There has been a monumental shift in video viewing habits towards YouTube with the platform fast becoming the go-to for younger audiences, overtaking traditional broadcast media. It has also become a competitor for publishers, with many using it as a primary source of news and information.

New Scientist wanted to create brilliant longform video that people would want to sit down and watch in the same way they would have traditional science programming. With a video team of just two, they partnered with a Canadian YouTube production company to bring the platform knowledge that would give their videos the maximum impact.

In October 2025, the team set out on an ambitious mission to become a leading science channel on You Tube and use the platform to bring their brilliant science journalism to a younger audience. The target was to grow the channel tenfold in 12 months.

Using a data driven approach, they quickly identified two content verticals that had the most potential for this audience: ancient humans and big physics. The team ruthlessly re-structured their video output with a laser focus on these areas, and have created two formats: long-form, presenter-led explainers, and long-form interviews. They committed to regular publishing – one video a week in alternating slots.

The first explainer was presented by oceanographer Russell Arnott and was the first indication that the team were on the right path. That video, published 19 October 2025, reached 811k views by Jan 31, and has since surpassed 1million views. Prior to that, average views were 24k.

The videos produced must be of high quality to match the New Scientist brand, but the content is only one part of the picture. The team have overhauled their ways of working: a new data-led commission process, using YouTube success indicators and in house data to ideate, package, and title the stories to give them the best chance for success in a noisy space.

All the videos must be rigorously reported, and the team are taking extreme care on the scripting and fact checking. They are also recruiting and developing on screen talent, including paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi and their physics reporter, Jacklin Kwan. The team backs this with world-leading expert contributors – from Chris Stringer to Sean Carroll - and have interviewed the biggest names in science including Megan Rossi, Hannah Fry, Tim Berners-Lee, and Flint Dibble. They support their strong output with community engagement, livestreamed compilations, vertical shorts, and podcast episodes.

By 31 January New Scientist had surpassed their 10X watch target 9 months early, and had increased views by 91.2%; watch time by 54%; and revenue by 323% compared to the previous period. Since their first video explainer success, five more videos have reached half a million or more views, with two more closing in on one million.

The core audience is loving this new direction, with comments such as: “Watching this honestly felt so satisfying. The channel’s content is top-notch—easy to understand while still keeping real scientific depth”.

More importantly, New Scientist is reaching a new audience, with 72.2% of viewers new to the channel, of which 7.9% are in the 18-24 and 22.7% are in the 25-34 years age bracket – and the team had gained 47k new subscribers, an increase of 122%.

New Scientist wanted to reach new audiences, generate a new revenue stream and become a leading science YouTube channel. In just four months, they proved that this is possible.

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