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Introduction of the YouTube Partner Program
Introduction of the YouTube Partner Program
On May 2007, YouTube launched its Partner Program (YPP), a system based on Google AdSense which allows the uploader of the video to share the revenue produced by advertising on the site. The business model was intended to share a significant portion of revenue generated on YouTube with its content creators who had built a significant audience and consistently complied with the platform's Terms of Use.
Before the Partner Program, some of the top creators were earning small amounts of revenue from brands who sponsored videos. One of the first cases of YouTube sponsorship was the case of Nike featuring Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho testing a new pair of Nike shoes back in 2006.
Screenshot of YouTube in 2007. Image retrieved from Version Museum.
Nike's ad featuring Ronaldinho in 2006 became the first video to reach one million views and the first ad sponsorship campaign to go viral. Video retrieved from Nike Soccer YouTube channel.
On October 15, 2007, YouTube Video Identification was launched in an effort to help copyright owners identify and manage content on the platform.
According to Antony Padilla, co-founder of one of the earliest YouTube channels still active today, Smosh, the Partner Program "did encourage people to make good content, better content, take the risk to spend more money and put that time and energy into this craft." Padilla also claimed that the implementation of the Partner Program attracted more people eager to benefit from the fame and fortune of YouTube monetization, which caused veteran creators to struggle to keep the audience's attention.
Smosh became the most subscribed YouTube channel in 2013, also becoming the first channel to reach 7 million subscribers. Image retrieved from Tubefilter.
According to Statista, the 2023 distribution of YouTube influencers worldwide was dominated by People & Blogs (28.5%), Entertainment (14.54%), and Gaming (12.95%).
From Cuernavaca, Mexico, Yuya is known as one of the most influential YouTubers in Latin American. Yuya launched her YouTube channel with the username lady16makeup to participate in a makeup contest in 2009. Over the years, she become the most influential beauty influencer making her the most subscribed female YouTuber in 2018. That same year, Yuya received a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars for her contributions to the Hispanic community.
In 2016, she was one of seven female YouTube creators to join the United Nations' Sustainable Development Action Campaign, aiming to achieve gender equality and empowerment of women and girls. Thanks to her successful YouTube career and passion for makeup, Mariand would later launch a makeup brand under her YouTube name.
Yuya's influence across Latin America has allowed her to host events all over the Spanish-speaking world. Yuya promotes her beauty brand in Guayaquil, Ecuador 2018. Image retrieved from Flickr: Memoria Grafica Ecuador.
Yuya was featured as a United Nations Change Ambassador in a video titled "Standing Up for Gender Equality" in 2016. Video retrieved from YouTube's official channel.
Yuya was recognized in the Las Vegas Walk of Fame with a star near the Paris Las Vegas Hotel. Image retrieved from Instagram: Yuyacst
Snapshot of MrBeast in his video "Last To Take Hand Off Lamborghini, Keeps It" in 2021. Image retrieved from Wikimedia Commons
Raised in Greenville, North Carolina, MrBeast is known for his fast-paced and high-production videos which involve extravagant challenges and large giveaways. He is also the founder of food brands MrBeast Burger and Feastables, and co-founder of several philanthropy initiatives in collaboration with the Arbor Day Foundation and Ocean Conservancy.
Jimmy, as he's commonly referred to in his videos, launched his YouTube channel MrBeast6000 in 2012 at the age of 13 creating gaming content and review videos. Jimmy mentioned in an interview with influencer Casey Neistat that his initial goal was to understand how the YouTube algorithm worked and what content would drive the most views. In 2017, MrBeast went viral for a 24hr long video of him counting up to 100,000. In 2022, MrBeast was ranked by Forbes as the highest-earning YouTube creator, and in 2023 became the most subscribed YouTuber with 112 million subscribers.
On November 2022, MrBeast was featured in Forbes Magazine with the headline "Could MrBeast Be The First YouTuber Billionaire?" At the time, MrBeast was worth $500 million. Image retrieved from Forbes.
MrBeast's most successful video was of a competition based on the popular South Korean Netflix show Squid Games. As of April 24, 2024, the video had over 600 million views. Video retrieved from MrBeast YouTube channel.
Gaming: Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg - PewDiePie (Sweden)
The YouTuber from Gothenburg, Sweden launched his channel PewDiePie in 2010, in which his comedic Let's Play videos of horror and action games led his immense success on the platform. By 2013, PewDiePie became the most subscribed YouTuber.
In 2016, Felix was the first YouTuber to receive the Custom Creator Awars for reaching 50 million subscribers. That same year, he was named one of the world's 100 most influential people in Time Magazine. PewDiePie retained the title of the most subscribed YouTube channel until 2019, which earned his portrayal in the media as a figurehead for YouTube, especially in the genre of gaming.
Snapshot of PewDiePie during a podcast interview on the YouTube channel Cold Ones in 2019. Image retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.
PewDiePie was featured on ABC New's segment of Social Stars in 2015, highlighting his immense success on YouTube combining comedy and gaming. Video retrieved from ABC News YouTube channel.
In 2016, Time Magazine featured a story titled "Here's How PewDiePie Reinvented Fame" mentioning how the YouTuber dominated over celebrities like Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, among others. Image retrieved from Time.
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