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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After three straight weeks of Dave Ramsey dominance, he’s no longer in our top 5…but that doesn’t mean he’s not getting sponsors. Just like in previous weeks, Ramsey posted around ~30 sponsored videos across his channels, generating brand income on top of millions of views’ worth of passive income. Seems like a smart financial decision to us.
What did make our top 5 this week is a mix, from chicken Shorts to Kill Tony. Check ’em all out here:
#1 Nothing Phone (3) – What have you done!?
Channel: Mrwhosetheboss
Brand: Incogni
Views: 4,523,945
When it comes to phones these days, most consumers go with iOS or Android, and those operating systems have in some ways become synonymous with major phone producers like Apple and Samsung. But there are other options out there, and one of them is Nothing. Launched in 2020, the company’s main selling point seems to be “We’re different.” It started with transparent wireless earbuds, and then got into smartphones. The latest model? Nothing 3, which costs a cheeky $800. And, according to Mrwhosetheboss, it’s probably not worth that price. (Oh, btw, this video isn’t sponsored by Nothing; it’s a plug for personal data protection service Incogni, which sponsored around ~50 videos this week.)
#2 #ad Bacon Wrapped Chicken Lollipops @SandersonFarmsTV
Channel: Foodwithbearhands
Brand: Sanderson Farms
Views: 3,169,671
It’s rare that we see smaller channels make our top 5. It takes millions of views to top all the other sponsored content on YouTube, and for most channels under a few hundred thousand subscriber, that view count isn’t achievable. But, well, Foodwithbearhands broke the standard this week. He’s at spot #2 with 146,000 subscribers and over 3 million views for this video about honey BBQ-drenched chicken lollipops. So why did this video go viral? Don’t get us wrong–the dish here looks delicious. But if you glance through its comments, you’ll start to see why it’s getting so much attention. That chicken Foodwithbearhands is using came from his video sponsor Sanderson Farms, which has faced lawsuits over numerous allegations: use of antibiotics and treatment of chickens, putting out misleading advertising, suppressing worker pay and engaging in “deceptive abuses” against farmers, and price-fixing. Yikes.
#3 KT #725 – MATT RIFE + TONY CARUSO (ADAM RAY)
Channel: Kill Tony
Brand: Tecovas
Views: 3,326,920
Matt Rife has made a standup career out of his prettyboy glowup, and after going megaviral on TikTok has received what seems to be the stamp of approval for right-wing-bait comedy: a guest spot on Kill Tony. What’s more, he shares top billing this episode with a more historic megastar, Tony Caruso. If you’re thinking Wait, am I hallucinating that Tony Caruso died on April 4, 2003, in Brentwood, Los Angeles? no, you’re not. Caruso is no longer with us, but is embodied Saturday Night Live-style by Adam Ray. And, given Caruso’s tour de force in midcentury Western films, it’s appropriate that this show is sponsored by cowboy outfitter Tecovas.
#4 Most Viral Food Hacks
Channel: Blatant Reviews
Brand: EZ Bombs
Views: 2,795,179
Anyone else getting hungry? For our second top 5 Short this week, Blatant Reviews gives his honest opinion on viral food hacks. Some suck, some are great, and he got 2.7 million views for just over a minute of content. That’s 2.7 million eyes (or, well, 5.4 million, we suppose) for EZ Bombs. Why is that sponsor great for this video? Because they make birria bombs, and birria has been one of the most viral foods over the last couple years, leading to birria tacos on every menu from Taco Bell to decades-old family joints in NYC.
BONUS #1,133 Criminally Fast Filmmaking w/ Smallrig’s Prime Day Deals
Channel: Standard Story Company
Brand: SmallRig
Views: 62,095
Prime Day is already over (sorry), but in the leadup, brands were splashing on YouTube advertising, hoping their products would get snapped up in the three-day shopathon. In this case, film equipment company SmallRig paid Kent Lamm of Standard Storytelling Company–a YouTube channel about improving narrative strength in movies–to show how its vast catalog of products can help aspiring filmmakers quickly turn their story ideas into full-fledged films. Lamm was the only creator SmallRig sponsored this week, and with Prime Day 2025 racking up an estimated $24 billion, we’re curious how much his traffic helped the brand capture.
…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.
