Google’s latest ploy for YouTube Premium subscriptions isn’t surprising

Believe it or not, YouTube has grown into the most popular streaming service on the market, and Google is well aware of that. YouTube accounts for 12.5% of the streaming share, according to Nielsen ratings, and this number is growing larger each month.

Just looking at my own usage, its easy to see how YouTube’s popularity has boomed. When I sit down to eat dinner, I typically throw something on the TV, and that’s often a YouTube video, thanks to its short length. When I’m working and want something on my second monitor, it’s a YouTube video more times than not. I didn’t realize how much YouTube had snuck into my life until I actually thought about it. I had long been a subscriber to YouTube Premium and then Premium Lite when it released, and it seems like Google wants to eventually force everyone into doing so.

For a long time, ad blockers did their job and made YouTube bearable for people without a subscription, but Google is looking to put an end to that. I have to admit, it’s a move that doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. In fact, I’m shocked it didn’t happen earlier.

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I use my living room TV for the majority of my YouTube viewing, so I’m already signed up to Premium as I don’t want to go through the effort of getting an ad blocker on my TV. Not everybody is in the same boat however, and ad blockers are prominent among YouTube and Twitch viewers, and pretty much anywhere where ads are shown to you whether you like it or not. According to numerous user reports, YouTube is being throttled for people who are using ad blockers. This includes black screens the length of an ad and a notice in the corner saying YouTube is experiencing interruptions. I have a subscription to YouTube Premium Lite, so I haven’t experienced any of this myself.

Keep in mind that these are reports from YouTube users instead of something official from Google, so it’s not completely confirmed, but I have to admit that it’s not shocking if it’s true. YouTube continues to grow as a platform, and while it’s a free service, it’s not great to use it as one. When I let my Premium subscription lapse for a few days, it became abundantly clear that I wasn’t going to use ad-supported YouTube anymore.

Ads no doubt give Google a good chunk of money, but so does getting people to sign up for Premium. The full-fat Premium costs $14 a month, making it more expensive than many streaming services. There’s a fair amount of value baked into the subscription however, because on top of eliminating ads from YouTube, you also get access to YouTube Music, a good Spotify alternative. That alone makes it more palatable than some other streamers, and that’s not even mentioning the wide range of content available on the platform. While you might not enjoy what services like Peacock or HBO Max have to offer, you’re bound to find something on YouTube. While you’re enjoying something, YouTube wants to make sure you’re subscribed to some form of Premium for the best experience.

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This move makes a lot of sense

YouTube has been a household name for nearly all of the 21st century, so it’s no surprise to see it as the juggernaut it is. What’s perhaps the most interesting is how it’s managed to reinvent itself over the years to become what it is. A simple video platform now has exclusive livestreams, music, and endless amounts of content at your fingertips. I have to say that I’m surprised YouTube even added in a cheaper option for Lite, because it almost feels like a steal for how much you get.

With YouTube being as big as it is, Google likely felt like it was missing a piece of the streaming pie. Getting people to sign up to Premium is the ultimate prize, and while Premium Lite is an option, that’s not as lucrative. This could be part of the reason Lite is starting to lose a bit of what made it so great in the first place. In my initial testing, I didn’t see any ads show up while scrolling through Shorts, but now that time is coming to an end. Lite has started to creep in more ads, presumably in an effort to move you toward spending more money on the regular Premium plan. That’s not in the cards for me at the moment, but if things start to get worse, I’ll consider it.

The issue here is we’re at the whims of whatever YouTube plans to do. There’s nothing else around that does what YouTube does, so if Google decides to add in more ads or hike the price of Premium, there’s not much we can do about it. It’s a problem when one service is heads and shoulders above the competition, but I don’t see anything coming to dethrone YouTube any time soon.

Fortunately, YouTube has been fair with pricing so far, but steps like throttling ad blocker users and making Lite a worse experience, it’s clear Google wants you to sign up for the full-price Premium plan. If YouTube can even get a fraction of its viewing audience to subscribe, it would be a major win. YouTube is sweetening the pot by doing things like getting exclusive NFL games, so it’s clear Google views the platform as a streaming powerhouse that has more room to grow. I don’t know if we’ll start seeing original shows appear on the platform, considering that it’s already come and gone, with Cobra Kai being a prominent example. The landscape has changed significantly since that show was being produced on YouTube, so maybe it’s worth giving it another go with more people watching YouTube than ever before.

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