YouTube offers creators millions to not post on Netflix

YouTube Alphabet Inc. ↗ 1.05% is offering millions of dollars to popular creators if they agree to upload their videos exclusively to the platform for a set period, marking a sharp escalation in the streaming industry's battle over creator talent. The move is a direct response to Netflix's ↘ 0.69% growing campaign to bring top YouTubers onto its service.

The Exclusivity Push

The video platform has discussed directly financing some programs and has also offered to allot a portion of major brand deals to creators, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the news on Wednesday citing people familiar with the negotiations. YouTube hasn't finalized deals with any creators but is close to agreements with several partners, the people said.bloomberg

The Verge confirmed the report, noting that YouTube is "close an agreement with several partners" though hasn't signed any deals yet.The Verge

The offer represents a reversal of YouTube's earlier stance. As recently as July, the company had refused to pay creators to turn down Netflix, with its position being that its 55% ad revenue split was already generous enough, according to Production Lot.Production Lot

Netflix's Creator Strategy

Netflix has spent much of 2025 and 2026 assembling a roster of YouTube's most popular names. The streamer has signed non-exclusive licensing deals with Ms. Rachel, Mark Rober, the Sidemen, Rhett & Link, Nick DiGiovanni, Alan Chikin Chow, and the Stokes Twins, paying a few million dollars a year to stream their videos the same day they appear on YouTube. The arrangement has worked: Ms. Rachel's content drew 69 million views on Netflix in the first half of 2026.cryptobriefing+2

Netflix has also pursued more aggressive exclusive deals. In February, it signed a multi-year exclusive development deal with Jordan and Salish Matter. In May, Netflix and Spotify ↗ 0.11% together paid roughly $100 million to exclusively license Jay Shetty's podcast "On Purpose," pulling new episodes off YouTube entirely.Tubefilter+1

What's at Stake

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said in March that the platform's best creators would "never leave their home". But Netflix's escalation from non-exclusive licensing to exclusive talent lockups appears to have forced YouTube's hand.techbuzz.ai

For creators, the emerging dynamic creates a bidding environment that could reshape how the creator economy distributes value — with platforms now competing not just for viewers but for the talent that draws them.