"In a blog post last week, YouTube Senior Director of Product Management Kurt Wilms announced a suite of five new features, touting these as a move to "make any YouTube content a premier experience on TV." Part of that is an AI-powered tool that will automatically upscale videos uploaded in lower resolutions. The feature, which Bloomberg confirmed will also apply to web and mobile, will first target content below 1080p, enhancing it to HD with a future goal of 4K."
"This seems to be a strategic asset management play. The AI would refresh and future-proof millions of hours of content that would otherwise look increasingly dated on modern 4K televisions, unlocking new monetization potential to creators and to the platform itself. This is critical as YouTube reports a 45% year-over-year increase in channels earning over six figures from TV screen revenue."
YouTube is deploying AI to upscale standard-definition videos to HD and eventually to 4K, prioritizing content uploaded below 1080p across TV, web, and mobile. The automated upscaling aims to refresh millions of hours of older content so it appears sharper on modern 4K televisions. The upgrade supports a strategic shift toward television viewing, where higher production quality yields greater rewards and monetization. YouTube reports a 45% year-over-year increase in channels earning over six figures from TV screen revenue. YouTube claimed 12.5% of all U.S. television viewing in May 2025, the highest share recorded by a streamer per Nielsen.
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