YouTube Chief Business Officer Robert Kyncl placed his vote on digital video during his keynote on Thursday afternoon at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. According to Kyncl, “digital video will become the single largest way people will spend their free time” by the end of the decade.
"I believe digital video will overtake TV to become the single largest way people spend their free time before the end of this decade,” said Kyncl on stage at the Westgate Theater. “With YouTube being a major driver of that shift.”
In the keynote, Kyncl emphasized YouTube's role as a platform for creators.
"YouTube is a democratic platform where anyone can create something and everyone can watch," he said.
Kyncl also talked about virtual reality — YouTube has videos that work with Google Cardboard — saying VR is “a better experience on mobile than desktop or TV.” He drove his message home by stating that digital is “immersive in a way television can never be” and it is “primed to grow exponentially.”
Additionally, Kyncl announced YouTube will soon be supporting HDR video like Amazon and Netflix. The company also announced its partnership with GoPro to bring more 360 degree content to the platform.
“Before YouTube, GoPro was a mediocre risk camera company. It was focused on photography," said GoPro CEO Nick Goodman on stage. "When YouTube really took off … my whole business transformed.”
