// streaming

Source: NYT > Business (paywall)

Julian Shapiro-Barnum's move from viral social content to YouTube-native late-night programming reflects where younger audiences now expect comedy and cultural commentary: on demand, not on cable at 11:35 p.m. The economics matter. YouTube's ad-revenue share and direct audience relationships offer creators better unit economics than traditional syndication deals. Late-night's format—topical monologues, celebrity interviews, band performances—has traditionally depended on appointment viewing and the cultural centrality that broadcast networks provided. If this scales, networks lose not just young viewers but the infrastructure that once made late-night television a cultural agenda-setter.