or-die, can’t miss a moment fans.”

Mohan reprised a proposal he recently advanced in an op-ed in Deadline sister publication THR, urging Emmy voters and rulemakers to encourage the idea of creators winning Emmys. “Creators are drawing audiences on the big screen because they’re the new Hollywood,” Mohan said. “They have business strategies, writers’ rooms and production teams. They’re reimagining classic TV genres, from morning shows to sports commentary. And they’re inventing entirely new ones.”

As such, he added, “they deserve the same acclaim as other creative professionals.”

YouTube views in living room have grown 130% in the past three years, making it an ever-viable platform for marketers focused on the living room. Brandcast used to take place during the NewFronts, but YouTube shifted it into the main broadcast upfront week, this year also joined by Amazon and Netflix.

YouTube Chief Business Officer Mary Ellen Coe took the Brandcast stage to unveil new initiatives including an expansion of the company’s “creator takeovers” by advertisers in the YouTube Select category. YouTube Select is a vehicle established in recent years to enable blue-chip brands to be matched with top programming.

Coe noted an early trial of the takeovers was executed by DoorDash on the popular podcast New Heights, featuring NFL brothers Travis and Jason Kelce. Last season, which turned out to be Jason Kelce’s last in the league and also a breakout one for Travis Kelce in pop culture by virtue of his romance with Taylor Swift, boosted the audience of New Heights. The takeover option, introduced as a pilot in 2023, enables advertisers to collaborate with creators and own 100% “share of voice” on their channel.