YouTube

Method

YouTube launches in February 2005 from San Mateo and Google buys it in November 2006 for 1.65 billion dollars, moving it to San Bruno. The YouTube Partner Program opens in 2007 and is the first rung of almost every creator career on this map, paying a 55 percent share of ad revenue through Google AdSense. The Shorts Fund starts in 2021 as a 100 million dollar pool and is replaced in February 2023 by Shorts ad revenue sharing at 45 percent to creators. In February 2024 CEO Neal Mohan reports more than 70 billion dollars paid to creators, artists and media companies over the prior three years, with more than three million channels in the program. YouTube marks its twentieth anniversary in February 2025 and in 2025 to 2026 leans on podcasts, television viewing and AI dubbing, remaining the largest single payer in the creator economy.

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The path: money and goods moving

• acquired byGoogleGoogle agrees to buy YouTube for 1.65 billion dollars in stock on October 9, 2006 and closes the purchase on November 13, 2006, both announced in press releases filed with the SEC.2006
• paysTYT NetworkYouTube ads supply a reported two thirds of TYT's roughly 3 million dollars of 2013 revenue, and TYT channels draw 200 million monthly views in 2017.2006 to present
• paysSmoshSmosh is among the earliest channels admitted to the YouTube Partner Program in 2007 and is the most subscribed channel in 2013. (partly verified)2007 to present
• spawnedYouTube Partner ProgramYouTube creates the Partner Program in 2007 to share ad revenue with its most popular uploaders.2007
• paysBBTV (BroadbandTV)BBTV's revenue is a share of YouTube advertising on partner and rights holder channels.2007 to present
• paysRhett & LinkRhett and Link's Good Mythical Morning is monetized through the YouTube Partner Program and underpins Mythical Entertainment. (partly verified)2008 to present
• paysColleen Ballinger (Miranda Sings)The Miranda Sings channel is monetized through the YouTube Partner Program from its early years. (partly verified)2008 to present
• paysRyan HigaRyan Higa's channel is among the first to be monetized at scale under the Partner Program. (partly verified)2008 to present
• paysAchievement HunterAchievement Hunter's Let's Play channels run on YouTube advertising and roughly 4,600 archived videos move to its channel in July 2024. (partly verified)2008 to 2023
• paysMarques Brownlee (MKBHD)Marques Brownlee's MKBHD channel earns YouTube Partner Program ad revenue from 2009. (partly verified)2009 to present
• paysDude PerfectDude Perfect's channel earns YouTube Partner Program revenue from 2009 and reaches 60 million subscribers. (partly verified)2009 to present
• paysMaker StudiosMaker's revenue is overwhelmingly YouTube ad share; Digiday reports 300 million of 370 million dollars in 2015 came through YouTube.2009 to 2017
• paysPewDiePie (Felix Kjellberg)PewDiePie's channel earns through the YouTube Partner Program and he is Forbes' highest paid YouTuber in 2015 and 2016. (partly verified)2010 to present
• paysCasey NeistatCasey Neistat's channel is monetized through the YouTube Partner Program, the income he leaves for Beme and CNN in 2016. (partly verified)2010 to present
• paysCorridor DigitalCorridor's two channels earn YouTube ad share on more than 4.7 billion combined views.2010 to present
• paysJenna MarblesJenna Mourey's channel is monetized through the Partner Program until she leaves YouTube in June 2020. (partly verified)2010 to 2020
• paysTyler OakleyTyler Oakley's channel is monetized through the Partner Program. (partly verified)2010 to present
• spawnedFullscreenGeorge Strompolos leaves YouTube's Partner Program team to found Fullscreen in January 2011.2011
• paysMrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson)MrBeast's channel is monetized through the YouTube Partner Program and he is Forbes' highest paid creator, with YouTube ad revenue the base under Feastables and his other businesses. (partly verified)2012 to present
• paysMarkiplier (Mark Fischbach)Markiplier's channel earns YouTube Partner Program revenue from 2012 and he is among Forbes' highest paid YouTubers in 2017 and 2018. (partly verified)2012 to present
• paysPatrick Bet-DavidValuetainment is a YouTube native channel from 2012 with over 6 million subscribers; the first payout date is not documented. (partly verified)2012 to present
• paysSidemenThe Sidemen's channels are monetized through the YouTube Partner Program, the base for their Sides restaurants and XIX Vodka. (partly verified)2013 to present
• paysDefy MediaDefy collects partners' AdSense and keeps ten percent; September and October 2018 payments never reach creators.2013 to 2018
• affiliate forFameBitFameBit lets YouTube creators pitch brands for sponsored videos and keeps ten percent of each transaction until the self serve marketplace closes in 2020.2013 to 2020
• paysUpchurchUpchurch's YouTube channel is the origin of his audience from 2014 and carries his music videos and comedy; revenue is not disclosed. (partly verified)2014 to present
• paysRamsey SolutionsThe Ramsey Show and the Ramsey personalities run monetized YouTube channels alongside radio and podcast feeds; the start year of YouTube monetization and its revenue are not confirmed. (unverified)2015 to present
• paysIShowSpeed (Darren Watkins Jr.)Darren Watkins Jr. is paid through the YouTube Partner Program after moving his streams to YouTube. (partly verified)2016 to present
• licensed fromSoundstripeSoundstripe licenses royalty free music cleared for monetized YouTube videos, podcasts and social video, issuing more than 10 million licenses by 2022. (partly verified)2016 to present
• paysRhett ShullShull's YouTube channel passes 750,000 subscribers and is his primary monetized audience; the year the channel first pays is not confirmed. (partly verified)2017 to present
• paysBussin' With The BoysThe show runs a monetized YouTube channel that continues uninterrupted after the Barstool exit; revenue is not disclosed. (partly verified)2019 to present
• paysNateland EntertainmentThe Nateland podcasts publish full episodes on the Nateland Entertainment YouTube channel alongside Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Amazon distribution; YouTube revenue figures are not disclosed. (partly verified)2020 to present
• licensed fromLudwig AhgrenLudwig signs a YouTube Gaming exclusive in November 2021 that ends on November 30, 2024.2021 to 2024
• paysLudwig AhgrenLudwig Ahgren leaves Twitch for a YouTube exclusive streaming deal in November 2021 for an undisclosed sum. (partly verified)2021 to present
• spawnedYouTube BrandConnectYouTube relaunches BrandConnect in March 2025 as a self serve hub tied to Google Ads after the 2023 cuts to its full service team.2025
• paysThe Music Cities™YouTube is the first platform and the first rail for a YouTube native channel; Partner Program status as stated by the owner. (partly verified)2025 to present
• paysMusic Cities RadioYouTube is the first platform and the first rail for a YouTube native channel; Partner Program status as stated by the owner. (partly verified)2025 to present
• paysStreet Economics® TelevisionYouTube is the first platform and the first rail for a YouTube native channel; Partner Program status as stated by the owner. (partly verified)2026 to present
• spawnedMonica KhanCreator facing role at YouTube before Meta and Spotter; dates not confirmed. (partly verified)

Influence

• influencedRumbleChris Pavlovski founds Rumble in 2013 explicitly as a YouTube alternative that shares revenue with small creators.2013 to present
• copied byTikTokYouTube launches Shorts in 2020, the Shorts Fund in 2021 and Shorts ad revenue sharing in 2023 to compete with TikTok. (partly verified)2020 to present

Representation, events, tools

• atYouTube headquarters, San BrunoYouTube is headquartered in San Bruno from 2006. (partly verified)2006 to present
• hostsJukin MediaJukin licenses viral clips from their owners and runs FailArmy and The Pet Collective on YouTube, paying creators more than 30 million dollars by 2021.2009 to present
• hostsMachinimaMachinima passes one billion monthly YouTube views in December 2011 with more than 5,000 partner channels.2011
• atYouTube Space LAYouTube runs the Los Angeles Space from 2013 and announces its permanent closure on February 18, 2021.2013 to 2021
• atYouTube Space New YorkYouTube runs the 20,000 square foot Chelsea Market Space from 2014 and closes it permanently in 2021.2014 to 2021
• hostsWatcher EntertainmentWatcher announces on April 19, 2024 that it will leave YouTube for a paywall and reverses three days later after losing more than 50,000 subscribers.2024
• atVidConYouTube is title sponsor of VidCon 2025 for its 20th anniversary with keynotes from Kevin Alocca and Amjad Hanif.2025
• atPOSSIBLEYouTube executives appear on the 2026 POSSIBLE creator economy program in Miami Beach. (partly verified)2026