New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS): Video-streaming giant YouTube has said that more than 20 million Indians streamed YouTube content on their connected TVs, over 40 per cent growth since May last year.

Moreover, high growth in watch times of cricket, comedy, beauty and educational content through Connected TV underscores the increasing preference of users to tune into YouTube from their living rooms.

Overall, 85 per cent viewers used the platform more than ever since the outbreak of Covid-19. And, 93 per cent of YouTube viewers prefer watching content in Indic languages, the company said in its annual event Brandcast.

With 85 per cent of video viewers coming to YouTube to learn or improve their skills and channels such as 'StudyIQ' and 'Don't Memorise' among many others garnering sizable subscription bases, increasingly, YouTube is empowering one of the largest learner communities in the country, the company said.

In line with this, watch times of career videos have also grown by more than 60 per cent in May 2021 when compared to the same time last year.

The platform said it is now experiencing the emergence and growth of several new verticals within learning such as farming, finance, food, and engineering. Furthermore, existing verticals like technology, beauty, and comedy are evolving to serve hyper-local content in regional languages.

With YouTube users increasingly utilising the platform for product awareness, research and demos, brands are tapping into this unique cross-section of demand and engagement to target their customers where they spend time, as per the company.

Today, more than 140 YouTube channels have over 10 million subscribers -- making the platform an asset in every marketer's arsenal due to its reach and engagement, the company said.

YouTube creators are also leveraging new formats of personalised video content, such as YouTube Shorts, to unlock imaginative ways to tell their stories, it added.