Top 5 Branded Videos of the Week: MrBeast’s latest sponsored smash is fun for all ages

Welcome to our rundown of the most-watched branded YouTube videos of the week.

We’re publishing this snippet of a larger Gospel Stats Weekly Brand Report in order to analyze sponsorship trends in the creator economy. Any video launched in tandem with an official brand partner is eligible for the ranking.

And – as the name up above would imply – all the data comes from Gospel Stats. If you’re interested in learning more about Gospel – and which brands are sponsoring what creators on YouTube – click here.

MrBeast continues to show us that he’s in a league of his own as far as YouTube is concerned. The North Carolina-based creator, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, produced the most-watched sponsored video released during the third week of April. During that week, the qualifying MrBeast video earned more than 111 million views. That’s ten times more views than the traffic earned by the #2 finisher in the Weekly Brand Report over the same period. So what did Donaldson do to get people so fired up? The answer is fun for the whole family.

#1 Ages 1 – 100 Decide Who Wins $250,000
Channel: MrBeast
Brand: Samsung, Top Troops

MrBeast captivated YouTube by gathering 100 participants with different ages and asking them to choose one person among them to take home a cash prize. His 1-to-100 conceit featured a pair of sponsors: The first is Samsung, which continues to reap the benefits of a partnership that made it the official vlog camera of the MrBeast empire. In this video, Samsung is joined by Top Troops, a mobile game that teamed up with MrBeast for a line of in-game goodies. Want to know why Top Troops publisher Socialpoint was so eager to put MrBeast into a game? This video’s cross-generational appeal provides a partial answer.

#2 THREE KNOCKDOWNS | Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia Fight Highlights
Channel: DAZN Boxing
Brand: Autozone

Sometimes, a sponsor and a content partner align in a perfect constellation of synergy. If you’ve ever seen an Autozone commercial, you’ll probably be able to recall the automotive brand’s slogan: “Get in the zone, Autozone.” As it so happens, “da zone” is also the proper pronunciation for DAZN, a broadcaster known for its presence in the combat sports world. To watch a recent match recap sponsored by Autozone, boxing fans had to (literally!) get in DAZN. I’d like to believe that pun is intentional, though DAZN’s large subscriber base (which includes more than four million boxing fans) makes it a prime partner for many brands.

#3 There Are Thousands of Alien Empires in The Milky Way
Channel: Kurzgesagt – In A Nutshell
Brand: Ground News

Kurzgesagt is a massively popular channel that explains big ideas “in a nutshell” — hence its name. In mid-April, this Weekly Brand Report stalwart took a closer look at the Fermi Paradox, which attempts to determine why earthlings have not been contacted by intelligent, extraterrestrial life. Kurzgesagt‘s take on the topic is a little different from what you might find in an astronomy textbook, but its chosen sponsor is pretty typical: As it often does, Kurzgesagt is using its platform to support unbiased info source Ground News.

#4 I Built a SECRET Room in a MALL
Channel: FaZe Rug
Brand: Underdog Fantasy

FaZe Rug is having a huge April. The creator and FaZe Clan member, whose real name is Brian Awadis, reached the top of our Weekly Brand Report two weeks ago when he attempted to FaceTime some of the biggest names on YouTube. He then returned with another public stunt: He built a secret room in a mall to see if he could successfully hide from a bounty hunter. The tenor of this video is a little different than what Awadis gave us in the FaceTime clip, but both videos have the same sponsor. Underdog Fantasy must be pleased to have such a big creator supporting its sports betting service.

BONUS #1,915 BOSTON MARATHON WATCH PARTY: LIVE FROM THE CITIUS CAFE
Channel: CITIUS MAG
Brand: Hoka

Video game speedruns have become a popular topic in the streaming community. Millions have tuned in to watch gamers win as quickly as possible, but track and field magazine CITIUS is more interested in the original speedrun: Marathoning. The mag enlisted sneaker brand Hoka to sponsor its stream of the 2024 Boston Marathon. Viewers who tuned in during the two-hour broadcast watched elite athletes attempt to cover 26.2 miles as fast as possible. It might not have been the sort of speedrunning that YouTube viewers are used to, but it still technically counts as a contribution to the category.

…and there’s a lot more data where that came from. If you’re interested in learning more about Gospel – and which brands are sponsoring what creators on YouTube – click here.