YouTube; Rachel Mendelson/Insider
- YouTube Shorts now sees more than 50 billion daily views, up from 30 billion the year prior.
- The short-form video format was launched in 2021 as a response to TikTok.
- Beginning February 1, YouTube enabled creators to generate ad revenue from their Shorts videos.
YouTube Shorts has surpassed 50 billion daily views, up from 30 billion a year ago, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said during its fourth quarter earnings call on Thursday.
Shorts' growth was a rare bright spot for a quarter where Alphabet saw declining revenue in segments like Search, YouTube, and advertising. YouTube in particular saw its second quarter in a row of declining revenue from this time the previous year as it faces fierce competition from TikTok