And smaller creators aren’t happy. In this Uppload we’re breaking down controversial updates to YouTube’s Partner Program and why it’s not the death knell for earnings you might think it is. Stick around to hear how streamers are cashing in from esports, what creators really think about AI, plus an all-new collection from creator and Uppbeat partner Chollette.
YouTube doubles monetization requirements
1,000 subs. 8,000 watch hours. 20 million Short views. Earlier this month, YouTube announced it is effectively doubling what it takes to monetize your content via its Partner Program (YPP).
If you haven’t had a chance to read the new conditions and/or scream into the void yet, we’ve broken down the exact changes over on The Uppbeat Blog. But what do they actually mean for creators? And why make changes at all?
“Stewards of the creator economy,” YouTube now clocks over 200 billion daily Shorts views and over a billion hours of watch time on TV a day. It says it wants to “keep pace with this growth” and ensure creator earnings from the program are “meaningful.” The internet is less convinced.
The concerns →
- Bye, bye pocket cash. What counts as “meaningful” cash for a billion-dollar platform vs a part-time creator is obviously very different. Even an extra $200 a month can go a long way.
- A money grab? Creators in the YPP earn a 45-55% cut of ad revenue from their content. Raising the bar to entry means that YouTube will keep 100% of ad revenue for much longer, effectively increasing its own earnings.
- Creators at the top. YouTube projects to pay out even more in Creator earnings in 2027 than 2026… but how much of that will be paid out to newer creators? The concern is that earnings will stay among established creators, bolstering their monopoly on the platform.
- Who grinds, wins. With the earnings threshold for Shorts rising, some have voiced concerns that creators will be pushed to burnout to hit that golden 20 million watch hours. Or even that there could be the proliferation of AI slop to plug the gaps in posting schedules.
Changes only come into place 1 February 2027, which means there’s still time to meet the current ‘1k subs, + 4k watch hours or 10 million Shorts view’ milestone (some creators are even making a game of it, #Raceto4k). But if you are a smaller creator, don’t be disheartened. There are some very real wins in this whole thing.
It’s getting easier to clock watch hours → YouTube directly recognizes that TV watch hours are sky rocketing. So, take notes. Optimize for TV by grouping content into episodes and series, and don’t forget to add end screens. Your content will continue to roll past one video and your watch hours will climb, with no extra effort on your part.
Ad revenue isn’t everything → YouTube recognizes this in its own update by increasing earnings from Premium Lite views and adding cash bonuses for Shorts creators. But another, often overlooked, cash flow is brand deals.
49% of creators make most of their money from brand deals (neoreach), a revenue stream with no entry requirements. Pair that with other ways to monetize your audience – for example, merch or digital products sold on Shopify – and you might not need to rely on the YPP at all to make money.
Inside the booming world of Esports
Gaming is huge, and we mean huge. 3.3 billion people play video games, making up more than a third of the world’s population and contributing to an estimated net worth of $500 billion. It makes sense, then, that it’s also the most-watched creator niche in the world… and one of the most profitable too.
Introducing, The Esports World Cup → $7 million – the amount champions AG.AL won just last week in the Esports World Cup (EWC), a tournament featuring 2,000 pro gamers competing across 24 iconic online games like Fortnite and Mobile Legends.
EWC was streamed across Twitch, YouTube, TikTok and clocked an 850 million global viewership, with 440 million watch hours. This is crazy popular, but it’s not a viewership unique to just EWC. The world of esports is a thriving entertainment industry, hitting over 3 billion watch hours in 2025, a figure projected to keep on growing. How? We have a hunch.
The streaming engine → Creators like Shroud, TimTheTatman and Nadeshot have popularised competitive gaming through regular streams and, in the process, revealed just how connected the two are…
- Brought to you by creators. 51% of EWC hours watched were on non-official channels, aka. creator streams. Streamers like Snax Gaming and caedrel bring the games directly to their global audiences, without them having to seek out esports platforms themselves.
- Easy to idolize. Just as soccer fans can’t get enough of Messi, gaming fans have their own idols. Pro gamers (like Tarik) often launch successful streaming careers once they stop competing full-time, with lots of content focused on their pro-level gameplay.
- A chance to step out of the chair… and into another. The streamer to pro gamer pipeline is a very real one, with reports of streamers actively scouted for esports teams due to their “marketability” or popularity online. It makes sense. Seeing your favorite Twitch creator make it big in tournaments can often be a first introduction to esports and, if you’re a gamer yourself, an inspiring look at where your Fortnite ranking could take you.
The streaming opportunity → In 2026, EWC invested a massive $2 million in co-streamers, increasing the number of partners by 42% to 5,000 through their highly-lucrative Creator Program. But this is only the beginning.
Lots of people might think that gaming is an oversaturated niche. In reality, there’s tons of opportunities out there to carve your own space and capture a slice of the billions of gaming watch hours a month. And, as large organizations (like the EWC) start to recognize the power of streamers to connect with huge audiences, we’re only going to see monetization opportunities increase too. Exciting?
What are we watching?
We talked to Uppbeat’s Product Coordinator, Lulu, about a creator she’s been loving recently and why.
What’s your favorite channel right now? “I found dj kisscam (@djkisscam) on YouTube recently, and I’m obsessed. She mixes her own tracks and is the pinnacle of cool."
3 words to describe them? “Groovy. Niche. Decks."
Why do you love them? “I just love her vibe, and there’s something really inspiring about watching someone document their own skills. And the tracks are always A+."
We think they would love… "Our Wonky Beats collection. Groovy, just like her own mixed tracks."
Elsewhere on the web
- What makes a great caption? Instagram shares tips for getting seen.
- This one hurt to read. Thousands of rare books are being destroyed to train AI models.
- “Death by a thousand cuts.” Meta battles $1.4 trillion in law suits.
- YouTube changes how it counts ‘visible views’, but your earnings will stay the same.
- Hank Green gets cancelled for using AI. The internet is divided.
- A “significant threat.” Podcasters rage against a new Spotify update that could hurt earnings.
- Star-struck or stalker? Disney creator defends her love of Peter Pan.
Latest Uppdates
What do creators really think about AI? We surveyed over 1.7k YouTubers, TikTokers, freelancers and creatives about their thoughts on generative AI and the future of creativity. The Uppbeat Creator Report brings our findings together, and is completely free to download!
Want to keep learning? Check out our short editing tutorials on Instagram (like this one on cut outs). Or if your edit is complete, add the finishing touches with a playlist of cinematic beats chosen by creator Chollette.
