Neal Mohan wants the Television Academy to watch more YouTube videos. The CEO of the Google-owned platform recently penned a guest column in The Hollywood Reporter. His thesis was a simple one: The work creators are doing is excellent enough to deserve Emmy consideration.
“Creators are defining a new era of entertainment,” Mohan wrote. “And they deserve the same acclaim as other creative professionals.”
Mohan supported his case by citing several of YouTube’s biggest channels. He sees the Sean Evans-hosted interview series Hot Ones as a show that is “reinventing” its genre, and he celebrated Good Mythical Morning hosts Rhett & Link for the “speed of their creativity and their strategies to respond to viewer feedback.” Michelle Khare, the creator behind Challenge Accepted, is another YouTube-based personality who is “pushing the envelope,” according to Mohan.
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Why is YouTube so keen on the idea of the TV and creator worlds colliding? The platform’s viewership on TV screens provides an answer. At Brandcast, Mohan and his deputies are expected to share statistics that characterize YouTube’s strong performance on TVs. According to one report from Nielsen, YouTube accounted for 10% of all TV watch time in March of this year. So if YouTube’s community of creators earns more recognition from traditional gatekeepers like the Television Academy, the platform itself would earn more legitimacy as a provider of TV content.
Mohan’s claim that “creators are the new Hollywood” may align with YouTube’s business interests, but it’s not exactly a revolutionary thought. YouTube has often used Brandcast to position its stars as alternatives to traditional TV, but does that comparison actually benefit creators? YouTube stars becoming the new Hollywood definitely helps YouTube, but creators have had mixed results with that transition. And it’s not like the Emmys have a great history with their attempts to recognize creator content.
We’ll see how else YouTube talks about its TV audience when Mohan takes the Brandcast stage. The 2024 edition of YouTube’s ad pitch is set for May 15.
