Top 5 Branded Videos of the Week: Podcasts, super glue, and NASA’s big plans

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.

Podcasters are having a moment in the White House right now–and over on YouTube, too. Around this time last year, we saw a spike in podcast viewership right before the Super Bowl, with the Kelce brothers‘ podcast New Heights regularly hitting the top 5 in our Gospel Stats Weekly Brand Report. This year, instead of sportsball podcasts, it’s entertainment and political shows, with a dash of our usual science suspects.

Check ’em all out right here:

#1 Katt Williams | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #558
Channel: Theo Von
Brand: Celsius, PrizePicks, Moonpay, Tecovas, Blinds, Manscaped
Views: 9,034,435

Theo Von is among the contingent of podcasters who were tapped for Trump‘s pre-election press run–and since Trump was elected, he’s enjoyed a somewhat privileged place in the right-wing community. His viewership on YouTube has steadily increased since November, and with this latest episode–guest-starring stand-up comedian and actor Katt Williams–he’s officially at spot #1 for the week. The video has so far brought over 9 million views for sponsors Celsius, PrizePicks, Moonpay, Tecovas, Blinds, and Manscaped, all of which frequently pay for space on podcasts.

#2 Why Super Glue Is Perfect For Gluing Skin
Channel: Veritasium
Brand: Brilliant
Views: 8,202,365

We’ve all been warned at some point in our lives: Don’t get super glue on your skin. But are there circumstances where you may actually want to use it? Veritasium dives in this week, and (without spoiling too much) it turns out that, yes–super glue can be a viable medical tool. If you’re in a pinch with no bandages, a wound that’s not too deep, and a bottle of super glue, it might be worth a shot. As for why, that’s where we’ll let Veritasium steps in. His explanation is sponsored by frequent partner Brilliant and is all science-based, breaking down the chemical properties of super glue, how it works, and why it could save a life.

#3 KT#702 – SHANE GILLIS + MARK NORMAND + ARI SHAFFIR
Channel: Kill Tony
Brand: Shopify
Views: 4,080,153

Kill Tony is our second podcast to make the top 5 this week. This live-filmed show puts together a smorgasbord of stand-up comedians each week, and this week’s lineup–sponsored by Shopify–includes two hours of riffing from Shane Gillis, Mark Normand, Ari Shaffir, Kam Patterson, William Montgomery, Ari Matti, Hans Kim, D Madness, Michael A. Gonzales, Jon Deas, Matthew Muehling, Joe White, Kristie Nova, Yoni, Troy Conrad, Tony Hinchcliffe, and Brian Redban. Shopify also sponsored eight other videos this week, including an episode of the podcast Bad Friends.

#4 What’s the Hardest Year of College?
Channel: Gohar Khan
Brand: Notion
Views: 4,006,041

Something pretty rare in spot #4: a Short. Gohar Khan‘s video is essentially a 35-second ad for workspace app Notion, where he walks through how the service’s tools can help college students at different stages. Freshmen need help tracking their busy schedules, sophomores need to organize more notes for harder classes, juniors are trying to track internship applications, and seniors are tying up loose ends while applying for jobs. Khan’s not wrong about any of it, but the video isn’t super in-depth; most of the chatter about it is driven by people sharing their college experiences in the comments. We’d be curious to see what Notion’s click-through rate was here…

BONUS #492 NASA’s Plan to Build Cloud City On Venus (and other questions)
Channel: Joe Scott
Brand: Nebula
Views: 215,277

Creator-owned streaming service Nebula continues to grow and continues to be a one of the biggest sponsors of edutainment content on YouTube. This week it sponsored nearly 20 videos–including this one from Joe Scott, who describes himself as a “curator of interestingness” and a “purveyor of fine science.” It’s a 31-minute rundown of top-asked questions from Scott’s science-minded community, including whether NASA could actually build a “cloud city” on Venus, how terraforming alien planets would work, whether an EMP would knock out home electronics, and the mysteries of the Mayan calendar.

…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.