Is YouTube TV? Even a few years ago, that question would’ve received ridicule in some advertising circles. It still might. But now that YouTube has become the streaming service people spend the most time watching on TV screens, it’s becoming hard to argue that YouTube isn’t TV.
This question of YouTube’s place in the TV advertising discussion was a top talking point among agency executives throughout Digiday’s recent video series, “The Future of TV.” As covered in the video below, the executives’ answer is largely “yes, YouTube is TV,” especially now that it’s starting to sell ads against TV’s most premium programming: NFL games.
“They’re a TV company. They just spent on NFL Sunday Ticket. They’re introducing non-skippable 30[-second ads] across the entire YouTube family. So they’re in the TV game,” said Kelly Metz, managing director of advanced TV activation at Omnicom Media Group.
More in Future of TV
‘A year of loose ends’: Digiday editors share top takeaways from 2025
This year was filled with major developments – from Netflix’s planned WBD deal to Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG to Google’s ultimately cookie reversal – and Digiday editors Sara Jerde and Seb Joseph help to recap the year that was (and wasn’t).
Future of TV Briefing: How the future of TV shaped up in 2025
This week’s Future of TV Briefing looks back at the top topics and trends that overtook the TV, streaming and digital video industries in 2025.
Programmatic agency execs speak out on CTV transparency
At the recent Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit, agency executives spoke out — on stage and in behind-closed-door town hall sessions — on how they see transparency in CTV.