The Business of YouTube

A weekly strategic lens for senior leaders into how YouTube is reshaping the business of technology, sports, music, entertainment, and culture.

Welcome!
To your favourite newsletter, The Business of YouTube, brought to you by Paola Marinone and Bengü Atamer, founders of BuzzMyVideos and previously at YouTube and Google. We are bringing our exclusive insights from 20 years of experience leading strategy at YouTube and Google.

The 24/25 La Liga YouTube Awards

The 24/25 La Liga season has wrapped up, with Barcelona reclaiming their throne on the pitch. Whilst this was impressive, it was their YouTube strategy which impressed us most.

And this week, alongside Barcelona, we break down all of this season’s off-pitch YouTube successes in La Liga. We’re not ranking league goals or match points. We’re breaking down YouTube dominance, looking at the data and unpacking the secrets to show you how became top YouTube performers.

What’s the strategy behind the success?

Let’s find out...

YouTube by the Numbers - La Liga 24/25 📊

Before diving into the standout strategies, here are the headline stats across all clubs and the top performers in each category.

Top Line Stats (All 20 Clubs Combined)
15 Aug 2024 – 26 May 2025 🗓

New subscribers: +16.3M 📈

Total views: +2.7Bn 👀

Video uploads: +13.9K 📤

Top Clubs by Category 🏆

Recent Views Performance (Last 3 Months of All 20 Clubs Combined)
Data collected 16th June 2025

Long-form Views: 309.9M 🎬

Short-form Views: 933.1M 📱

Top Clubs by Category 🏆

1. Bottom of the table, top of the YouTube Shorts game 🤳

Season Views: 7.6M | New Subs: 227K | Uploads: 548

Bottom of the league on the pitch, but making the top 6 in YouTube Shorts performance? Valladolid were the surprise act in this year’s YouTube table, but just how have they done it?

What worked:

• A dedicated presenter driving Shorts content gave the channel a recognisable personality and tone of voice.

• By anchoring the content in personality, they created an emotional hook and a distinct personality viewers could return to. This something very few rights-holders have attempted for short-form content.

Why it matters:
When your team is not performing as well on-pitch, you need something else to keep people engaged. For Valladolid, that was a familiar face. The kind of personality-led content that builds recognition, loyalty, and maybe even a little joy in a tough season. It’s a reminder that even at the bottom of the table, there’s still space to create something people want to come back to.

Valladolid’s personality-focussed strategy proves that consistency and clarity in voice can unlock massive returns.

2. Quantity meets cultural relevance 🎯

Season Views: 1.8Bn | New Subs: 4.0M | Uploads: 1,185

Atletico Madrid didn’t win the league, but you wouldn’t know it from their YouTube numbers. 4 million new subscribers this season, which represents a staggering 68% of their total subscriber base.

Atleti were relentless this season, uploading 1,185 videos which was second only to Barcelona and significant 81% more than their local rivals Real Madrid. Whilst this upload frequency was a significant driver for growth, it’s their strategic positioning with their creative formats that are where they are unique.

During key cultural calendar moments throughout the year, the club released ad-style content tied to these events. A Christmas day film using fan loyalty to spotlight animal adoption. As well as a Valentines Day campaign challenging the traditional narratives around love and tying it to the core values of the club.

These are stories that compel audiences and resonate beyond football. It has helped Atleti position themselves as more than a club and as a channel which is a cultural communicator.

Why it matters:
You don’t need a dramatic title race to stay culturally relevant. Atletico found other ways to be present, by turning the club into a platform that speaks during the moments people already care about. The lesson here isn’t just about volume, it’s about intention and considering how you want your club to show-up in non-traditional spaces.

3. Top of the class, a season to remember 🏆

Season Views: 667M | New Subs: 4.5M | Uploads: 1.2K

Barcelona topped every category in this year’s YouTube table; views, uploads, subscriber growth, long-form, short-form. A clean sweep in La Liga on and off the field. But what’s more interesting is how they did it.

Instead of relying solely on matchday content, they’ve built out a full ecosystem. Their channel strikes a fine balance between reactive content such as goals, press conferences, post-match reactions and more curated off-pitch formats such as fun challenge videos, recovery sessions and BTS vlogs.

Why it matters:
There’s a rhythm to it all. A balance that makes the channel feel active even when the football stops. And because the off-pitch formats are proactive, they don’t rely on results. It gives Barcelona’s global audience something consistent to connect with, no matter what’s happening in the league table.

Final Thoughts

This season’s biggest lesson?
📌 On-pitch success doesn’t dictate off-pitch potential.

• Valladolid proved the value in adding a distinct personality to their shorts.

• Atletico reminded us that YouTube is a stage to drive cultural resonance.

• Barcelona showed us the impact of striking a balance between proactive and reactive content formats.

There’s something to take from these clubs and their unique approaches. For the clubs willing to experiment, there’s space to carve your unique differentiator.

• YouTube maintains largest share of TV viewing. According to Nielsen’s latest gauge data, YouTube has maintained its lead among media companies for TV viewing. It’s the third consecutive month YouTube has been top and 12.4% is also its largest share of TV viewing to date.

• YouTube as the next TV network. Nielsen data shows YouTube is now the most-viewed platform on TV and reports suggest YouTube is leaning harder into episodic and scripted content. With an aim to position itself alongside Netflix or Disney in living rooms.

• YouTube tests localised thumbnails for dubbed videos. YouTube is experimenting with a localisation feature that allows creators to upload distinct thumbnails for each dubbed-language version of their video , enhancing content relevance for international audiences.

• YouTube Enhances Shopping in Shorts. YouTube has introduced a new shopping button design which makes it easier for viewers to spot and interact with product tags in Shorts.

We have exciting news to share with you this week! We’ve got 5 complimentary tickets available for the Everything in Sport conference in Manchester at the Etihad Stadium on the 24th - 25th June. If you would like a complimentary ticket please email me at [email protected].