• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, Yesterday

YouTube has made the major transition to the big TV screen -- from smaller digital screens (mobile, laptops and desktops). It now commands a leading 12.5% share of TV viewing time.

So... who is next?

Well, a lot depends on how well one’s algorithms are working, which is what YouTube has successfully done after 17 years in the business.

Analysts also say this is how Netflix -- after 25 years in the business -- made massive gains as the reigning premium streaming content leader, with strong program discovery and recommendation tools for consumers.

But what about up and comers? Michael Beach of State of the Screens thinks that high-profile digital-first, video-focused social media companies are still rising -- and that means primarily TikTok and Spotify.

“TikTok was born as a content recommendation company, and its algorithm is the best,” says Beach. The only downside, of course, comes with possible heavy regulation or a complete ban by U.S. regulators.

Spotify is another contender for the big screen -- and looks to keep pace with YouTube when it comes to video podcasts.

Farther down the list could be Facebook and Instagram. Longtime social media giant Facebook has tried to be a TV-like player but seemingly wants to stick more to its roots with mobile.

Beach believes it all comes down to personalization and program preferences -- essentially giving each family member their own channel.

With tens of thousands of pieces of premium video content, Netflix has done this well -- as has YouTube.

YouTube now gets the majority of its viewing usage on the big TV screen, says YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. But unlike Netflix, it didn’t come from the ability to watch a movie or a TV episode on the platform.

YouTube made a name for itself over the years with its short- to mid-size videos -- user-generated “creator” content.

Now YouTube expects even better results ahead, as a result of adding a mix from even shorter-length video -- maybe just a few seconds long, with its YouTube Shorts push -- to be factored into its program preferences results.

Netflix could be doing the same. Recently it said it is testing a new mobile-only video feed that would allow users to scroll through short clips from its original shows and films. This new feature works like Facebook Reels -- users can swipe through vertical videos.

While not leaving the big screen at all, we can believe that YouTube and Facebook want to tap into all the possible paths for video consumption.

The likes of TikTok, Spotify and a few others are very likely moving in the opposite direction -- looking to follow YouTube and Netflix with dreams of being on large living-room pixel machines.