YouTube Just Told Netflix Exactly Where It Stands

At its biggest event of the year, YouTube rolled out AI tools that touch nearly every part of the platform, locked in Coachella through 2030, and had its CEO address the Netflix question directly for the first time. Meanwhile, Paramount finally settled its way out of the Warner Bros. deal's last obstacle, and Meta bet $1,300 on turning VR glasses into a living room.

Today at a GlanceMade on YouTube 2026: Roughly 35 new features unveiled in New York, spanning AI editing, custom homepages, shopping, Shorts Series, and live dubbing.The Netflix question, answered: For the first time, CEO Neal Mohan spoke directly about what happens to creators who post on both platforms.Coachella through 2030: YouTube renewed its exclusive free streaming rights to the festival for five more years.Paramount-Warner settled: The lawsuit that threatened to delay the $110 billion merger until 2027 is resolved, with real conditions attached.Also this week: Meta unveiled $1,300 VR glasses loaded with YouTube, ESPN, and nearly every major streaming app.YouTube spent this week making its case, loudly, for why it's still the center of gravity in media, at the exact moment Netflix has started paying real money to pull its biggest names away. The company's annual Made on YouTube event delivered close to 35 new features in a single morning, touching everything from how creators edit and test videos to how viewers build their own homepages to how much a Shorts sponsorship pays. But the more telling moment came off the product slides: CEO Neal Mohan, asked directly about creator...