TIME Magazine named YouTube CEO Neal Mohan its 2025 “CEO of the Year,” recognizing his leadership of the video platform as it expands across multiple entertainment sectors and screen formats.

Mohan, 52, assumed the CEO role in 2023 after Susan Wojcicki stepped down. Under his leadership, YouTube has increased its presence in television viewing, sports streaming, and podcast consumption, while generating major growth in advertising and subscription revenue.

Platform Reaches 2 Billion Daily Users

YouTube attracts more than two billion people daily, representing a quarter of the world’s population. The platform receives more than 500 hours of new footage per minute, according to TIME’s report.

Half of YouTube’s viewership now occurs through television screens. YouTube Shorts reports two billion logged-in monthly users, comparable to recently reported numbers for Meta’s Reels.

“The entire dynamics of the entire media industry are changing before our eyes,” Mohan told TIME. “It’s incredibly disruptive and, if you don’t adapt you can be left by the wayside.”

Revenue Growth Across Advertising and Subscriptions

YouTube generated more than $36 billion in advertising revenue last year, with an additional $14 billion from subscriptions, according to company executives cited in the article. In the first three quarters of 2025, the platform generated 15% more advertising revenue than in the previous year.

YouTube announced in March that it had 25% more subscribers to YouTube Music and Premium, including trial users, than at the same time in 2024.

A recent IAB report predicted that advertisers will spend $37 billion with creators in 2025, a 25% increase from 2024.

Expansion Into Podcasts and Sports

YouTube has established a foothold in podcast listening, with recent figures showing that a third of podcast fans identify it as their primary listening platform, compared to a quarter who prefer Spotify. The company reports that a billion people tune in to podcasts on the platform each month.

The platform began streaming NFL games on Sundays in 2023. YouTube pays $2 billion annually for NFL Sunday Ticket rights, which allow subscribers to watch out-of-market Sunday games for an annual fee of $480, or $83 monthly for YouTube TV subscribers. Approximately 1.5 million people have purchased the service.

“He understands what he’s trying to build. He’s got a deep understanding of the media landscape and where YouTube fits and where content can help him advance his strategies,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said of Mohan.

AI Tools and Creator Development

YouTube unveiled more than 30 AI-powered programs in September designed to facilitate video shooting, editing, uploading, and monetization. This represents three times the number of tools launched in the previous year.

The tools convert phrases into songs, translate and dub videos, identify optimal footage segments for editing, and convert long videos into short-form content.

“The AI dubbing and being able to syndicate my content in different languages has been such an unlock for my career,” said Jesse Riedel, who creates basketball videos on the platform under the name “Jesser.”

YouTube announced in 2021 that it had two million creator partners, a figure that grew to three million by 2023. In September, the platform stated that it had paid out more than $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies worldwide since 2021.

Mohan recently decided to reinstate creators banned for spreading misinformation during the COVID pandemic.

YouTube settled a lawsuit in September with U.S. President Trump, who claimed the platform violated his free-speech rights when it suspended his account after the January 6 Capitol attack. YouTube paid $24.5 million to the trust constructing the new White House ballroom while admitting no wrongdoing.

Checkout Our Latest Podcast