YouTube’s biggest challenges remain sourcing the content that people want to watch, as well the speed of the video they are offered, according to Francisco Varela, the company’s global head of platform partnerships.
Speaking in a ‘fireside chat’ at a TV Connect Keynote, he added that these challenges were essentially the same as one or two years ago, since when the company has seen a lot of changes.
These, such as the issues it saw with its app, constituted a “huge learning experience” for YouTube.
Although it has enjoyed tremendous growth it started from zero.
It should also be borne in mind that two thirds of the world’s population is still not reached by YouTube and it has to make itself accessible and easy to use in the future.
Asked about 4K, Varela said that the driver for it will come from manufacturers, with YouTube’s job being to support the uptake.
Regarding calls for YouTube to “pay its way”, he added that it provides a demand for content services and it has good relationships with networks throughout the world.
Varela also dismissed suggestions that the set-top box is on the way out and emphasised the tremendous benefits it derived from its partnerships with operators and that he couldn’t see them going away.