YouTube Says ‘Obsession’ & ‘Backrooms’ Point To Awards Future For Films Born On The Platform — SkimNews
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- Pedro Pina, YouTube's European boss, said at IberSeries in Madrid that films and series originating on YouTube — citing YouTuber-made Obsession and Backrooms as 2025 successes — will increasingly enter the Emmys and Oscars conversation.
- Gianluca Curti, CEO of Italian indie studio Minerva Pictures, joined Pina on stage and laid out plans to continue building a slate of feature films that will premiere on YouTube.
- YouTube will accommodate varied release patterns for films, with some titles going theatrical first before windowing into other channels, while others debut globally immediately on the platform.
- Pedro Pina referenced Disney co-chair Dana Walden's comments about YouTube building fandoms, saying when Disney opens its doors to collaborate, fandom expands further.
- Portuguese pubcaster RTP appeared on stage to discuss partnering with YouTube on UEFA Nations League and Women's Champions League coverage.
- 3Cat, the digital arm of Catalan broadcaster TVC, detailed how it coordinated the recent launch of an OTT platform with launching new verticals on YouTube.
Why it matters: YouTube is positioning itself as co-production infrastructure for traditional broadcasters and indie studios rather than a replacement — Minerva Pictures commits feature films to the platform, Disney's Dana Walden publicly engages on fandom building, and RTP and 3Cat tie major sports and OTT launches to YouTube distribution. The awards framing gives YouTube a credibility lever to attract premium talent without abandoning its open-platform model.
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