Google-owned YouTube has officially outpaced Disney as the biggest media company in the world based on its 2025 revenue, a title Disney had held for six consecutive years.
YouTube’s revenue last year passed Walt Disney’s media company by just $1.1 billion.
Not only was YouTube’s revenue greater, but it also showed more substantial growth from 2024 to 2025. YouTube’s revenue went from $50 to $62 billion, while Disney’s media revenue merely grew from $58.81 billion to $60.9 billion.
How YouTube Caught Up to Disney
YouTube is winning in the media department against rival Disney for multiple reasons.
Dual Revenue Model
One of YouTube’s biggest competitive advantages is its dual revenue model combining advertisements and subscriptions.
In 2025, YouTube’s revenue for just its advertisements alone exceeded $40 billion. If you combine the 2025 ad revenue of Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, NBCUniversal, and Paramount, it only amounted to $37.8 billion.
Across subscriptions for YouTube TV, sports packages, and YouTube Premium, YouTube earned a third of its total revenue.
YouTube just crossed $60B in revenue for 2025. $40B from ads. $20B from subscriptions. Both numbers are growing double digits.
— Aakash Gupta (@aakashgupta) March 10, 2026
The math here tells you everything about how Google actually views its users.
2.7 billion people use YouTube every month. 125 million pay for Premium.… https://t.co/jF8NYJPT76
Versatile Ways to Watch
YouTube’s strategy has shifted from free videos on the Internet to the ability to watch paid live TV, all from one app.
Meanwhile, Disney’s media company focuses on streaming services and operating traditional TV channels.
With Disney only offering services behind a paywall, versus YouTube also offering a free entry point for users via its accessible online videos, Disney misses out on a large audience potential.
Adapting to Changing Viewership Habits
Compared to YouTube, Disney is behind when it comes to adapting to changing viewership habits.
Today, many people are gravitating towards short-form content, which YouTube has successfully shifted towards via YouTube Shorts. With millions of individual creators, YouTube has also provided a platform for anyone to be the “brain” of the platform and help adapt to viewership shifts nearly instantaneously. Disney, however, still sticks to providing faceless long-form content, primarily in the form of movies they’ve specifically directed and have full control over, which makes adapting harder and more gradual.
YouTube is also more successful in adapting to the economic reasons viewers are shifting how they watch content. With many consumers becoming more mindful of the subscriptions they pay for each month, YouTube still gives viewers access via its Free-with-Ads option. On the other hand, Disney’s idea of adapting to economically based viewership changes is to offer a lower-cost tier (still with ads) for budget-conscious viewers, minus a free-to-watch option. More affordable can’t compete with free.
YouTube is Also Outpacing Netflix Too
Disney isn’t the only company that should fear YouTube. Netflix, too, should be on guard with the growth YouTube has been exhibiting lately.
According to research services MoffettNathanson LLC, YouTube is valued at $500 to $560 billion, with Netflix at just $409 billion.
In terms of 2025 revenue alone, Netflix was $16.82 billion behind YouTube at $45.18 billion.
The reason for this is similar to why YouTube is beating Disney in terms of media: because YouTube offers a free content funnel with an infinite library of things to watch, beyond just shows or movies. Add in the social factor of YouTube, plus the ability to support creators directly, and YouTube generally offers more of a “reason” to tune in, whether you’re watching free videos or indulging in their paid content.
How Entrepreneurs Can Maximize YouTube’s Platform to Accelerate Growth
Growing a business and owning the market takes more than just offering a good product or service. Between cracking the algorithm, building strategic PR, and adapting in real time, there’s a lot that goes into growth.
Based on the recent and overall successes of YouTube, it makes perfect sense for business owners to lean on this platform. With evergreen ROI, a multi-format funnel, and global scaling opportunities, all while having the world’s second-largest search engine, YouTube can help businesses gain AI search power and authority.
Are you aiming for entrepreneurial expansion? Get in contact with Avenue Z today for growth solutions to scale your YouTube presence to help you go from content creator to market leader.
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