YouTube dethrones Disney and becomes the world's leading media group

Twenty years after its launch, YouTube is now an unavoidable giant in the global media landscape. Long perceived as a simple video-sharing platform, the Alphabet subsidiary has gradually transformed its business model to compete with major entertainment groups.

The latest financial estimates illustrate this shift. By 2025, YouTube is projected to generate more revenue than several established studios, including The Walt Disney Company. This evolution reflects a profound change in how audiences consume content and how advertisers allocate their advertising budgets…

A platform that surpasses Disney in revenue

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, and according to estimates from the analysis firm MoffettNathanson, YouTube generated approximately $62 billion in revenue in 2025. This amount slightly exceeds the $60.9 billion of The Walt Disney Company's media division.

Advertising remains the platform's primary economic driver, and is projected to reach nearly $40.4 billion in 2025, exceeding the combined advertising revenue of several major studios such as Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery.

This reversal marks a symbolic break, as for decades these studios dominated the entertainment industry with their big-budget films and television series. Today, the dynamic has shifted towards digital platforms where the audience, especially younger viewers, spends more time.

A creator-driven model rather than a studio-driven model

YouTube's success rests on a radically different model from that of established media companies. While studios invest considerable sums in content production and distribution, the platform relies on millions of creators who feed its video catalog daily.

This approach allows YouTube to generate massive activity while limiting production costs. Advertising revenue, as well as subscriptions, complement this model. The platform offers services such as YouTube Premium, YouTube Music, and YouTube TV.

This diversification represents more than $20 billion in additional revenue. It brings the platform closer to the model of streaming groups like Netflix, while retaining the enormous advertising leverage that has made it successful.

A potentially colossal valuation…

For their part, analysts estimate that if YouTube became an independent company, its valuation could reach between $500 and $560 billion. Such an estimate would place the platform ahead of many streaming players, including Netflix.

With these financial performances and its massive user base that extends beyond television, YouTube confirms its status as a pillar of the digital ecosystem. This trajectory illustrates the rapid transformation of the media industry in the face of the rise of platforms…