Sponsored content on YouTube increased dramatically in 2025, representing a major shift in how brands allocate marketing resources, according to new industry data.

YouTube sponsorships jumped 54% year-over-year in the first half of 2025, according to figures released by Tubefilter’s Gospel Stats. The research tracks 65,759 sponsored videos during this period, generating 19.1 billion total views – an increase of nearly 28% compared to the same period last year.

The surge represents significant growth in creator-driven advertising that operates outside YouTube’s traditional ad network and isn’t reflected in Google’s reported revenue figures for the platform.

Top Sponsors Emerge

News aggregation service Ground News leads brand sponsors with 1,863 integrations in the first half of 2025, showing 202% year-over-year growth. Squarespace, BetterHelp, and DraftKings follow as the next most prolific sponsors based on integration volume.

When ranked by total video views, Ground News maintains the top position with 664 million views, followed by Shopify, BetterHelp, and Incogni.

Creator Leaders

MrBeast ranks as the top creator for sponsored content with 1.4 billion views on brand-supported videos. The Ramsey Show, Linus Tech Tips, and MeidasTouch round out the leading creators by sponsored view counts.

The research methodology includes only videos with at least 25,000 views within seven days of upload from English-speaking channels, with video counts based on 90-day view metrics.

Platform Evolution

Gospel Stats operates as part of Tubefilter, a publication covering YouTube and online video since 2007. Originally focused on creator discovery, the platform now provides sponsorship insights and analytics through a paid subscription service.

“We thought when we first started out that creators are going to be the future of entertainment. We didn’t realize it would also be the future of marketing, media, advertising and more,” said Tubefilter founder and COO Joshua Cohen.

The company currently serves a few dozen customers acquired through word of mouth, according to Cohen.

YouTube’s Response

YouTube acknowledges the growing importance of sponsorships in its ecosystem. At its recent Made on YouTube  event in New York, the company unveiled a new feature allowing creators to dynamically insert branded segments, making sponsored content easier to update, resell, and track.

When questioned about potential revenue sharing from these brand deals, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan emphasized creator benefits without confirming whether the platform would take a commission.

“If we can make that process easier and more effective for you, recognizing that that’s a meaningful part of all of your businesses … I think that’s good for the overall sort of creator ecosystem,” Mohan said at the event.

The rise in YouTube sponsorships reflects a broader industry trend toward personality-driven marketing campaigns that function independently from traditional advertising networks, representing a fundamental shift in digital marketing strategy.

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