From internet security sponsorships to MrBeast’s $100M game show, this week’s Sunday roundup is all about following the money.

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEAT 🍔

What a time to be alive. As the robot revolution marches forward, drones are set to begin delivering airborne Wendy’s orders to hangry Virginians.

DATA • BRANDED BUZZ 📈

VPN providers are battling it out on YouTube

With therapy providers and personal injury lawyers dotting Gospel Stats’ weekly charts, it’s not always easy to predict YouTube’s top sponsorships. But sometimes, creator/brand partnerships just make sense.

The contenders: Internet security companies like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, SurfsharkVPN, and CyberGhostVPN have found solid (if overlapping) consumer bases on YouTube.

• Over the last 90 days, Nord and Surfshark—which have remained autonomous companies in the wake of their 2022 merger—sponsored over 200 videos each. Kape Technologies subsidiaries Express and CyberGhost backed considerably fewer clips, with the former sponsoring 100 and CyberGhost putting its weight behind just seven videos.
  
  

• That pattern continued in the first full week of March, when the four brands sponsored a grand total of 44 English-language videos (eight of which garnered at least 500,000 views). Here’s how the numbers shook out:

The breakdown: How do four companies with similar consumer bases and offerings differentiate themselves on YouTube? The answer comes down to three main factors: region, content genre, and target audience.

• While Express, Nord, and Surfshark all backed a number of U.S.-based, adult-targeted videos, their choice of creators and content is worthy of note. (CyberGhost sponsored one Nertherlands-based history breakdown, so we’ll leave it out of this.)
  
  

• Nord and Surfshark took similar approaches by targeting viewers interested in STEM, sports, travel, and educational content. They did diverge in some ways; the former company leaned into the gaming sphere, while Surfshark put its weight behind comedians and vloggers.
  
  

• ExpressVPN proved to be the odd man out by sponsoring primarily right-leaning channels led by conservative podcasters and journalists like Brett Cooper and Ben Shapiro.

The takeaway: Based on our limited case study, it looks like VPN providers tend to take two approaches to YouTube marketing: (1) casting a wide net with a focus on gamers and tech enthusiasts and (2) taking aim at viewers who might be a bit more prone to concerns about online surveillance and big government.

• We’ll keep perusing data on Gospel Stats to find out more about the intersection of influencer marketing and internet security—and you can do the same by checking out the site for insights into YouTube sponsorships, rising stars, and industry trends.

TOP STORIES 📰

• MrBeast closed a reported $100 million TV deal with Amazon Studios to produce a game show centered around a $5 million grand prize. (Tubefilter)
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• Roblox’s revamped Creator Fund will provide $500,000 grants to “approved participants.” (Tubefilter)
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• Theorist sat down with Tubefilter for an exclusive interview on all things Creators in Fashion—aka the future “Fashion Week for online creators.” (Tubefilter)
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• TikTok creator and board-certified dermatologist Dr. Muneeb Shah has launched his own line of skincare products. (Tubefilter)

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING 📺

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. Drew Baldwin helped edit, too. It's a team effort.