Top 5 Branded Videos of the Week: Footballers, fentanyl, Ghostface

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.

This week kicks off with a MrBeast double header–and instead of just putting people in mortal danger with Jack Link’s, he’s also putting them in emotional danger thanks to Neymar‘s soccer skills. He’s followed up by a peaceful study break from Gohar Khan, a hard look at an ever-more-popular drug from Kurzgesagt, and finally some good old-fashioned frights from Dead by Daylight streamer SpookyLoopz.

Check ’em all out right here:

#1 Beat Neymar, Win $500,000
Channel: MrBeast
Brand: T-Mobile
Views: 101,789,463

MrBeast has been putting people through the potentially deadly wringer lately, and while he goes into that in video #2 below, this video is absent of mortal danger. Well, except to people’s dignity. In this T-Mobile-sponsored, 30-minute vid, MrBeast pits civilians against Brazilian soccer star Neymar Júnior. If they can beat him at his own game, Beast man will give them $500K. No big deal, right? Júnior is just the guy who went pro at 18, and now holds the record as Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer. Totally doable.

As we mentioned, this exercise in humility is sponsored by T-Mobile, which has been dipping its toes in the water of YouTube sponsorship, but only with extremely marquee clients. One of them is Saturday Night Live, where T-Mobile has been sponsoring its preshow livestreams, and another this week is mega popular podcast Call Her Daddy.

#2 How We Make Our Deadly Traps
Channel: MrBeast 2
Brand: Jack Link’s
Views: 12,165,373

MrBeast is known for the complicated production efforts that go into his videos, and over on side channel MrBeast 2, he’s increasingly been posting behind-the-scenes videos of how major sets and stunts are accomplished for his main channel. This video is no different–except the sets and stunts it shows are just a little more death-defying than MrBeast’s usual. He’s been going hard with new partner Jack Link’s, putting contestants in perilous situations for large sums of cash. Right now, the MrBeast x Jack Link’s partnership is sort of in Red Bull territory, with their videos all involving feats of athleticism and survival. But if the sponsorship continues long-term, we’re curious what other kinds of jerky-fueled content we could see here.

#3 The Hardest College Majors
Channel: Gohar Khan
Brand: Study Hall
Views: 6,145,341

How can you make your college existence as miserable as possible? Gohar Khan can help. No no, we joke–mostly. Khan’s newest Short is a dive into the most difficult college majors, starting from what he describes as relatively easy degrees like communications (ouch…) and going all the way up to engineering. Like many sponsored Shorts, Khan’s is entirely designed to push his brand partner: Study Hall, a platform that promises users they can begin earning college creds before even stepping foot on school grounds. It offers a range of courses across disciplines, and only sponsored Khan’s video this week, giving the MIT grad entrance to a new exclusive class.

#4 Why Does Fentanyl Feel So Good?
Channel: Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
Brand: Ground News
Views: 5,208,974

In the 90s, we got speeches from T-shirt-distributing orgs that told us Drugs are bad, kids. Kurzgesagt is taking a different tack, showing the science behind what fentanyl does to the body, both good and bad. As you probably know, fentanyl has plenty of medical applications, and this video goes into the broader biology, giving viewers a look at why fentanyl helps in the hospital, and can hurt outside of it. The exploration is sponsored by frequent YouTube brand partner Ground News, which often pays for dozens of fact-sharing videos each week.

BONUS #800 This GhostFace Build is EZ Mode!
Channel: SpookyLoopz
Brand: Geologie
Views: 152,996

It’s not Halloween IRL, but in the world of Dead by Daylight, things are always spooky. Top creator SpookyLoopz is best known for two things: making the game easier for others, as he does in this video, and making it harder for himself, as he just did with his recent Hardcore Killer series. For this week’s video, it’s all about helping other DbD players clinch their victories…and, with sponsor Geologie, keep their skin baby smooth, just in case Leatherface wants a new mask.

…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.