YouTube is backing creators–and their ambitious shows–in a big way at Brandcast 2026
This year’s Brandcast truly feels like a TV upfront.
YouTube used to run Brandcast–its annual presentation wooing advertisers and providing the press/general public with updated performance metrics–during the digital-focused NewFronts. But in 2022, tracking impressive living room viewership, YouTube moved Brandcast to the week of the Upfronts, when traditional TV networks pitch their new programming lineups.
Despite the move, Brandcast’s content didn’t change much. From 2022-2025, YouTube used it to introduce ad and platform products, talk up how much watch time it generates, and hype a handful of creators as examples of content that brands’ pre- and mid-roll ads could run against.
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This year was different.
YouTube marched into New York City’s David Geffen Hall with a full lineup of creator-led programming from folks like Kareem Rahma, Jesser, HopeScope, Dude Perfect, and Cleo Abram. And while YouTube isn’t house-producing the 20-odd shows it unveiled–that’s up to creators–it does have a team working to match those shows up with brands for expansive deals.
“Welcome to Brandcast, everyone, and more importantly, welcome to the YouTube era,” CEO Neal Mohan said onstage. “For decades, the entertainment industry was built on a series of bets–programming shows based on formulas and focus groups and guessing at what would make an audience show up. At YouTube, we didn’t wait for a focus group. We built the stage and empower anyone with a story to find an audience.”
Some creator shows have already found their brand partners. Others are still seeking–and hope to find their match at Brandcast.
The ideal deal here–for YouTube, the creator, and the brand–is one that includes three things: (1) sponcon integrated into the creator’s series, (2) the creator being paid to make separate ads for the brand, and (3) the brand running additional programmatic ads across the creator’s channel.
Once the series debut, they’ll get more special treatment. YouTube tells us this ad effort builds on Shows, a unique UX within the YouTube platform that gives some channels and their content a streaming-service-style glowup and extra visibility. Shows launched last August and is invite-only; if a channel is invited, their content is then boosted to 10% of YouTube users “in select countries.”
At the time, YouTube told us the goal with Shows was to “elevate the UX and discovery of Shows (i.e. playlists with a clear connection across episodes).” Basically, it wants to give creators who make high-production serial content a way to look more like a TV network producing TV programming.
Kareem Rahma‘s Keep the Meter Running, premiering May 13
“In each episode, Rahma hops into a yellow cab and asks the driver to take him to their favorite place – with one condition: keep the meter running. What begins as a simple fare quickly evolves into a deep dive into the driver’s world and a moving exploration of the American Dream, as Kareem asks the poignant questions he never had the chance to ask his own cabbie father.”
Jesser
Jesser’s Summer of Soccer, premiering in June during the World Cup
“During the world’s biggest soccer moment this summer, Jesser launches an eight-episode event series packed with large competitions, fan-favorite challenges and high-energy collaborations with top soccer creators and world-class players including Gerard Piqué and Céline Dept. Each installment is a front-row seat to the skill and spectacle of soccer!”
Pros vs.YouTubers, premiering 2027
“Jesser and friends take on legendary athletes, such as Dwyane Wade, at their own sports in this new episodic series – attempting to prove that YouTubers can ball. From hardwood to turf, Jesser and friends test whether chemistry and confidence can compete with elite training and next-level talent.”
Quen Blackwell‘s Feeding Starving Celebrities 2.0, premiering fall 2026
“This fast-paced, personality-driven interview series sees Quen inviting today’s biggest stars into her kitchen for a high-energy, funny and revealing experience where nothing is scripted and everything is fair game. Blending sharp humor, irreverent games and unexpected twists, each episode peels back the polished layers of today’s most talked about talent to reveal the human behind the fame… and no topic is off-limits.”
Erling Halaand
Road to World Cup, premiering June 2026
“This new docuseries offers a raw, front-row seat to Erling Haaland – football’s greatest star – on the biggest stage of his life, as he leads Norway back to the World Cup for the first time since 1998. Viewers will witness Haaland’s rigorous training regime, deep connection to his roots and the emotional highs and lows of the tournament grind – thirty years after his father helped carry the nation to the 1994 tournament. Launching around the World Cup, the series explores family pride, legacy and the rise of a new era of Norwegian football.”
Erling’s Gauntlet, premiering fall 2026
“Global football icon Erling Haaland invites the world’s biggest stars onto the pitch to survive his very own “Gauntlet” in this new series. To celebrate the spirit of endurance and peak performance, famous guests like The Sidemen – featured in the pilot episode – step onto the pitch to face football-based challenges – testing speed, strength, skill and mentality. One competitor will conquer the Gauntlet and claim the “Haaland Hammer,” while the lowest scorer faces the ultimate forfeit. “
Alex Cooper
Unwell Games, premiering late summer/fall 2026
“[A] high-stakes reality competition where top creators and reality stars live under one roof, battling for power and prize money by day while alliances, relationships and drama unravel by night.”
Pot Stirrer, premiering Thanksgiving weekend 2026
“Alex Cooper hosts a glamorous, chaos-fueled Thanksgiving dinner that turns into a high-stakes social experiment when two secret ‘Pot Stirrers’ are planted among a volatile group of reality stars and internet personalities – each working to sabotage the night from within for a shot at a massive cash prize.”
Holiday Hard Launch, premiering winter 2026
“When two strangers – one desperate to prove she has her life together, the other trying to get his family off his back – agree to fake a relationship for the holiday season, their perfectly staged romance quickly becomes the highlight of every party, post and family gathering. But as their ‘relationship’ starts to take on a life of its own – blurring lines between performance and reality, and drawing in friends, exes, and online attention – they find themselves risking real heartbreak for something that was never supposed to be real”
Before the Steps, premiering spring 2027
“This multi-part docuseries pulls back the velvet curtain on fashion’s most iconic night, following celebrities in the high-pressure months leading up to the Met Gala. Narrated by Alex Cooper, the series captures the chaotic, glamorous, and deeply human journey of becoming ‘Met-ready’ – from inspiration to that final, unforgettable walk up the steps.”
Dwayne Wade‘s Fly on the Wall, season 2 premiering fall 2026
“3x NBA Champion and 2x Hall of Famer, Dwyane Wade lets viewers be a fly on the wall of his life. This series offers Wade’s honest window into his world. He breaks the fourth wall to share raw stories, genuine reflections and real-life lessons. It’s not just his journey – it’s an invitation to see the man behind the legend.”
Dude Perfect‘s Squad Games, season 2 premiering 2027
“‘Squad Games’ returns for Season 2 with Dude Perfect leveling up the competition through a bold lineup of original games and next-level challenges. Featuring live event face-offs, an all-new batch of celebrity competitors, and surprise guests, each episode delivers high-energy showdowns where skill, creativity, and clutch performance take center stage. The new season comes on the heels of the 2026 live Squad Games Tour, and will feature epic moments and tough tests where every squad is pushed to their limits in the ultimate battle to come out on top.”
Trevor Noah‘s Trevor Noah’s World Tour, “coming soon”
“Trevor Noah invites viewers along for the ultimate global hangout in this prestige travel series on YouTube – where comedy, culture and spontaneity collide as he journeys from city to city on his world tour – with friends, collaborators and surprise guests joining the fun. Each episode blends Trevor’s signature humor with authentic, on-the-ground experiences that spotlight local people, food, and culture.”
Julian Shapiro-Barnum
Celebrity Substitute, season 3 premiering June 3
“In Julian Shapiro-Barnum’s ‘Celebrity Substitute,’ a world-famous actor, athlete, or musician walks into a public school classroom to teach their craft, and discovers that a room full of elementary school kids may be their toughest crowd yet – proving that the real stars were the teachers all along.”
Outside Tonight with Julian Shapiro-Barnum, premiering June 17
“Shot at iconic New York City landmarks, parks and street corners, ‘Outside Tonight with Julian Shapiro-Barnum’ turns public spaces into the studio itself. Through interviews, games, musical performances and comedic moments, the series features creators, celebrities, and passersby alike.”
Cleo Abram‘s HUGE* If True, new episodes premiering spring/summer 2026
“In new episodes of her series, ‘HUGE* If True,’ journalist and YouTube creator Cleo Abram explores Antarctica, becoming one of fewer than 5,000 people allowed to conduct research on the continent this year.”
Johnny Harris‘s The Human Element, premiering fall 2026
“Emmy-winning journalist and filmmaker Johnny Harris launches ‘The Human Element,’ a new cinematic six-episode documentary series that journeys to the heart of the world’s most important stories. The forces shaping our lives can often feel distant, abstract, and impossible to grasp — but through adventure, investigation, and deeply human storytelling, The Human Element inspires a sense of hope and connection.”
Morgan Jay‘s Music Therapy, premiering fall 2026
“This digital-first interview series sees comedian and creator Morgan Jay using his music and humor to guide celebrity guests through light-hearted therapy sessions – blending improv, vulnerability and live songwriting into one seamless format. “
HopeScope‘s I Acted in a Microdrama, premiering fall 2026
“As the creator, director and actor in a series of 60-second Shorts featuring the fast filming pace, dramatic ‘slap’ scenes and intense scripts this genre is known for, Hope sees if she has what it takes to be a mobile-screen star. She will also give her 8M+ YouTube subscribers an inside look at the world of microdramas with a full-length video.”
YouTube also announced a couple of sports shows that aren’t creator-led:
We Are Osos, premiering summer 2026
“Every pro athlete thinks they could run a team – now NFL and NBA stars Ryan Kalil, Blake Griffin, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Luke Kuechly, Sam Darnold, and Greg Olsen get their chance, taking over a pro football team in Monterrey, Mexico. “We Are Osos” follows the team’s season under new ownership, as competitive instincts collide with the realities of an upstart league – one in which players leave their families behind, work second jobs, and chase one last shot at the dream.”
Caddie & The Kid, premiering May 14 & June 25
“In this globe-trotting golf series that goes beyond the fairway, MLB Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. and comedian-golf personality Michael Collins team up to explore iconic courses, vibrant cultures and unforgettable local experiences. Each episode follows the duo and their celebrity friends as they travel to legendary golf destinations, teeing it up for a little competition while diving into bucket-list adventures both on and off the course.”
(Descriptions provided by YouTube.)
“None of this happened by accident,” Mohan said, speaking about creators’ dominance in entertainment. “For more than two decades, we focused on staying one step ahead of how the world watches us. Years ago, we predicted that people would want to watch on the biggest screen in their homes, so we invested in the TV-watching experience. Today, we’ve been #1 in streaming watch time for three years.”
Of course, with all this talk of YouTube selling ads on creators’ content, it followed up with key ad announcements.
Creators are “redefining entertainment,” Mohan added, and “this new era is creating unprecedented opportunities for advertisers.”
First, YouTube is introducing a new masthead product that “allows advertisers to showcase their core hero creative alongside a custom-curated shelf of videos, enabling them to build tailored, immersive campaigns that elevate their brand’s moments,” per YouTube.
It cited Adelaide data that showed in the U.S., the YouTube masthead ad inventory is 46.6% more likely to capture attention than similar premium ad placements across other platforms and sites.
Also announced: “Custom Sponsorships,” an AI ad product YouTube says “dynamically curates themed content packages for brands to align with at scale.”
YouTube is pumping up CTV ads too: Its new “Buy with Google Pay” system lets CTV viewers who see an ad on their TV buy from it directly on their screen. It’s been focused on CTV ads for a while, but this new development follows a 200% increase in CTV ad conversions from Q1 2025 to Q1 2026.
Last but not least, YouTube’s adding an “Affiliate Partnership Boost” where creator-made videos that include products and link out to them can get more exposure “to drive incremental affiliate sales and creator earnings from YouTube Shopping commission.” This particular feature plays into YouTube’s growing ecommerce ambitions, as it finds more ways to compete with TikTok.