No, YouTube is not a television channel.
A Question of Identity
A recent debate has sparked between YouTube and Médiamétrie. At the annual Made On YouTube event, Neal Mohan, the CEO of YouTube, announced the platform’s ambition to become the future of entertainment considering the changing habits and the increased screen time of users.
Justine Ryst, the General Manager of YouTube France, repeatedly asserts that the platform has evolved into the premier French TV channel. Just yesterday, she stated, Today, YouTube plays a pivotal role in the French audiovisual landscape
and added, YouTube is not a television channel, nor is it a social network. It is a video platform whose business is to provide a content hosting infrastructure to accommodate all creators
.
Indeed, since its arrival in France nearly 19 years ago, YouTube has become a key competitor to traditional TV channels. But is it really a television channel? This is the nuance that currently divides Médiamétrie and YouTube.
No, YouTube is Not a Television Channel
Yannick Carriou, President and CEO of Médiamétrie, strongly disagrees and has expressed his frustration. He responded personally on LinkedIn, stating, No, YouTube, or any other platform, is not a television channel
, simply because it does not meet the criteria that define a channel. Furthermore, it cannot claim to be the number one television channel
.
However, with the numerous changes occurring in the broadcasting industry, the institute must maintain market clarity, thereby ensuring the confidence of content investors and advertisers who need to measure the return on these investments
.
Médiamétrie emphasizes the need for clear communication and educational efforts to avoid disorder and confusion, particularly in all cross-media measurements where different worlds meet and, let’s say, clash
.
President and CEO at Médiamétrie
Is YouTube, or any other platform, a television channel as I have read in the press this morning? No! You cannot simultaneously claim to be a channel but not a media. Words matter.
A channel has a clear definition and strong editorial responsibilities. A channel must comply with legal obligations and is driven by continual content investments, ultimately judged by audience performance.
YouTube is not a television channel, and certainly not “the number one television channel”, regardless of the growth of its uses which cannot be denied. Video platforms face different challenges, prospects, and constraints.
Behavior change, offer change, model change and confrontation, sectors evolve and measurements too. Every day, the teams at Médiamétrie are committed to establishing an accurate measure of different uses, to convey, without any blind spots, an impartial, fair, and transparent quantification of the multiple transformations taking place.
The sole purpose of these efforts is to maintain market clarity, thus ensuring the confidence of those investing in content and advertising, and who need to measure the return on these investments.
In the face of complex challenges, it is necessary among other things to remain clear and educational and to avoid disorder and confusion, especially in all cross-media measurements where different worlds meet and, let’s say, confront each other.
In this ecosystem, Médiamétrie is the trusted third party. A unique cross-media committee will soon be established, with TV channels, agencies, advertisers, and major international platforms agreeing to join and build these measurements under the banner of modernity, rigor, fairness, and transparency. We have been massively investing for over two years in new measurements to broaden our view and provide a comprehensive perspective of the ecosystem, with results expected in the coming months.
Let’s not succumb to the temptation of slogans at the expense of the necessary basic rigor.
Misqualifying uses adds to everyone’s confusion. Cross-media measurement involves reasonably measuring and bringing together different entities, not treating all entities as the same. Whether intentionally or not, at a time when clarity and understanding are expected and necessary.
Let’s work together moving forward! 🚀