【AI前沿】YouTube is courting creators — and sponsors — with streaming shows

NewsPodcastsStreamingYouTube is courting creators — and sponsors — with streaming showsThe platform announced a slew of new shows from popular creators in front of a room full of brands and advertisers.The platform announced a slew of new shows from popular creators in front of a room full of brands and advertisers.byMia SatoMay 13, 2026, 9:30 PM UTCLinkShareGiftImage: YouTubeMia Satois features writer with five years of experience covering the companies that shape technology and the people who use their tools.In the ongoing fight for content and talent, YouTube is pitching itself as the connector between the creators and advertisers — and marketing its creators not just as the future of social media, but also of advertising, TV, streaming, and entertainment more broadly.At the company’s annual advertiser event in New York on Wednesday, YouTube introduced a new slate of exclusive shows coming to the platform, hosted by some big names: a travel show with Trevor Noah, a Met Gala documentary series from podcaster Alex Cooper, a new series from Kareem Rahma, the host of the popular showSubway Takes,and more. The pitch to advertisers: Invest in these YouTube-only series.On the content creator side, YouTube’s appeal has long been its relatively generous ad revenue split that creators earn through views. But the company has steadily added more and more ways for content creators to make money, likeshoppingfeatures anda hub for brandsto find creators that might be a fit for them. Advertisers are also increasinglydumping money into sponsored videos, where creators can swap out brand sponsors when a campaign is over, essentially creating a billboard that constantly updates.RelatedIt’s finally time to retire the word ‘podcast’YouTube is everything and everything is YouTubeYouTube accounts for a huge chunk of what people watch: 12.7 percent of all TV viewing,according to Nielsen. It also offers advertisers more than 3 million eligible content creators whose content can serve as an ad space, along with built-in AI tools to help advertisers find those channels. RahmatoldThe New York Timesthis week that when he started posting his series on YouTube, the company offered to help him secure sponsors for his new show (and spin up his Emmy campaign). YouTubehas triedto make its own original content with celebrities and internet stars in the past, but it has largely flopped (YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has said executives “weren’t good at picking content”). The companyseems to have realizedthat it makes more sense for it to be a platform for video content that creators are already making — and a place to find brands that will bankroll that work.YouTube has to offer creators something unique to keep them on the platform. Even though YouTube played a major role in the podcast world’s pivot to video and is also the top podcast platform, some creators have jumped ship — especially to Netflix, which is building up its own slate of video podcasts. In December, iHeartRadiobrought 15 shows to Netflix, includingThe Breakfast ClubandMy Favorite Murder.Netflix alsolaunchedits first original podcasts in January: one hosted by comedian Pete Davidson and another with sports commentator and former NFL player Michael Irvin.Follow topics and authorsfrom this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Mia SatoCreatorsNewsPodcastsStreamingTechYouTubeMost PopularMost PopularGoogle announces its Chromebook successor: the GooglebookAndroid Auto is now one (screen) size fits allWhy does the Googlebook exist?Sam Altman was winning on the stand, but it might not be enoughThe 9 biggest new features in Android 17The Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to ourTermsandPrivacy Notice.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the GooglePrivacy PolicyandTerms of Serviceapply.Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native ad