The nature of quality video content has been the subject of much debate in the industry, as young consumers increasingly turn away from broadcaster-led content, and tech platforms seek to position themselves as premium video providers. YouTube has been at the fulcrum of this shift, with 27 percent of UK viewers watching YouTube on their TVs each week in 2023, according to Ofcom.
The user-generated nature of YouTube has often excluded its content from certain definitions of premium, but a new report from the company seeks to redefine “high-quality content” to reflect audiences’ dynamic relationships with YouTube creators. The report, ‘Why We Watch 2.0’, argues that quality video is no longer simply defined by technical specificiations, but also by emotional factors, such as compelling storytelling, relatability or authenticity. The report includes a list of “emotional markers of quality”, including capturing the viewer’s attention throughout, being relevant to their interests and preferences, and teaching them something new or useful.
In YouTube’s survey of over 2,000 video viewers in the UK, conducted by research consultancy MTM, 90 percent of respondents agreed that high-quality content needs to deliver on both a technical and emotional level. The report claims that technical developments now essentially guarantee the former, with smartphones and AI tools establishing a “technical baseline” for creators.
“We’re finding that with innovation and technology, high quality has become the norm,” Erica Probst, Head of YouTube Sales UK&I, tells VideoWeek. “And so as we’ve had this explosion of video, as audiences, we’re starting to develop much stronger emotional connection and emotional response to help us define what high quality means to us.”
Making room for creator content
YouTube argues that the democratisation of creator-led content has meant “traditional gatekeepers have had to move over and make room” for modern viewing behaviours, citing “the fall of prime-time or appointment viewing on TV”. The report notes that a video posted last year by YouTuber Mark Rober, a former NASA engineer, received 5 million views in its first 24 hours. By way of contrast, the Succession series finale drew 2.9 million viewers when it premiered on HBO the same day.
Many on the broadcast side (and some advertisers) would argue that impressions on YouTube are not equal to those on TV. But YouTube suggests the emotional connection between viewer and creator makes audiences more receptive to ads; 61 percent of UK viewers said they don’t mind ads on YouTube if they “relate to me personally”, versus 45 percent on broadcast.
And this develops a two-way influencer relationship of sorts, with 71 percent of UK viewers saying their content choices influence the new content that creators choose to make. This dynamic also exists in the way ad revenues affect broadcaster commissioning decisions, but again the company points to a more personal relationship on YouTube, given the sheer volume of video content people could be choosing to watch.
The battle for the living room
Despite Ofcom’s findings that 34 percent of time spent watching YouTube at home in 2023 took place on a TV set, its content (with the exception of broadcaster-owned video) does not meet Barb’s definition of “fit for TV” content to be measured by the UK measurement body. The definition includes editorial input and oversight, regulatory compliance, and brand safety, but makes no mention of the emotional aspects identified by the YouTube survey.
And while individual content creators employ editorial standards, YouTube as a whole does not provide the level of editorial oversight required to meet Barb’s definition, with content moderation largely handled by automated tools. But YouTube argues it is precisely this democratised process that fosters the diverse quality environment where viewers form emotional connections with content creators.
“With this explosion of video content, as viewers we’re totally rethinking what we choose to watch, and we’re redefining what quality means to us,” says YouTube’s Erica Probst. “And it’s so much more based on my personal media universe that’s relatable to me and addressing my needs in any given moment.”
The company also restates its commitment to brand safety, noting that its guidelines remain in place since the closure of GARM (the Global Alliance for Responsible Media), the WFA’s brand suitability initiative that shut down in August upon being sued by Elon Musk’s X.
“We haven’t changed any of our policies,” comments Probst. “We’re still 100 percent committed to making sure that we have a gold standard of safety and suitability on the platform, and that we’re working with advertisers to support their requirements in that area.”
