YouTube Premium is quietly winning the war against ad blockers
Source: Android Authority
TL;DR
- YouTube’s Premium subscribers are increasing at a faster rate than ever.
- The revenue from YouTube Premium has surpassed that from ads on the platform.
- It appears that YouTube’s strife against ad blockers is finally paying off.
Growth in Paid Subscribers
YouTube has been working to keep freeloaders away by inventing new ways to thwart ad blockers and encouraging users to pay for a Premium subscription. The latest increase in YouTube’s paid subscriber base suggests those tactics may be working.
During its Q1 2026 earnings call, Google announced a new milestone for YouTube. CEO Sundar Pichai noted that the company gained 25 million subscribers in the last quarter alone, bringing the total number of paid subscribers to 350 million. This tally includes subscribers across Google One, Gemini, YouTube Premium, and YouTube Music.
While the executive didn’t break out the numbers for each service, he highlighted that YouTube Premium and Music saw the “largest quarterly increase in the total number of non‑trial subscribers” since the service launched in 2018. Google previously reported that YouTube’s paid services alone had reached 125 million subscribers, a figure that also counted free trials.
Shift in Revenue Sources
Google’s Chief Business Officer, Philipp Schindler, was quoted by CNBC saying that YouTube’s paid subscriptions have become a bigger revenue source than ads on the platform. The recent uptick in subscriber numbers supports this claim.
Pricing Changes
It remains to be seen whether Google can sustain this growth into Q2, especially after a significant price hike announced in April:
- Individual plan: increased from $13.99 to $15.99 per month.
- Family plan (up to five members): increased from $22.99 to $26.99 per month.