YouTube is no longer just a platform for amateur videos. Thanks to the activity of content creators and the promotion tools provided by the platform itself, YouTube is used by many brands to reach their online audience and make money (as YouTube has become one of the most popular pay TV services and provides many monetization options). Since the technical characteristics of content with commercial potential are usually high, it can easily be watched on large screens using Smart TVs and streaming consoles.

However, what else is needed besides high resolution for videos to be included in the recommendations? Let's check the best YouTube tips for creators.

Why YouTube on TV Is Your Next Big Opportunity

Thanks to its adaptation to TV screens as one of the first, YouTube has become the undisputed leader among streaming platforms today. Indeed, it is difficult to find a Zoomer or a Millennial who would not while away their free time by turning on their favorite show from YouTube on TV. But what are the real numbers about YouTube for smart TVs?

From Ad Revenue to Watch Time: The Metrics You Need to Know

Metric

Value

Share of TV

Streaming Time 11.1% (higher than Netflix's 8.5%)

Active Monthly Audience

Over 2.7 billion users

Paid Subscribers (YouTube Premium and Music)

Over 100 million people

Podcast Position (US)

#1 platform in the streaming industry, ahead of Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Ad Revenue for 2024

$36.1 billion (almost on par with Netflix's total revenue)

These figures clearly show that YouTube on TV is not just another alternative to central TV but a full-fledged market with billions of viewers eager to receive a daily dose of entertainment content for every taste.

What This Means for YouTube Creators

If you are a YouTube creator, you will want to reach as broad an audience as possible sooner or later– that’s why it is so important to target the TV viewing format, too. And here, you should consider that such an audience is significantly different from the mobile one since it requires a different approach to the content structure and user experience.

5 Tips for YouTube Success on TV

So, what do you need to do to ensure smooth YouTube big screen viewing for your content? Let's look at five YouTube success tips.

Understand Who’s Watching: Unlock Insights from TV Viewers

To avoid doing anything blind when you optimize for YouTube, you should start with YouTube analytics by device (you can find more information about how to use YouTube Analytics). Here, you must pay attention to metrics such as average watch time streaming, demographics, and interests. You can also analyze video trends through Google Trends – this will give you an understanding of what content is most popular among viewers who prefer big screens.

Upgrade Your Visuals for the Big Screen

Since large screens reveal details that might be unnoticeable on mobile devices, you need to take care of the quality of the frame: avoid blurring, as well as ensure high resolution and proper color correction. Otherwise, it will all immediately catch the eye. Universal YouTube content optimization advice – shoot video in a resolution of at least 1080p, buy professional lighting equipment, and get your hands on editing and mastering at least one professional video editor (for example, Adobe Express).

Thumbnails That Pop: Design for the TV Experience

Your thumbnails should be bright, have large elements, and be understandable even from a distance. Conversely, you must avoid small text and an overload of details. Overall, to maximize your YouTube watch time on TV, you can learn some tricks from your more experienced colleagues to give your audience a clear visual signal that something exciting awaits them after your video starts.

Think Like a Showrunner: Build Binge-Worthy Episodic Content

TV audiences love the serial format – episodes united by a common theme, characters, or something else. So, unless your YouTube TV strategy conflicts with this, try to build it so that the viewer wants to watch videos one after another. Additionally, you can distribute your videos into playlists – they also encourage binge-watching.

Channel Makeover: Design a TV-Friendly Home Page

On TV interfaces, the channel's main page is the first thing the viewer sees. You must create eye-catching sections: thematic playlists, folders with popular videos, collections by interests, and anything aimed at even greater TV audience optimization (more details about YouTube channel optimization are here). Finally, do not forget to ensure everything looks organized and easy to perceive.

Final thoughts

The rapid growth of TV audiences on YouTube is a game-changer for content creators. Therefore, to maximize your YouTube podcast viewership (this is generally relevant for any type of content that needs to reach viewers with large screens), start adapting your videos to the TV audience right now: improve video quality, optimize thumbnails, think through the format of episodes, and carefully study analytics. So, good luck!