From the CEO: What’s coming to YouTube in 2026

Viewers come to YouTube to immerse themselves in the biggest cultural moments. They want a front-row seat to the Super Bowl action from creators like Jesser and Kay Adams, full red carpet coverage from the Oscars and the immersive fandom experience surrounding a Taylor Swift or BTS album release. We offer it all.

YouTubers are buying studio-sized lots in Hollywood and beyond to pioneer new formats and produce beautifully produced, must-see TV. The era of dismissing this content as simply “UGC” is long over. These are shows, built by creators who green-light themselves. Look at Julian Shapiro-Barnum: his upcoming series Outside Tonight is a first-of-its-kind late-night experience built for the digital age. When creators hold the keys to their own production and distribution, the only limit is their imagination.

Every format on every screen

Whether they're watching on a small screen in their hand or the largest screen in their home, viewers choose YouTube for an unmatched breadth of content: long-form, Shorts, music videos, livestreams, podcasts and more.

From niche interests to global trends, viewers are finding what they love on Shorts, which now averages 200 billion daily views. This year we'll bring even more variety to Shorts by integrating different formats – like image posts – directly into the feed, making it easier to stay connected with your favorite creators.

We’re also investing in music, whether it's helping you find your next go-to artist, uncovering the stories behind the songs that move you or making it easier to discover and experience new releases.

YouTube has been #1 in streaming watchtime in the US for nearly three years, according to Nielsen.1 YouTube is the new TV because creators are the new prime time. Ms. Rachel’s two Children's & Family Emmy nominations prove that creators are defining this next era of entertainment. It’s a powerful start, but we need to see more recognition like this.

YouTube TV

Building on our success in the living room, we’re driven by the simple belief that TV should be easy. We’ll soon launch fully customizable multiview and more than 10 specialized YouTube TV plans spanning sports, entertainment and news, all designed to give subscribers more control.

YouTube has become the single best destination for viewers who want limitless ways to watch, and we’re proud to build that very best experience for the next generation.

For every idea a creator dreams up, we provide the business model to match. This year we’ll continue to invest in different ways to earn, from shopping and brand deals to fan funding features like Jewels and gifts. We know these are important revenue streams, especially outside the U.S., for creators like Santiago Matias, who uses Super Chat donations as a way for fans to influence the outcome of his hit reality series.

We’re focused on making YouTube a premier shopping destination because viewers trust product and brand recommendations from creators, like Vineet Malhotra who drove millions of dollars in YouTube Shopping GMV in 2025. With over 500,000 creators already in YouTube Shopping, we’re focused on frictionless commerce. Soon, when a creator like Christen Dominique recommends a product, you’ll be able to buy it without leaving the YouTube app.

Accelerating brand deals

Brand partnerships are critical, so we’re making it easier for Influencer Marketing Agencies and brands to find and hire creators, and execute successful campaigns through our creator partnerships hub. We’re also giving creators new tools to make these partnerships successful, like the ability to add a link to a brand's site in Shorts or swap out a branded segment once a deal concludes, transforming back catalogs into recurring revenue streams.

We’re committed to building the most diversified economy in the world – one that turns a creator’s unique vision into a sustainable, global business.

Just as the synthesizer, Photoshop and CGI revolutionized sound and visuals, AI will be a boon to the creatives who are ready to lean in. On average, more than 1M channels used our AI creation tools daily in December. This year you'll be able to create a Short using your own likeness, produce games with a simple text prompt, and experiment with music. Throughout this evolution, AI will remain a tool for expression, not a replacement.

AI transparency & protections

It’s becoming harder to detect what’s real and what’s AI-generated. This is particularly critical when it comes to deepfakes. We clearly label content created by YouTube’s AI products, and creators must disclose when they've created realistic altered or synthetic content. Because labels aren't always enough, we remove any harmful synthetic media that violates our Community Guidelines. We’re also building on the foundation of Content ID – a system our partners have trusted for well over a decade – to equip creators with new tools to manage the use of their likeness in AI-generated content. Finally, we remain committed to protecting creative integrity by supporting critical legislation like the NO FAKES Act.

Managing AI slop

The rise of AI has raised concerns about low-quality content, aka “AI slop.” As an open platform, we allow for a broad range of free expression while ensuring YouTube remains a place where people feel good spending their time. Over the past 20 years, we’ve learned not to impose any preconceived notions on the creator ecosystem. Today, once-odd trends like ASMR and watching other people play video games are mainstream hits. But with this openness comes a responsibility to maintain the high quality viewing experience that people want. To reduce the spread of low quality AI content, we’re actively building on our established systems that have been very successful in combatting spam and clickbait, and reducing the spread of low quality, repetitive content.

Transforming the viewer experience

AI will act as a bridge between curiosity and understanding. In December alone, more than 20 million users learned more about the content they watched through our Ask tool, asking questions like “What’s the story behind this song’s lyrics?” or “What ingredients do I need to make this recipe?” We’re also using AI to make more videos accessible. In December, YouTube averaged more than 6 million daily viewers who watched at least 10 minutes of autodubbed content.

Ultimately, we’re focused on ensuring AI serves the people who make YouTube great: the creators, artists, partners, and billions of viewers looking to capture, experience and share a deeper connection to the world around them.