YouTube is offering multimillion-dollar incentives to its most popular creators in exchange for platform exclusivity, as competition with Netflix intensifies over top-tier digital talent.
The deals, still in early negotiation, include direct production funding and preferential access to major advertising deals. YouTube has warned creators who simultaneously publish on Netflix that they risk exclusion from marketing campaigns, company events, and lucrative brand partnerships.
Netflix, which has over 325 million subscribers, has already signed creators including Alan Chikin Chow and Nick DiGiovanni and developed a programme with Mark Rober. However, Netflix's requirement for early video delivery and removal of existing sponsorships has proved incompatible with many creators' workflows. YouTube expects its creator payouts in 2027 to exceed those of 2026, having previously paid out over $100 billion to creators and media companies across the prior four years.