Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: What do you think would happen if Google and YouTube split?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 78 posts

Re: Ask HN: What do you think would happen if Google and YouTube split?

#51

Post by tjoff »

First hit on google says: $31.5 billion in ad revenue in 2023.

That figure does not include 100 million subscribers (2024).

I am outside my comfort zone but I would bet youtube would thrive without google if those numbers are correct. And it is for sure large enough to not need google for bulk deals etc.

Re: Ask HN: What do you think would happen if Google and YouTube split?

#52

Post by evantbyrne »

The most interesting implications may be social, not technological. Historically, there is nothing new about the ultrawealthy running their own publishing platforms to push their own political agendas. The internet has broadened the potential reach of those efforts to new heights though. Splitting YouTube off from Google might be enough to put it in reach of going private similar to what happened with Twitter.

Re: Ask HN: What do you think would happen if Google and YouTube split?

#53

Post by talldayo »

nicce wrote: post #16
fph wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like Youtube Premium? https://www.youtube.com/premium

Does it remove tracking and returns the dislike button?

No. It also doesn't make pigs fly, or put your pants on for you like in Wallace and Gromet.

Re: Ask HN: What do you think would happen if Google and YouTube split?

#54

Post by sofixa »

nicce wrote: post #15
loftsy wrote: post #4

I've always assumed that Google ads subsidises everything else at Google. So my concern with a split would be YouTube increasing price or less investment in the service.

Youtube just had the revenue of $8.92 billion where the total was $88.27 billion. Not a small number. Is there any information how much is profit from that Youtube part?

There are no numbers on YouTube costs (which would be astronomical), and IMO it's unlikely YouTube is profitable on its own.

Re: Ask HN: What do you think would happen if Google and YouTube split?

#55

Post by wizzwizz4 »

dimator wrote: post #43
wizzwizz4 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you're paying for a service, you generally expect something better than a third-party can achieve by deleting parts of your free offering.

This is moving the goal posts and completely arbitrary. There are many services that are ad supported and have a paid version without the ads. For some reason, free and ad free YouTube seems like a birthright to so many people.

If an entity takes measures to ensure that its service becomes the de-facto default in an area, that entity gives up its entitlement to dictate the terms of use of that service. We need something like this in our systems of ethics, or we permit Freedom Monsters (ref: https://existentialcomics.com/comic/259). Note that this isn't the only solution, but I expect other solutions to have the same shape.

If Google didn't promote YouTube so heavily, permitted channels to migrate to other services (like how they permit Blogger blogs to migrate to other websites), bundled a generic streaming video player with Android (e.g. VLC) instead of the YouTube app… then maybe I'd be more sympathetic to the position of content blocker opponents. To convince me to pay for YouTube, you have to offer me something other than "we've locked a capability of your computer away, but you can get it back if you pay us!".

Re: Ask HN: What do you think would happen if Google and YouTube split?

#56

Post by sofixa »

tjoff wrote: post #51

First hit on google says: $31.5 billion in ad revenue in 2023. That figure does not include 100 million subscribers (2024). I am outside my comfort zone but I would bet youtube would thrive without google if those numbers are correct. And it is for sure large enough to not need google for bulk deals etc.

I'm not sure you're appreciating the massive scale of YouTube. Billions of videos (from music videos to a random person's 10 hour hiking video nobody cares about), stored all around the world, and ready to be delivered quickly to anyone. Oh and apps for any platform imaginable. This is not cheap.

Re: Ask HN: What do you think would happen if Google and YouTube split?

#57

Post by yjftsjthsd-h »

dimator wrote: post #43
wizzwizz4 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you're paying for a service, you generally expect something better than a third-party can achieve by deleting parts of your free offering.

This is moving the goal posts and completely arbitrary. There are many services that are ad supported and have a paid version without the ads. For some reason, free and ad free YouTube seems like a birthright to so many people.

Notably, there's no need to move the goalposts, as they remain unmet; the original premise was

> a modest fee for a non-tracking, ad-free, non-enshittified YouTube

And YT Premium is

[x] modest fee - I could argue that either way (is $14/mo really "modest"?), but let's allow it

[ ] non-tracking - not that I'm aware of

[~] ad-free - partially; right now YT itself won't add more ads, so you're just left with the ads that uploaders embed

[~] non-enshittified - depends what you mean; ex. I believe it does restore the ability to play audio with the screen off, but not downvoting

Post reply on HN