Pedro Pina, YouTube’s vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, spent an afternoon at Iberseries & Platino Industria tracing the platform’s rise. His presentation covered two decades of YouTube history, from the first viral video of baby Charlie biting his brother’s finger to the global smash “Gangnam Style,” the first video to cross borders despite being in Korean.
Pina spoke to a packed room at the conference, laying out milestones that shaped the platform’s identity. He showed how Susan Boyle’s audition for Britain’s Got Talent became a phenomenon despite the broadcaster taking it down multiple times to honor its request. Fans kept uploading it anyway.
Boyle’s Audition and the Birth of Fandom
“The most interesting thing is that the broadcasters all of a sudden found out that, hang on, there’s something about fandom that is important,” Pina said. “Fans love content and they kept going back to Britain’s Got Talent because they were in love with videos like that. So, this was the first time the overall broadcaster industry understood that it should be working with YouTube because it helped build a fanbase.”
The pattern repeated across genres. Artists like Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran broke out on the platform, followed by the spread of Live Sports and athlete stories. Then came audiovisual hits like “Backrooms” and “Obsession,” which both originated on YouTube.
The U.K. Career Stat
Pina shared a specific number during the panel that followed. “The number we have for the U.K. only so far is that about 85% of the people that have a creative career in the industry have started their career on YouTube,” he said. “So, it’s a greenhouse of the future of creativity, which can express itself on the platform or anywhere else.”
He framed the platform as a launching pad, not a destination. Creators build their audience there and then move on.
Why the Industry Was Afraid
Pina acknowledged the tension between YouTube and traditional broadcasters. “The objective of being here at this event is really to explain how our model works,” he said. “The majority of people in the industry, fortunately, don’t understand it as much and that’s 100% our fault. We never spend enough time explaining to the industry how we work, how you can monetize.”
He listed the fears that held people back. “A lot of people were afraid of YouTube, mostly because they did not understand how the platform works, how their content could be protected, how it could reach new audiences and, more importantly, how they could monetize.” His answer was education. “Once you start breaking down that information, providing examples and showing the way, you see more and more people starting to work with us.”
The Panel Lineup
Sitting with Pina were executives from companies that have built their own YouTube operations. Roger Rofín Sanglas runs Catalan streamer 3Cat. Gianluca Curti is chairman and CEO of Minerva Pictures in Italy. RTP’s Hugo Figueiredo represents Portugal’s public broadcaster.
Each described a similar journey. They started small, met resistance, and ended up building massive operations.
3Cat’s Transformation
Rofín Sanglas described the shift his company made three years ago. “We began a transformation to adapt to the way audiences consume content,” he said. “It’s no longer just through our linear channels. We’ve made our content available on the platform and on social media to attract our audiences there as well. And we believe we should be on platforms like YouTube.”
He pointed to the success of their children’s content on the platform. “Our platform is the third most chosen by Catalans, after Netflix and Prime Video in Catalonia, so we have an important path ahead of us to keep attracting audiences,” he said.
Minerva’s Long Road
Curti told the story of how Minerva Pictures started on YouTube about 15 years ago. “Even in our best year, we sold less than 10% of our catalog, so we started thinking about how to optimize our income,” he recalled. “At first, people told us, ‘You’re kind of pirates,’ but within a few weeks we understood that YouTube was, for real, the place to be.”
The operation grew fast. “We’ve built an environment with more than 180 channels, worldwide in more than 25 languages, and around 7,000 movies,” he said. “We keep working with broadcasters and platforms, but we also started producing our own YouTube Originals. So far, we’ve produced 15 independent movies, and our plan is to release 150 a year—roughly one per week.”
He noted the tension between old and new. “We’re delivering content made with real people and real studios, but we’re also exploring AI,” he said. “These two worlds have to learn to live together, because you cannot stop the wind of the future or innovation with your hand.”
RTP’s Late Start
Figueiredo spoke about Portugal’s public broadcaster RTP, which has only recently moved onto YouTube. “Public services can’t forget their mission, especially on the information front,” he said. “As legacy companies, our content has traditionally been closely linked to TV and radio, but we need to move away from that.”
He pointed to the audience shift. “Young audiences are on YouTube, and we cannot ignore that and try to push them back to linear. It’s true for entertainment, kids, talent shows, and now also sport.”
RTP’s entry into live sports was recent. “We started last week with live football, first the Champions League and now the Nations League, and it’s proving really successful,” he said. “We’re starting from zero, but the numbers are very good, and it’s not affecting the broadcasting of those games.”
What the Numbers Show
The executives offered concrete figures. Minerva’s 180 channels, 7,000 movies and 150-movie annual target. RTP’s live sports debut last week. 3Cat’s position as the third most chosen platform by Catalans.
Pina’s U.K. stat was specific and striking. About 85% of creative careers in the industry there started on YouTube.
The Platform’s Role
Pina’s framing was deliberate. YouTube is not just a distribution channel. It is a greenhouse.
| Milestone | Detail |
|---|---|
| Baby Charlie | First viral video |
| Susan Boyle | Audition spreads online |
| Gangnam Style | First trans-national hit in Korean |
| Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran | Break out on the platform |
| Backrooms and Obsession | Originate on YouTube |
| Minerva | 180 channels, 7,000 movies |
| RTP | Live football debut last week |
The timeline shows a consistent pattern of growth.
The Verdict
Pina’s message was simple. The platform has grown past its early days. It is now a powerhouse with a track record of launching careers, building audiences and reshaping how media gets made.
The executives onstage agreed. They built their operations on YouTube, overcame skepticism, and are now expanding into AI production.
Source material: “Pedro Pina, YouTube VP at Iberseries & Platino Industria: ‘YouTube is a Greenhouse of the Future of Creativity’,” Variety.
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