YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has dismissed all chatter about competing with Netflix and other streaming giants, declaring that YouTube is focused solely on supporting creators, not rival platforms.
Speaking at TIME magazine’s “A Year in TIME” event — where he was honoured as TIME’s CEO of the Year 2025 — Mohan said YouTube employees don’t even think in terms of competition.
“When we go to work at YouTube, we don’t think about other streaming platforms,” he said. “You’ll hear the word ‘creator’ a hundred times a day. That’s all we think about.”
A creator-led vision as Hollywood scrambles
His comments come amid aggressive consolidation in the entertainment industry.
Netflix recently struck an $82.7 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros., while Paramount launched a $108.4 billion counterbid, hoping to rival YouTube’s dominance.
But Mohan insisted YouTube plays an entirely different role.
“Our job isn’t to program a streaming service,” he said. “Our job is to build the stage where creators perform.”
YouTube stands apart from streaming rivals
Mohan said YouTube isn’t chasing Hollywood strategies and doesn’t view itself as a traditional streaming service. Most YouTube employees, he noted, are technologists focused on helping creative talent reach global audiences.
His message was direct:
YouTube doesn’t see Netflix, Disney or any mega-merger as competition — its only priority is creators