YouTube long-form video views surge, ad revenue drops by half

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

Global long-form video views on YouTube surged by 76 percent over a year, but the average ad revenue generated per post dropped by half, Metricool reported.

The significant increase in viewership from February 2025 to February 2026 did not translate into proportional earnings for creators, challenging traditional monetization metrics on the platform.

Average views for long-form videos climbed from 3,405 to 5,985 during the analyzed period. However, estimated ad revenue per post declined from $2.65 to $1.20, Metricool said.

YouTube Premium revenue also saw a decrease, falling from $0.34 to $0.19 per post, the report stated.

The analytics firm attributed the sharp decline in revenue primarily to a reduction in average view duration. View duration decreased by 37 percent, from 3.98 minutes to 2.51 minutes, according to the findings.

This shorter engagement period directly impacted opportunities for mid-roll advertisements, Metricool noted. Ad impressions per post dropped from 976.32 to 475.07, while monetized playbacks fell from 576.41 to 237.92.

The report, which analyzed 799,718 videos from 71,177 YouTube accounts, compared data between February 2025 and February 2026. The findings suggest a disconnect between rising viewership numbers and the financial returns for creators on the platform.

YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, has continuously evolved its monetization strategies, but the Metricool report indicates that increased content consumption does not automatically guarantee higher ad earnings for longer video formats.

Companies like True Touch Lifestyle and Shutterstock, which rely on digital advertising and content creation, may need to reassess their strategies in light of these trends, industry observers said.

Source: Search Engine Journal