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.
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If our last Gospel Stats Weekly Brand Report was all about scientists (who, btw, also came up in the news cycle as a notable source of hope for viewers on social media), this week’s is a return to the old guard, with MrBeast back in spot #1 and podcasts slurping up spots #2 and #3. Then we’ve got a gas station run from FaZe Clan and…we’ll keep the bonus vid a secret for now.
Check ’em all out below:
#1 Men Vs Women Survive The Wilderness For $500,000
Channel: MrBeast
Brand: Dude Wipes
Views: 93,282,052
MrBeast is currently mired in controversy, but it hasn’t affected his ability to take YouTube‘s top spot when he puts out sponsored content. His monthly view count did drop from 2.5 billion in July to 1.9 billion in August, and just over 1 billion so far this month, but he outpaces other creators by such a large margin that even when his viewership does decline, he’s still tens of millions of views ahead of his closest competition. That’s the case this week, where his latest video (featuring five men and five women dropped “in the middle of the wilderness” to see which group can survive longest for a prize of $500,000) has racked up 93 million views. The #2 vid? It brought in 5 million. MrBeast’s men vs. women competition is sponsored by Dude Wipes, a very social media-savvy brand that only sponsored him this week.
#2 KT #680 – MADISON SQUARE GARDEN (NIGHT ONE) – JOE ROGAN + SHANE GILLIS
Channel: Kill Tony
Brand: Hims
Views: 5,521,107
To be clear, 5 million views is nothing to sneeze at, especially when those views are coming from a live premiere of a podcast event held in Madison Square Garden. Kill Tony, a comedy podcast hosted by Tony Hinchcliffe and Brian Redban and recorded live every week, has popped up on our top 5 before, and this was possibly its biggest event yet. Featuring nearly 20 guest stars, including fellow podcasters Joe Rogan and Shane Gillis, the event sold out to nearly 20,000 live audience members–and welcomed some of those audience members onstage for 60-second, off-the-cuff comedy sets. The whole shebang was sponsored by men’s telehealth service Hims, which also sponsored episodes of two other podcasts: the Dropouts Podcast (#542) and Dudes Behind the Foods (#1,509).
#3 Post Malone | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #529
Channel: Theo Von
Brand: PrizePicks, Boot Barn, Manscaped
Views: 4,072,358
But we’re not done with podcasts yet. Another previous top 5 featuree, Theo Von, made third place with an episode of his long-running show This Past Weekend, featuring singer/songwriter/producer Post Malone. Fresh off his Grand Ole Opry debut, Malone tells Von about his new country album F-1 Trillion, plus “bringing a katana to the birth of his daughter, and his advice to young artists making music,” per the official episode description. The duo’s two-hour chat has snagged just over 4 million views for a bevy of sponsors, including PrizePicks, Boot Barn, and Manscaped.
#4 Eating ONLY Gas Station Food for 24 HOURS!!
Channel: FaZe Rug
Brand: Underdog Fantasy
Views: 4,069,149
Craving a good ol’ gas station hot dog? You will be after watching FaZe Rug‘s latest vid. He and friend/fellow creator noahsimplistic spend a full 24 hours pigging out on delicacies from various gas stations, with a few challenges thrown in (like spinning a wheel to pick a color, and only buying foods and drinks of that color). We understand some people might not have the palate for this, but we’re chomping at the bit for some Slurpees and Skittles right about now. Rug’s video is sponsored by Underdog Fantasy–which isn’t a surprise, considering his parent org FaZe Clan is pretty into fantasy, having gotten an $11 million investment from DraftKings co-founder Matt Kalish this past May.
BONUS #1,583 SKETCH WITH ME ✨ NEW Pens + BRIGHT Flowers!
Channel: Jess Karp
Brand: Squarespace
Views: 30,815
With all the high-octane content in this week’s top 5, we figured we’d cap it off with something more peaceful. Artist Jess Karp has brought in nearly half a million subscribers with her low-key, art-focused videos, where she shows herself drawing, often in real time, and often while giving pointers about the piece for artists who want to get on her skill level. In this soothing 16-minute video sponsored by Squarespace, she fills a page in her sketchbook with vibrant flowers. The whole thing’s a vibe, with chill music and a gentle voiceover, so if you’re a little worn out from all the challenges and stand-up comedy, take it easy on Karp’s channel for a while.
…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.
