culture

Max Knoblauch2/11/25

YouTube hits major inflection point, says more people watch it on TV than on phones

YouTube has leveled up to the small screen (from an even smaller screen). Alphabet’s massive video platform said Tuesday that most of its viewership is happening on TVs, overtaking mobile in the US.

According to the platform, viewers are watching more than a billion hours of YouTube every day, and for the first time, more of those views are happening on TV. YouTube has been making itself more TV friendly, adding the ability to break videos up by “season.”

The milestone was revealed in YouTube CEO Neal Mohan’s annual priorities and outlook letter. YouTube has consistently topped Nielsen’s streaming platform viewership gauge for the past two years, handily beating Netflix. On the overall TV distributor list, it’s hot on Disney’s heels — even overtaking the studio in July.

Since 2023, YouTube TV, Alphabet’s paid streaming service, has raised its subscription prices by about 28%.

YouTube Viewership On TV Screens Exceeds Mobile For First Time In U.S.

YouTube Viewership On TV Screens Exceeds Mobile For First Time In U.S.

The milestone was revealed in YouTube CEO Neal Mohan’s annual priorities and outlook letter. YouTube has consistently topped Nielsen’s streaming platform viewership gauge for the past two years, handily beating Netflix. On the overall TV distributor list, it’s hot on Disney’s heels — even overtaking the studio in July.

Since 2023, YouTube TV, Alphabet’s paid streaming service, has raised its subscription prices by about 28%.

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Millie Giles1/9/26

Tamagotchis are making a comeback, 3 decades after first becoming a global toy craze

If you were a ’90s kid, you might remember the craze around little egg-shaped toys with an 8-bit digital screen, displaying an ambiguous pet-thing that demanded food and attention.

Now, on the brand’s 30th anniversary, the Tamagotchi — the Japanese pocket-sized virtual pet that launched a thousand cute and needy tech companions, from Nintendogs to fluffy AI robots — is making a minor comeback.

Tamagotchi Google Search Trends — Sherwood News

Looking at Google Trends data, searches for “tamagotchi” spiked in December in the US, up around 80% from just six months prior, with the most search volume in almost two decades.

While the toys are popular Christmas gifts, with interest volumes often seen ticking up in December each year, the sudden interest might also have something to do with the birthday celebrations that creator and manufacturer Bandai Namco are putting on, including a Tokyo exhibition that opened on Wednesday.

Game, set, hatch

More broadly, modern consumers appear to have a growing obsession with collectibles (see: Labubu mania), as well as a taste for nostalgia (see: the iPod revival, among many other trends).

But, having finally hit 100 million sales in September last year, the brand itself is probably just glad to exist, giving a whole new generation the chance to experience the profound grief of an unexpected Tamagotchi death.

PANDORA’S BOX OFFICE

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” surpasses $1 billion globally after 18 days

James Cameron is now the first director in history to have four consecutive movies gross over a billion dollars.

Max Knoblauch12/23/25

Disney could be well on its way to its third billion-dollar film of the year following a $345 million opening weekend for “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” The film’s opening gross puts the “Avatar” franchise’s total box office earnings at $5.6 billion — and counting.

The latest film, the second “Avatar” entry under Disney’s tent, earned about 75% of its total box office gross internationally — in line with previous movies in the (as of now) trilogy. Domestically, this one earned $88 million, falling short of expectations.

“Fire and Ash” was the widest Imax release ever, debuting on 1,703 screens globally and earning $43.6 million through the format. The $345 million “Fire and Ash” opening weekend was the second-highest of 2025, behind Disney’s “Zootopia 2,” which recently passed the $1 billion mark, globally.

Year to date, Disney has earned $5.8 billion globally at the box office.

Jake Paul v Anthony Joshua - Fighter Showcase & Open Workout

Three reasons Netflix needs Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO

It’s tough out there for the top paid streamer.

Rani Molla12/22/25

snowball effect

What are America’s favorite Christmas movies?

64% of Americans are planning on watching one this year.

group of children watching television with a Christmas tree behind them

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