The Business of YouTube

A weekly strategic lens for senior leaders into how YouTube is reshaping the business of technology, sports, music, entertainment, and culture.

Welcome!
To your favourite newsletter, The Business of YouTube, brought to you by Paola Marinone and Bengü Atamer, founders of BuzzMyVideos and previously at YouTube and Google. We are bringing our exclusive insights from 20 years of experience leading strategy at YouTube and Google.

The Premier League vs the NFL | A Breakdown

It might be the off-season for the NFL and the Premier League, but whilst on-field competition is paused the YouTube competition is always on. So this week we’re bringing another edition of our EOS YouTube awards, comparing the performance between the individual Premier League and NFL teams for last season.

We crunched the numbers to see how America’s biggest sports league stacks up against England’s Premier League. The results? Let’s just say there’s a clear winner.

But while the Premier League leads overall, a few NFL teams are punching well above their weight. They’re using smart formats, player-led narratives, and emotional storytelling to grow their channels and connect with fans.

So who’s doing it best?

Before we discuss strategy, lets talk numbers!

Here are the headline stats that show how the two leagues stack up based on YouTube performance between 01/08/24 - 01/03/25:

Despite uploading nearly 4x more content, NFL teams drew less than half the views. Premier League clubs aren’t just relying on global appeal they’re extracting more value per video with tighter formats, stronger storytelling, and sharper execution.

But despite the Premier League’s win in the transatlantic YouTube battle there are a few teams in the NFL who are making strategic plays worth paying attention to…

1. Cleveland Browns | The underdogs winning Shorts

On the pitch, the Browns are projected to struggle next season. But the Browns have showed your on-field performances don’t have to determine your off-field YouTube success.

The Cleveland Browns defied the odds and ranked #1 in Shorts views across the NFL in the last 90 days, racking up 35.8M views and also hey also sit second in total uploads.

The Browns have captured the vibe of the team and told the story using YouTube Shorts as the medium. Moments like newly drafted players picking their jersey numbers. Shedeur Sanders’ first walk through the facility and first interactions with teammates.

These are the moments that are typically hidden from NFL fans, and the Browns have used Shorts as a way to bring fans closer to the action. This content resonates and engages NFL fans across the board.

Key takeaway:
Short-form doesn’t have to just be viral trends. It can be used as another avenue to tell stories, capturing the authenticity and culture of an environment. The Browns are proving that even teams outside the spotlight can build consistent engagement with the right tone and access.

2. Kansas City Chiefs | Fan-first storytelling

The Chiefs turned their quest for a historic Super Bowl three-peat into a highly-crafted narrative to build anticipation and create a story fans could buy into. Their series ‘The Magic Number’ created a unifying storyline. With cameos from famous actors highlighting the significance of the three-peat, the series instilled camaraderie amongst fans.

Alongside that, ‘The Franchise’ docuseries offers fans an inside look that wouldn’t feel out of place on Netflix. It takes fans BTS, highlighting player emotions at key points and documents the stories of fans. Granting fans access and allowing them to resonate and feel represented in the content on the Chief’s channel.

And this week they have just dropped the trailer for ‘The Kingdom’, a new six-part ESPN original series. It builds on the same foundation set by The Franchise. This is the result of a team that invest in building formats. The Franchise became proof of concept for the Chiefs and their approach to long-form storytelling, which has now been leveraged for a business opportunity.

Key takeaway:
If you want to build a community and retain audiences, make your channel feel like a place that resonates and reflects the true emotions of fans. The Chiefs are using long-form storytelling to emotionally compel audiences and turn passive fans into loyal viewers.

3. Philadelphia Eagles | Hero the individuals

The Eagles had a standout season, winning the Super Bowl and also winning the NFL YouTube views title! They led the NFL with 178.4M total views for the season.

Whilst the team had a standout season, the Eagles used the opportunity of team’s success to profile the individuals. The Eagles doubled down on player-led formats, showcasing their personalities and building narratives around individual athletes and staff that make the Eagles great.

By focusing on their people, not just their plays, they made the audience care beyond the result. Allowing audiences to feel like they were tuning into TV shows to watch their favourite characters.

Key takeaway:
Sport is emotional. YouTube is emotional. Audiences connect with story arcs, not just score lines. By making their players feel like characters fans can root for, the Eagles have created something more durable than just highlight reels.

Final Thoughts

Premier League teams might be leading the global YouTube race, but a few NFL sides are showing how to close the gap. Their secret? They’re creating narratives.

From using Shorts as a medium to story the vibe of teams and long-form series to develop personalities and reflect fan experiences, these teams are reminding us that emotion and access win.

Evan Shapiro, the media universe cartographer, joins Paola to discuss broadcast, the creator economy and data

This week we are joined by Evan Shapiro, who is the Founder at ESHAP at a media universe cartographer. His love for data and storytelling is palpable. The story of his career and his acumen for where the entertainment industry will head to is enlightening. Make sure you listen to this week’s podcast to find out the insights!

• YouTube has become America’s top TV network. More people now watch YouTube on their TVs than on their phones and other devices. In response, YouTube creators are being incentivised to prioritise making longer-form videos that retain audiences within the living room environment.

• Sunday Ticket stays on YouTube, with new pricing announced. YouTube has secured NFL Sunday Ticket rights again for 2025-26, offering both full-season and new month-to-month plans, improving accessibility for fans.

• YouTube Shorts sees explosive growth. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has announced Shorts now averages over 200 Billion daily views, a significant-almost 3x jump from last year.
  

• YouTube Shorts adds AI photo-to-video and effects. Creators can now convert still images into animated 6-second Shorts using generative AI. There are also new doodle-to-art effects and a central ‘AI Playground’ to help spark creative ideas for creators.