YouTube unveiled a slate of Canadian-made creator programming and new shopping features at YouTube Features, a marketing event held in Toronto on September 17 alongside the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), according to the company’s blog post.

The event was hosted by creator Kareem Rahma, whose “Subway Takes” series will expand to Canada with “Subway Takes Toronto,” set to launch on YouTube in 2027 with what Variety described as “iconic Canadian guests.” The broader programming slate includes sports content from Olympians Tessa Virtue and Sarah Nurse, food shows from Matty Matheson and Susur Lee, and lifestyle programming from Jeenie Weenie, Alexandra Gater, and the Kalogeras Sisters. Julie Nolke, known for her COVID-era “explaining the pandemic to past self” videos, will star in a scripted dark comedy called “Becky and Miranda” that pairs a millennial friendship with a serial-killing plot.

Nicole Bell, Head of YouTube Canada, told The Hollywood Reporter that the creators are running their own shows. “They get to green light themselves and decide what their content will look like,” she said. “They get to continue owning their IP, owning all their audience, and going directly to that audience and getting feedback.”

YouTube also announced new partnerships with TIFF and the CFL, adding to an existing “Preferred Platform” arrangement with FIFA and coverage of cultural events including Coachella. A new partnership with FloSports will bring live coverage of major junior and development hockey, including the AHL, QMJHL and OHL, to YouTube through FloSports’ FloHockey channel, anchored by a weekly “FloHockey Game of the Week.” YouTube cited Numeris data showing it has been Canada’s most-watched streaming platform for three consecutive quarters, ahead of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney’s services.

The company pointed to RBC as a case study in creator-driven marketing, saying the bank’s shift to a “full digital-first YouTube strategy,” built around formats including Shorts, Peak Points and Pause Ads and tied to events like the Olympics, March Madness, the NFL and FIFA, drove a 13% increase in brand consideration. YouTube also cited Numeris-sourced figures that 79% of Canadians consider it the video platform they trust most, and that viewers are 13 times more likely to search for a product and five times more likely to buy it after a creator mentions it on the platform.

On the monetization side, YouTube introduced “Creator Partnerships Boost,” now available, which lets brands promote creator videos as ads within their AI-powered ad campaigns. The company also said Buy with Google Pay is coming to Canada later this year, letting viewers complete purchases on connected TVs in two clicks. The feature extends a shopping push YouTube has been building out over the past year; the platform added Amazon to its U.S. Shopping Affiliate Program in August, joining a merchant roster that already included Nike, Etsy, Best Buy and others, after reporting more than 35 billion hours of shopping-related content watched on the platform.

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