GECs
YouTube is worth up to $21.3 billion
MUMBAI: The cover of Fortune Magazine’s latest issue shows a few dozen camera lenses arranged into the shape of a familiar “Play” icon below the words “How YouTube Changes Everything.”
In the cover story, senior writer Miguel Helft takes a look at the world’s largest online video streaming site through a business lens, from its 2006 acquisition by Google, to the ascent (and acquisition) of YouTube multi-channel networks, to the $100 million YouTube originals initiative, to the recent outcries of some online video producers about how YouTube must alter components of its current business and advertising strategies or soon face a content creator diaspora that will give rise to alternative revenue sources and video platforms.
Aside from a semi-in-depth take on YouTube’s business activities, one of the most interesting statistical takeaways from the article is a guess at YouTube’s current revenue numbers and valuation. Barclays estimates the company to have made $3.6 billion in revenue, and for that number to increase 20 per cent to $4.3 billion in 2014.
The London-based multinational banking and financial services company also estimates YouTube’s operating margins to be around 30 per cent to 35 per cent, putting the total value of YouTube between $15.6 billion and $21.3 billion. As Helft writes, “At the low end, it would mark a nearly 10-fold increase from the price Google paid in 2006. At the high end, it would make YouTube a third as valuable as Facebook.”
Not bad for a $1.65 billion acquisition in 2006 with no revenue.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
