Which company acquired YouTube in 2006?
Answer
Google acquired YouTube in 2006.
Google announced the purchase on October 9, 2006, agreeing to pay approximately $1.65 billion in Google stock. The transaction was finalized on November 13, 2006. YouTube remained a distinct service and brand while becoming a Google subsidiary, giving Google an established position in rapidly expanding online video.
YouTube had been founded in February 2005 by former PayPal employees Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim. Its simple user-upload model helped it grow quickly, but the company faced major costs for bandwidth, infrastructure, and copyright management. Google had also operated Google Video, but YouTube had gained stronger audience momentum.
A common mix-up is naming Alphabet, Google’s parent company since 2015. Google made the acquisition, and YouTube continues to operate within Google’s corporate structure under Alphabet. The purchase also helped turn online video into a major advertising, creator, subscription, and entertainment business.