YouTube viewers are now watching more than 2 billion hours of Shorts on televisions every month.
Short-form video content is traditionally designed for mobile devices, with vertically formatted videos created to match smartphone screens. However, YouTube says this type of content is becoming increasingly popular on larger screens as well. Although it may seem unexpected, the platform reports that viewers collectively watch over 2 billion hours of YouTube Shorts — videos lasting up to three minutes — on TVs each month.
Kurt Wilms said the living room has become YouTube’s fastest-growing screen environment and that Shorts are helping connect viewers with creators from the comfort of home. He added that audiences are increasingly choosing to watch all types of content on the largest screen available, whether it is long-form videos, podcasts or Shorts.
The living room has become a major focus area for YouTube’s growth strategy overall. According to the company, viewers in the United States alone now watch more than 200 million hours of YouTube content daily. YouTube also includes Shorts in TV search results, meaning users watching television may discover short-form videos even if they were not specifically looking for them.
Google TV, which is operated by YouTube’s parent company Alphabet Inc., recently introduced a “Short videos for you” section within the Google TV feed, a feature expected to increase viewing time further.
Since vertical videos leave extra unused space on television screens, YouTube has also updated the TV viewing experience to display comments alongside the video.
Sarah Ali stated in a press release that optimizing Shorts for televisions has created a more immersive experience for viewers while also giving creators a larger platform to reach audiences and expand their businesses globally.
The shift toward living room viewing has also influenced podcast consumption, despite podcasts traditionally being considered an audio-focused format. Streaming platforms are increasingly positioning podcasts as a form of modern daytime television that viewers can casually watch while multitasking around the house.
According to YouTube, viewers watched more than 700 million hours of podcasts each month on living room devices in 2025, compared with 400 million hours per month in 2024.
Netflix has also invested heavily in video podcasts by signing agreements with iHeartMedia, Barstool Sports, Spotify and other studios to secure exclusive video rights for selected shows.