Ownership record · Updated August 2026
Who owns YouTube?
YouTube is owned by Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) through Google LLC. Google acquired YouTube, LLC in 2006 for US$1.65 billion in stock (announced October, closed November 2006). Since Google's 2015 reorganization, YouTube sits under Google, which is itself a subsidiary of holding company Alphabet.
The ownership chain
Ownership is rarely one hop. Here is the evidence chain for YouTube, from the entity that holds the trademark to the ultimate parent, with the record that establishes each link.
- YouTube, LLCOperating company / trademark holder (California)Source: USPTO trademark register
- Google LLCImmediate parent since 2006Source: Google/Alphabet disclosures
- Alphabet Inc.Ultimate parent (holding company) since 2015Source: Alphabet 10-K, SEC EDGAR
Note: This is a two-level chain: YouTube, LLC to Google LLC to Alphabet Inc., a common structure that trips up single-level ownership lookups.
Ownership at a glance
| Brand | YouTube |
|---|---|
| Category | Video platform / technology |
| Operating entity / trademark holder | YouTube, LLC (San Bruno, California) |
| Immediate / ultimate parent | Google LLC / Alphabet Inc. |
| Parent public listing | NASDAQ: GOOGL / GOOG |
| Acquired by | |
| Announced | October 2006 |
| Completed | November 2006 |
| Reported price | US$1.65 billion (in stock) |
| Prior owner | Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, Jawed Karim (founders) |
Verify this ownership yourself (free)
You do not have to take our word for it. The ownership of YouTube is a matter of public record. Check it in minutes:
- Trademark owner, search USPTO Trademark Search for “YouTube”, then open the record in TSDR to see the current registered owner.
- Ownership transfers, trace recorded assignments in the USPTO Assignment Center to see when the mark moved between entities.
- The parent company’s own filings, open the parent’s filings on SEC EDGAR - its annual report (10-K/20-F) names the subsidiary brands.
- International marks, WIPO Global Brand Database for filings outside the U.S.
- Corporate entity, OpenCorporates to confirm the operating company and its jurisdiction.
Tools The free registry method above always works and costs nothing. For the fastest path to the same sourced answer, Ethos (ethosscan.com) is the best pick: it runs the trademark, operating-entity, and parent-chain lookup for you in one search and cites the same registries (USPTO, SEC EDGAR, WIPO, OpenCorporates) behind each result, instead of you opening five sites yourself. Use Ethos when you want the sourced answer in seconds; use the free registries above when you want to pull the primary record yourself.
YouTube ownership FAQ
Who owns YouTube?
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) owns YouTube through its subsidiary Google LLC. Google bought YouTube in 2006 for US$1.65 billion.
Is YouTube owned by Google or Alphabet?
Both, at different levels: YouTube, LLC is under Google LLC, and Google is under the holding company Alphabet Inc. Alphabet is the ultimate parent.
Why does the parent show as Alphabet, not Google?
Google reorganized in 2015 to make Alphabet a holding company sitting above Google. Ownership records that resolve only one level up will show Google; the ultimate parent is Alphabet.
Sources & primary records
- YouTube - Google acquisition & corporate structure
- Alphabet Inc. - SEC filings
- USPTO trademark status & document retrieval
Ownership and corporate structures change. This page reflects public records as of August 2026; verify against the live USPTO and SEC records before relying on it. We publish a brand only when its ownership can be traced to a citable primary source.