YouTube a $455 bn media giant hiding in plain sight, say analysts

Investors attach a $2.3 trillion valuation to Alphabet Inc. for its status as an internet search behemoth and AI innovator. Yet even that massive figure underplays YouTube’s true worth, according to analysts at Needham & Co.

The streaming unit is one of the world’s most valuable media companies and worth at least $455 billion on its own, Needham’s Laura Martin and Dan Medina wrote in a July 3 note. That’s more than 50% above Netflix Inc.’s market cap.