Robert Kelly, the "BBC Dad" and Pusan National University Professor, Also Featured
Value Soars 333-Fold to 785 Trillion Won Since 2005 Founding
YouTube Expected to Surpass Disney in Revenue This Year
Many Korean singers, including BTS, appeared in a one-minute video commemorating YouTube's 20th anniversary. The video is a partial capture from YouTube.
Psy, BTS, Ros?, and Robert Kelly, a professor at Pusan National University, appeared in a video commemorating YouTube's 20th anniversary, which was uploaded on April 22 (local time). This highlights the global influence of Korean content.
YouTube, a video subsidiary of Google, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Since its co-founder Jawed Karim uploaded the video "Me at the Zoo" on April 23, 2005, YouTube has established itself as the world's largest video platform.
To mark the occasion, YouTube posted a video just over one minute long on April 22 titled "It's Our Birthday, Let's Party." Based on a song by British singer Rick Astley, the video features scenes from the music videos of famous Korean artists such as Psy, BTS, and Ros?.
Robert Kelly, a professor at Pusan National University in Korea, also appeared. He attracted attention when his children interrupted his live interview with the BBC about the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye. The video, uploaded eight years ago, has recently surpassed 62 million views.
According to market research firm MoffettNathanson, if YouTube were a standalone company, its value would be estimated at $475 billion to $550 billion (785 trillion won). This represents a 333-fold increase compared to when Google acquired it from its three founders, including Karim, in 2006 for $1.65 billion (2.3562 trillion won).
Nathanson also projects that YouTube will surpass Disney this year to become the largest media company by revenue. Last year, YouTube recorded $54.2 billion (77.3596 trillion won) in revenue, closing in on Disney's $59.7 billion.
A scene from the music video "Apartment," created in collaboration between Ros?, former member of the girl group Blackpink, and Bruno Mars. Featured in YouTube's 20th anniversary video. YouTube capture
The number of paid subscribers to YouTube Premium and YouTube Music has reached about 107 million, and this is expected to grow to 145 million by the end of 2027. Nathanson forecasts that YouTube TV will secure approximately 11.5 million subscribers by the end of 2027.
An official from a major Korean law firm with expertise in the IT industry said, "Google (YouTube) pays a lot of attention to Korea because of the influence of its videos," adding, "Since Korean content consistently records high view counts worldwide, the headquarters is closely watching Korean creators and the overall environment."
However, YouTube also faces the risk of being spun off as a result of the online advertising market antitrust trial. Last week, a US court ruled that Google had engaged in illegal monopolistic practices in two of the three segments of the online advertising technology market. CNBC reported, "It is still unclear what actions the US Department of Justice will require, but YouTube is being cited as one of the entities that Google may have to spin off."
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