YouTube's Challengers Mount ... Are Real ... And Are Scary

YouTube -- the 800 pound King Kong video gorilla -- is increasingly under attack at every turn as it struggles to climb to further heights (here is my previous "must read" post, analysis and scorecard of the growing list of challengers).  And, since the last time I wrote at length -- less than 2 months ago -- those challengers mount and become evermore formidable.

Most significantly, Facebook, which is now part of every conversation.  Though focusing in earnest on video only a short time ago, Facebook already now drives more than 3 billion views daily (65% of which are on mobile devices)!  To put a further exclamation point on this eye-popping fact, white-hot "much-more-than-MCN" digital media company Jukin' Media tells me that, "it took 3 months to achieve the same scale on Facebook that took 3 years on YouTube" for its video content.  Just chew on that one a bit ....

And, to fuel continued mass adoption, Facebook just this past week erased one of its leading inhibitors -- its lack of an embeddable video player.  Now check that box -- Facebook has that too.  Make no mistake, Facebook also is fully immersed in the premium video content game, also just announcing major new partnerships with A+ Hollywood players including the likes of ESPN and mega-director JJ Abrams.

But, Facebook is not the only mega-social media threat to YouTube.  Try on both Snapchat and Twitter for size.

Snapchat -- of all major social networks -- appeals the most (by far!) to the demographic that matters most to marketers.  The young and the restless.  71% of Snapchat's U.S. users are 18-34 (45% fall into the 18-24% range) (here's a "must see" chart from Re/Code that lays it all out graphically) -- and those factoids (and its youth-quake reality) don't even capture Snapchat users under the age of 18!  And, I know from personal experience (I am the father of a 15 and 12 year old, after all) that Snapchat -- together with Instagram -- are the social networks of choice.  My two kids -- and the entire population we see -- consume Snapchat feverishly (and increasingly for video).

And then there's Twitter, which increasingly focuses on video and, to that point, just released its own "Meerkat Killer" -- a live video streaming app called Periscope.  Live streaming has become a major new battleground in the video wars (and Meerkat -- a company you definitely should know -- isn't simply standing around as Twitter challenges its recent dominance).

So many other categories of companies -- and mega-players -- who hope to de-throne YouTube.  And, so much time (since we are still in the early innings of OTT video).  Best to review all them via my earlier detailed analysis.

YouTube certainly isn't going away anytime soon.  I fully expect it to be "here to stay" for the long haul and a continuing massive player in the overall wonderful world of video.  But, YouTube certainly isn't the only game in town anymore.

Much like the relentless stalking character in the new movie "It Follows" (which I hope to see later today), Facebook and some other players are closing in ... and are downright frightening ....