Tube Trends: How YouTube Creators Are Using Longer Videos To Compete With TV

May 21

At this year’s Upfronts, YouTube wanted attendees to know that it sees itself as TV now. And a large part of that dynamic shift comes from the shifting behaviors of its creator economy.

No, Shorts aren’t going anywhere. At the same time, however, YouTube’s creators are also utilizing the platform as a place to make TV (or at least TV-length content), without all of the complications that come with traditional networks.

As an example, creators/influencers aren’t just uploading more videos in recent years. They’re uploading more long-form videos in an effort to maximize watch-time and monetization opportunities.

Data from Tubular Labs shows the significant shift.

In Q1 2023, U.S. creators uploaded 4.3 million videos running at least 20 minutes long. Of those, 76.7% were at least 30 minutes long, while 62.8% were at least 40 minutes long.

Fast forward to Q1 2026, and U.S. creators uploaded 6.6 million videos running 20+ minutes, with 80.3% of those going for at least 30 minutes, and 68.2% hitting at least 40 minutes.

Tubular reveals that every quarter since Q3 2024 has featured over 6.5 million uploads of 20+ minutes, and over 5.2 million uploads of 30+ minutes. When YouTube is talking about being TV, it’s on the back of this type of content. And it’s not just a volume play. Some of the platform’s biggest names are behind the adjusted approach.

MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) accounted for the five most-watched by U.S. creator videos running 20 minutes or longer in Q1 2026, and three of those ran for 30 minutes or longer.

Among the other standouts from Q1 when honing in on long videos, there’s plenty of kids content — Ms. Rachel, Kids Diana Show and Shiny Box TV all have entries among the most-watched lengthier videos. But so are more teen/young adult creators like Stokes Twins, Jordan Matter, MMG and Ben Azelart.

Notably, when parsing through the most-seen long videos, the same names will keep popping up (MrBeast’s, most of all). For these top creators, long-form videos aren’t one-off exercises in generating some more ad revenue through YouTube. They’re the predominant strategy to keep audiences engaged and bought into every upload just like a “traditional” TV show.

As expected, MrBeast is the standard bearer, with 628 million long-form (20+ minutes) video views in Q1 on his main channel, and another 138 million on his gaming-focused page. Donaldson also hosts Beast Games on Amazon Prime Video, an extension of his contest-focused social footprint that’s spurred numerous imitators.

But he’s one of many U.S. creators (44 by Tubular’s count) that generated over 100 million views on longer content in Q1, and one of 27 to spur over 1 million engagements. Jordan Matter — whose account is largely dictated by his daughter, Salish, at this point — almost exclusively publishes long-form videos and Shorts promoting those long-form uploads, much in the way a traditional TV promo would work.

Like Donaldson, Matter’s long-form success has also spun off onto other TV platforms. Jordan and Salish even have their own reality show on Netflix now.

We’ll see if future shows wind up sticking with YouTube, though.

After pulling out of his initial deal with CNN, (Subway Takes’) Kareem Rahma’s Keep the Meter Running will live on YouTube. The platform has also been putting additional resources into getting sponsors for stars’ content, with the goal of keeping their new TV-type sensibilities within YouTube’s walls. Those efforts, and creator financial compensation, could go a long way toward making YouTube an even bigger player for TV audiences and dollars.