YouTube’s Neal Mohan responds to Netflix jibe: “Consumers decide what’s quality time”
The remarks come as YouTube doubles down on its investment in creator ecosystems—especially in India, where Mohan recently made a high-profile appearance at the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai.
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The streaming wars took a sharp turn at Cannes as YouTube CEO Neal Mohan responded to a dig from Netflix chief Ted Sarandos, who previously dismissed YouTube as merely a platform for “killing time,” contrasting it with Netflix’s “premium storytelling” meant for “spending time.”
Speaking at ADWEEK House during Cannes Lions, Mohan pushed back, asserting that YouTube’s value lies in the diversity of its creators and the choice it gives its 2 billion daily users.
“Who am I to say what’s spending time, engaging time, quality time, or killing time?” Mohan said. “It’s all of us as consumers—we get to decide how to spend our time.”
The remarks come as YouTube doubles down on its investment in creator ecosystems—especially in India, where Mohan recently made a high-profile appearance at the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai.
“There is a new creative generation rising in India,” he said, revealing that YouTube has paid over ₹21,000 crore to Indian creators, artists, and media companies over the past three years. The company will now invest an additional ₹850 crore over the next two years to further accelerate this growth.
“With this investment, we’re not just talking about platform support—we’re talking about real career pathways and economic opportunity,” Mohan added, positioning YouTube as a catalyst for India’s rise as a global content powerhouse.
In contrast to Sarandos’ comments, Mohan’s response highlights the broader industry shift—where platform success is increasingly defined not just by big-budget content, but by creator-driven community and choice.
