It’s Tuesday and Youtube is testing out Premium for two. What better way to woo that special someone than by treating them to ad-free videos?

Today’s News

GOSPEL STATS 📈

Top Branded Videos: MrBeast, Manhattan history, and a Tesla-powered Porsche

MrBeast is back with another death-defying challenge—and that means he’s also back at the top of Gospel Stats’ weekly ranking of most-viewed YouTube sponsored videos on YouTube. The beast’s latest viral hit was joined by Veritasium’s take on Manhattan history and a Tesla/Porsche hybrid. How’s that for a microcosm of YouTube culture?

🥇 #1. MrBeast x Jack Link’s: Would You Risk Drowning for $500,000? (96.6M views)
Red Bull isn’t the only gas station product sponsoring death-defying stunts on YouTube. MrBeast‘s latest video—a Fear Factor-style challenge starring a former U.S. Army Ranger—was backed by beef jerky company Jack Link’s.

The viral obstacle course was the only video sponsored by Jack Link’s this week, but if it ends up getting really into this action genre, there are a lot of views to be found. The aforementioned Red Bull has a frankly massive YouTube presence, generating over a billion views a month with footage of sponsored athletes absolutely dominating sports and stunts.

🥈 #2. Veritasium x Saily: The Most Dangerous Building in Manhattan (6.3M views)
Last week, Veritasium scored the top spot in Gospel’s ranking. Its latest video didn’t quite hit that mark, but it still captured the attention of 6.3 million viewers by telling the near-catastrophic history of Citigroup Center. As for fans interested in visiting the building IRL? Veritasium’s video sponsor—travel eSIM company Saily—is here to help.

🔎 #1,879. Electric Supercar x TESMEN: Vintage Looks, Tesla Speed: Electric Porsche Build Begins! (40K views)
YouTube is full of Elon Musk fans—but not all Tesla videos are focused on praising the man behind the Cybertruck. Electric car enthusiast Jeremy, for instance, went in a very different direction by sticking a Tesla engine inside a Porsche. And when you’re doing that kind of mechanical and electrical work, it’s always great to have a TESMEN digital clamp meter in your toolbox.

Check out the full branded ranking here and head over to Gospel Stats for more YouTube sponsorship insights.

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• OpenAI says it has “made the decision for the nonprofit to retain control” of its operations after “hearing from civic leaders and engaging in constructive dialogue with the offices” of two attorneys general. (OpenAI)
  
  

• Google’s 100 Zeros isn’t a traditional studio—it’s a tech-driven initiative from the Platforms & Devices team, aimed at helping creators blend filmmaking with next-gen tools like XR and AI. Range Media is on board to help steer the creative. (Engadget)
  
  

• Elon Musk’s dream of establishing a company town has officially come true following a vote to turn the area surrounding SpaceX’s southern Texas launch site—aka “Starbase”—into its own city. (Gizmodo)
  
  

• Meta has updated its popular new Edits app to offer an expanded array of 125 fonts and fifteen voiceover effects. (Social Media Today)

STREAMING BIG

After 15 years of entertaining library patrons, Kanopy is producing its first originals

The shift: If you’ve snagged a public library card in the last fifteen years, there’s a good chance you’ve watched some of the 30,000+ titles offered on Kanopy. Viewers can tune into the streaming service for free thanks to public and academic libraries, which typically pony up for licensed films and TV shows on a pay-per-view basis.

That model has helped Kanopy reach 45 million people across the United States—but this year, it’s shaking things up by adding original content into the mix.

The first original co-production to hit Kanopy was Banned Together, a documentary about book burnings that premiered on April 25. The streaming service has since announced its first original series, a 2026 reality competition that will be co-produced by Big Sea Entertainment, Can Do Entertainment, and Kanopy Originals. America’s Next Great Author is hosted by writer Kwame Alexander and seeks to find aspiring authors who need support to realize their novel ideas. Kanopy says the winner will receive a “significant publishing deal.”

The timing: So, why is Kanopy jumping into original content now? Kanopy GM and EVP of Content for OverDrive Jason Tyrell told Tubefilter that the platform’s originals can give viewers a “compelling reason” to get a library card, bringing more support to local spaces that have been affected by a long-term decline.

Tyrell also argued that other streaming services’ increasingly inconsistent policies could play into Kanopy’s hands. As other streamers dumb down their offerings, Kanopy is seeing an opening to draw in consumers “who are tired of increasing subscription costs or frustrated with the ad-supported experience.”

GLOBAL TOP 50 🌎

Is variety the key to Shorts virality?

The trend: On YouTube Shorts, words like “tech” and “gadget” often translate more accurately to “everything.” Channels like MaviGadget—which appear at first glance to focus purely on tech products—have become some of the most-watched YouTube hubs in the entire world by depicting a wide array of content from popular categories, including satisfying hacks, pet videos, makeup transformations, and more.

The channel: Now, another variety Shorts channel has made its debut on our weekly Global Top 50 chart. Gulbahar Technical snagged a spot as the #23 most-viewed channel on YouTube by promising to “provide videos from every categories [sic] and put my effort to make my videos more understandable for you all.”

According to the Indian channel’s description, those videos encompass everything from actual tech to “heartwarming stories” and informational content like “how to join Indian navy.” More than 100 million viewers have tuned into Gulbahar Technical’s all-time most-watched video—a Tom and Jerry parody that comments on U.S.-China relations. Thanks in large part to Shorts like that one, Gulbahar Technical snagged 733.5 million weekly views during the week ending on May 4.

The takeaway: The rise of technical content is, at its core, an appeal to generalism. At the end of the day, viewers are most likely to watch YouTube channels that offer a little bit of everything—especially when that wide net catches all of the most popular categories on Shorts.

WATCH THIS 🏇

Influencers were everywhere at this year’s Kentucky Derby

The big race: The Kentucky Derby has been up and running since 1875. Over the last 150 years, many traditions surrounding the big race have remained intact—including the location of the track itself and the iconic hats of spectators. The Derby’s marketing strategy, however, has evolved with the changing times.

This year’s race was no exception. As Fast Company pointed out in a recent article, the 2025 Kentucky Derby partnered with a bevy of influencers, including Alix Earle, Livvy Dunne, Griffin Johnson, and Barstool Sports. Those creators posted TikToks centered around OOTDs, GRWMs, and POVs—aka the kind of short-form videos designed to get Gen Z interested in an event older than their grandparents.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.