YouTube says it will not produce its annual end-of-year "Rewind" video this year, due to the global pandemic.

The video-sharing platform has produced an annual retrospective since 2010, featuring well-known YouTube stars referencing big viral moments.

But, in a statement it said: "2020 has been different. And it doesn't feel right to carry on as if it weren't."

YouTube cancels Rewind video amid pandemic https://t.co/nfJHLBVLsR

— BBC News Technology (@BBCTech) November 13, 2020

YouTube's Rewind videos have often divided fans, and 2018's effort became the most-disliked video on YouTube.

In 2019, the business changed the format of the video and produced a compilation of the year's "most-liked" clips, gauged by clicks of the "like" button.

Journalist Chris Stokel-Walker, who writes about YouTube and other social platforms, said it was a shame that Rewind had been cancelled because YouTube had become "a major source of entertainment and support for people during the pandemic".

But he added: "There's just not that much new that's come out of YouTube this year. It's been outmoded and overtaken as the place that trends begin, by more nimble apps like TikTok.

"Rewind has always featured a similar cast of characters since it started in 2010, but the potential list of people they could feature would look even more stale in 2020 in comparison to other platforms."

About Rewind this year. pic.twitter.com/oVayH8iyqG

— YouTube (@YouTube) November 12, 2020