YouTube Seeks to Overcome Industry Fears as a Strategic Partner at Iberseries
Pedro Pina, VP and head of EMEA for YouTube, acknowledged during the inaugural session of Iberseries & Platino Industria in Madrid that traditional audiovisual players largely misunderstand the platform’s business model, accepting full responsibility for the communication gap.
Addressing Misconceptions at Iberseries & Platino Industria
A large part of the traditional audiovisual industry continues to perceive the Google-owned video sharing platform as a threat. Speaking to industry leaders in Madrid, Pina stated that the friction stems from a lack of clear dialogue.
“Unfortunately, the mayor part of the people in the industry doesn’t understand our model too well, and that is 100% our fault,” Pina explained during his presentation. He added that the organization never dedicated sufficient time to explain how the platform functions, how monetization works, or the various revenue streams available to traditional media companies.
This appearance in Madrid follows a string of recent industry engagements, including a keynote address at the Edinburgh TV Festival in August and appearances at Mipcom. The deliberate outreach campaign aims to dismantle lingering anxieties regarding digital monetization and audience reach.
Historical Turning Points in Media Perception
Pina outlined several key moments in media history that progressively shifted how traditional sectors view digital video sharing. He pointed to Susan Boyle’s performance on ‘Got Talent’ as a turning point for television networks recognizing the platform’s promotional power, followed by the global viral explosion of ‘Gangnam Style’ for the music industry.
More recently, the cinematic traction gained by projects like ‘Obsession’ and ‘Backrooms’ has sparked similar reconsideration within the traditional film sector. However, the executive emphasized that these digital-native successes exist in a collaborative ecosystem alongside traditional blockbusters rather than replacing them.
“When ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’ were there alongside major theatrical releases, those theatrical releases continued to work too. The point is that it is not an either-or proposition,” Pina noted.
Evolution of Media Ecosystems
Addressing fears of industry displacement, Pina drew parallels to previous technological shifts in media history. The introduction of cinema led to predictions of radio’s demise, television was expected to kill cinema, and the advent of internet was framed as the end of television.
Instead of single mediums erasing predecessors, media evolved into an interconnected ecosystem where each format adapts and finds its distinct place. To support this transition, the platform highlights existing partnerships with established broadcasters such as RTP, 3Cat, and the BBC as models for modern collaboration.
“We want to work with the entire ecosystem,” Pina concluded. “We truly believe we can help the entire ecosystem move forward into what is new, into the future.”