Alongside the watch-hour increase, YouTube is doubling the Shorts-based eligibility route from 10 million to 20 million qualified Shorts views within a 90-day window.
Why Shorts Specifically
YouTube reports Shorts now receive more than 200 billion daily views globally, and the updated thresholds are meant to reflect that scale while still rewarding genuinely active creators.
New Earning Opportunities
YouTube has also indicated it plans to expand revenue opportunities tied to Shopping integrations, brand deal incentives, and trend-related revenue boosts \u2014 though full details haven't been published yet.