• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, February 4, 2020

YouTube’s non-advertising revenue has potential to move the needle for parent Alphabet, with YouTube Premium and YouTube Music now boasting 20 million paid users, and YouTube TV already boasting 2 million.

That’s according to Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who revealed several YouTube subscriber numbers, as well as advertising and other company data, for the first time during his overall Q4 earnings report yesterday.

YouTube realized a $3-billion annual run rate in Q4 for subscriptions and other non-advertising revenue, according to Pichai.

While the 22 million total paid subs represent only 1% of YouTube’s 2 billion total monthly users, Alphabet and Google CFO Ruth Porat confirmed that the company is making a “sizable” investment in growing YouTube’s still-nascent subscription business, due to its long-term potential.

YouTube TV, which offers more than 70 live channels including local stations and cloud-based DRV, costs $49.99 per month and is currently available only in the U.S. Alphabet has been heavily promoting free trials with an ad campaign.

YouTube Music offers ad-free access to music tracks and videos for $9.99 per month, and YouTube Premium offers ad-free access to all YouTube videos, offline and background playback and more for $11.99 per month.

Pichai also cited other consumer-driven sources that will contribute to YouTube’s growth, including ecommerce offerings.