YouTube Sponsor Button: How to Enable Sponsorship on YouTube

Since 2017, gaming channels on YouTube started displaying a Sponsor button next to the Subscribe button.

As explained in CNET, fans of YouTube Gaming channels were able to show their support for their favourite channels by paying a monthly fee ($4.99) giving them access to exclusive perks like live streams not available to the general public.

The requirements for gaming channels are quite simple:

• channels should have at least 1,000 subscribers

• the channel owner must be over 18 years old

• the channel must be already monetised.

The sponsorship payment is split on a 70/30 basis, of which 70% goes to the YouTube creator and 30% goes to YouTube. YouTube absorbs all the payment processing costs.

YouTube introduced the sponsor feature after many gaming channels started focusing their attention on the livestreaming platform Twitch, which has always offered sponsorship. For example, YouTube celebrity creator PewDiePie started a Twitch show in 2017. Twitch is an Amazon company.

As advertising revenue for creators have been less reliable, the survival of a YouTube channel depends on various types of sponsorship, both from fans (including the SuperChat feature during livestreams) and from brands.

In 2018 YouTube started a beta programme giving access to sponsorship to non-gaming channels. YouTube hand-picked a number of channels to start with and will roll out the sponsor feature more widely in the future.

You can find out if you are already eligible for sponsorship by going to the YouTube Support page. You must be logged in to YouTube to check your status. If you are eligible you will see a banner prompting you to take the next steps.

If you are a small channel with non-gaming content, you may have a long wait ahead before you can start accepting sponsorship.

The requirements to display a Sponsor button on a channel are:

• having more than 100,000 subscribers

• be already enrolled in the YouTube Partner Program

• the content creator must be over 18 years old

• the content creator must be in one of the available locations (see list below)

• agree to and comply with YouTube’s terms and policies (please bear in mind that these are updated on a regular basis)

• the channel must not have any live strikes

A further requirement is that any perks associated with sponsorship should comply with YouTube’s terms. If a perk violates the terms, sponsorship will be terminated. Viewers and sponsors that notice that a perk is inappropriate can report it.

YouTube admits that some channels that have less than 100,000 subscribers have trialled the programme to help test the sponsorship programme and improve it through their feedback.

YouTube consultant Derral Eves made a useful video explaining how the YouTube Sponsor feature works.

YouTube has published a list of countries where channels can receive sponsorship:

• Argentina

• Australia

• Austria

• Belgium

• Bosnia & Herzegovina

• Brazil

• Canada

• Chile

• Colombia

• Denmark

• Finland

• France

• Germany

• Greece

• Hong Kong

• Hungary

• India

• Ireland

• Italy

• Japan

• Macedonia

• Mexico

• Netherlands

• New Zealand

• Norway

• Peru

• Philippines

• Poland

• Portugal

• Russia

• Senegal

• Slovakia

• Slovenia

• South Korea

• Spain

• Sweden

• Switzerland

• Taiwan

• Uganda

• United Kingdom

• United States

YouTube content and sponsorship perks must adhere to the community guidelines. Channels on YouTube should not have:

• nudity or sexual content

• harmful or dangerous content

• hateful content

• violent or graphic content

• harassment or cyberbullying

• spam, misleading metadata and spam

• threats

• copyright infringement

• disclose someone’s personal information without their consent

• impersonation

• child endangerment

Also, vulgar language will result in limiting the audience of the video through age restriction settings.

If creators want to keep their channel monetised, their content should be advertiser-friendly. Severe violations may result in loss of privileges and, ultimately, a channel can get suspended or revoked.

Sponsorship payments have the same rules as AdSense payments: once you reach the minimum threshold, you receive the payment approximately a month later.

Please note that sponsors can terminate their sponsorship at any time.

Do you think your channel has a good chance to receive YouTube sponsorship? Please join the poll.

Do you want to be a better YouTuber? Find out more in this article.