8 birthday candles for YouTube
100 hrs. of video footage uploaded every minute
YouTube views in Uganda grow by 75%
The largest video sharing platform worldwide turns 8 this week – and what an amazing journey it has been. YouTube, which was acquired by Google in 2006, has become the go-to destination to find video content on almost every subject possible – from the latest viral Harlem shake video to how-to demonstrations on making your home solar-energy equipped.
With YouTube viewers can access and create news, information or entertainment, wherever they are and on whatever device is available. Today YouTube has announced that more than 100 hours of video footage is uploaded to YouTube every minute. That’s more than four days of video uploaded each minute. In 2012, it was 72 hours of video uploaded every minute. In 2011, it was 48 hours and in 2010, it was 35 hours.
With over 6 billion hours of video watched worldwide per month, a quarter of which are viewed on a mobile device, YouTube is growing fast each year. In the past year, visits to YouTube have grown by 75%, and uploads have increased by 30% in Uganda. South Africa leads the region with most playbacks followed by Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria. YouTube has evolved into more than just an entertaining and educational video sharing site – now, it plays a key role in advertising and business development as well.
YouTube has become a popular place for Ugandans to go and view popular news clips and features like NTVs Point Blank, and Bukedde TVs news bulletin Agataliiko Nfunfu and “Lonely Hearts” programme, Abanoonya. Many Ugandans now know that even if they fail to catch these features live, they will be able to get them on YouTube.
Through these programmes and features, YouTube has turned locals into celebrities, catapulting personalities like comedian, Kansiime Anne (NTV Mini Buzz), kickboxing champion, Moses Golola, NTV news reporter Agnes Nanduutu (Point Blank) and Alex Gwamba (Full Full Condition) to fame.
Alex Gwamba’s “Full Full Condition”, an NTV Point Blank video feature was posted on YouTube and became a popular comedy with over 227,000 Views. The video clip is about a drunk Gwamba narrating an accident, that caused a beer truck to veer off the road, crush to the ground and empty its contents by the roadside, prompting residents to abandon their work and revel in a beer party all day. The video that has made Gwamba one of the most popular Ugandans inspired a telecom campaign in Kenya by Airtel, called “Full Full Weekend”.
Make sure you’re up to date with the latest news stories, immerse yourself in cultural events or hear directly from the world’s leaders. Whatever you want to see, YouTube is the place to go.
About YouTube
YouTube is the world’s largest online video community, allowing millions of people to discover, watch, and share original videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original-content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC, is based in San Bruno, California, and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.
About Google Inc.
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. For more information, visithttp://www.google.com/africa and our Google Africa Blog: google-africa.blogspot.com. You can also follow Google’s Africa team on Twitter: twitter.com/googleafrica
