YouTube is in talks with popular video creators for multi-million dollar deals to keep them exclusively on the platform for a set period. The move is aimed at countering Netflix's efforts to attract top names from YouTube through licensing and exclusive agreements.
According to sources familiar with the negotiations, YouTube is offering various forms of financial support. Among the options being discussed are direct production funding and creator participation in revenue from major advertising campaigns negotiated by the platform.
As of now, there are no officially finalized contracts, but YouTube is close to agreements with several partners. Terms are negotiated individually and depend on the scale, audience, and commercial value of each channel.
Open competition for exclusivity
The new approach is a shift from YouTube's stance in July. At that time, the company did not want to pay creators to reject offers from Netflix, arguing that the model of a 55% share of advertising revenue for creators already offered sufficiently good terms.
Now, YouTube is prepared to use financial incentives to remain the primary place for content publication. According to media reports, the platform has warned some partners that simultaneously uploading videos to Netflix could affect their participation in advertising campaigns and other promotional opportunities.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan stated in March that the platform's biggest creators would "never leave their home." However, Netflix's increased interest in the same authors is clearly causing YouTube to rethink its strategy.
Netflix expands its catalog
In 2025 and 2026, Netflix entered into non-exclusive licensing agreements with popular authors, including Ms. Rachel, Mark Rober, Sidemen, Rhett & Link, Nick DiGiovanni, Alan Chikin Chow, and the Stokes Twins. Under this model, Netflix receives the right to air their videos on the same day they are published on YouTube.
The results of this approach are already visible in the statistics. Two seasons of Ms. Rachel's content garnered a total of 69 million views on Netflix in the first half of 2026. Mark Rober's "CrunchLabs" reached 36 million views across four seasons, and the productions of Jordan and Salish Matter – 29 million views across two seasons.
Netflix also uses a stricter model for some contracts. In February, the company signed a multi-year exclusive content development agreement with Jordan and Salish Matter.
The deal for "On Purpose"
In May, Netflix and Spotify entered into a multi-year exclusive agreement for the video version of Jay Shetty's "On Purpose" podcast. The deal is valued at up to $100 million, according to sources familiar with the terms.
New episodes of the video podcast are no longer published on YouTube. The video format is available through Netflix, and the audio version – on Spotify. Older episodes and short promotional clips may remain on YouTube.
What this means for authors
The competition between YouTube and Netflix is changing the economics of digital content. Platforms are now competing not just for subscribers and advertisers, but also for the authors who attract a loyal audience.
For creators, this creates an opportunity for higher income and better contractual terms, but it also presents a difficult choice: to maintain their freedom and direct connection with their audience on YouTube or to accept guaranteed funding and exclusivity on a streaming service.