Sponsorships & brand deals
Course 3 · Ch 5
Sponsorships & Brand Deals
Finding sponsors, pricing your channel correctly, writing the pitch, negotiating terms, disclosure rules — and the red flags that tell you to walk away
Sponsorships are typically the highest-paying revenue stream available to a YouTube creator, often generating more per video than AdSense does in an entire month. A single mid-roll integration on a channel with 50,000 engaged subscribers in a relevant niche can pay £500–£2,000 — more than most channels earn from ads in that same period. This chapter covers the full lifecycle of a brand deal: how to find sponsors, how to price yourself, how to pitch, how to protect yourself contractually, and the disclosure rules that are non-negotiable.
Types of Sponsorship Integration
Dedicated / Fully Sponsored Video
Highest pay
The entire video is created around the sponsor's product or service. Full creative control is usually shared — the sponsor gets input on messaging, you get to maintain your voice and format.
Best for: when the product is genuinely interesting enough to carry a full video. Forced dedicated videos read as ads and perform poorly.
Mid-Roll Integration (60–90 sec)
High pay
A segment within a regular video, typically 60–90 seconds, placed roughly one-third to halfway through. You introduce the sponsor, demonstrate or describe the product, give a CTA with a tracking link, then return to regular content.
The industry standard. Most viewers are accustomed to this format and will tolerate it if the transition is smooth and the sponsor is relevant.
Pre-Roll / End Card Mention
Medium pay
A brief (15–30 second) mention at the start or end of the video. Lower friction for the viewer, lower payment for the creator. Often used by sponsors who want brand awareness rather than conversion.
End cards perform worse than mid-rolls for conversion — viewers have already decided whether to engage. Pre-rolls risk losing viewers before the content starts.
Description / Pinned Comment Link
Lower pay
The sponsor gets a link in the video description or a pinned comment, sometimes with a brief mention in the video itself. Usually combined with an affiliate arrangement rather than a flat fee.
Low effort but also low impact. Typically used as an add-on to a larger deal or as an entry point for affiliate relationships.
Product Gifting / Seeding
No cash — product only
A brand sends you their product for free in exchange for a review or mention — with no cash payment. Common outreach from smaller brands and early-stage startups.
Worth considering only if the product is genuinely useful to your content. Still requires disclosure. Do not let gifted products bias your honest review — your credibility is worth more than any free item.
Affiliate / Commission Arrangement
Variable — per conversion
You earn a percentage of every sale made through your unique tracking link. No fixed fee — income depends entirely on how many viewers convert. Covered in depth in Chapter 6.
Can outperform flat-fee sponsorships on high-converting products in the right niche. Most useful as a supplement to flat fees rather than a replacement.
Pricing Your Channel — What to Charge
Under-pricing is the most common mistake creators make with their first brand deals. The industry standard starting point for a mid-roll integration is the CPM-based formula — but niche, audience quality, and engagement all push the number up from that baseline.
Sponsorship pricing guide — mid-roll integration (60–90 seconds)
ScenarioMonthly viewsFormula basisSuggested rate
New to sponsorships
10,000–30,000
£20–£25 per 1,000 views
£200–£750
Growing channel
30,000–100,000
£25–£35 per 1,000 views
£750–£3,500
Established channel
100,000–500,000
£30–£50 per 1,000 views
£3,000–£25,000
High-value niche bonus
Finance / B2B / SaaS
Add 50–100% premium
Premium rates
These rates are for the video's first 30-day view window, which sponsors typically care most about. Some deals include a 90-day performance clause — if the video significantly overperforms, you may be able to negotiate a bonus.
Factors that justify charging above the baseline
- High niche CPM. If advertisers already pay £10–£20 RPM to reach your audience via YouTube ads, a direct sponsorship should command a premium over what they'd pay the algorithm — typically 2–4× your RPM.
- Strong engagement rate. A channel with 20,000 subscribers and 15% average engagement (likes + comments relative to views) can command similar rates to a channel with 50,000 subscribers and 3% engagement. Engaged audiences convert better for sponsors.
- Audience specificity. A channel about Raspberry Pi projects reaching self-hosting enthusiasts is more valuable to a VPN provider or cloud hosting company than a general tech channel of the same size. Niche precision is worth a premium.
- Proven conversion history. If you have affiliate data showing strong click-through or purchase rates from your audience, share it. "My last three promotions converted at X%" is one of the strongest negotiating tools a creator has.
- Exclusivity. If a sponsor wants to be the only brand you promote in their category for 30, 60, or 90 days — charge significantly more. Category exclusivity limits your options and should be priced accordingly.
Never give your rate first if you can avoid it
When a sponsor asks "what's your rate?", it's legitimate to respond with "it depends on the integration type and usage rights — what's your budget for this campaign?" Many brands have more budget than they initially reveal. If they insist on a number first, quote your upper range, not your lower range — you can always come down; you can rarely go up.
Finding Sponsors — Inbound and Outbound
Inbound (sponsors come to you)
As your channel grows, sponsors will reach out directly via your business email. Make this address visible: in your YouTube "About" section under "For business enquiries", in your video descriptions, and on any associated website. Most inbound outreach at sub-100k channels comes from smaller brands, affiliate managers, and marketing agencies — not the brand directly.
Outbound (you pitch to sponsors)
Don't wait for sponsors to find you. Proactive outreach at any channel size is legitimate and often more effective than waiting, because you control who you approach — and you can target brands that are genuinely relevant rather than whoever happens to email first.
- Start with brands you already use. The most authentic sponsorship integrations are products you'd genuinely recommend. Make a list of the tools, services, and products that appear in your content organically — those are your first outreach targets.
- Watch competitor sponsorships. If a brand sponsors channels in your niche, they're already spending money in your space. They're warm prospects.
- Use sponsor marketplaces. Platforms that connect creators with brands at smaller channel sizes (see table below).
- Contact affiliate programme managers directly. Many software companies (VPNs, hosting providers, SaaS tools) have affiliate managers whose job is finding creators to promote their products. Email them — they want to hear from you.
| Platform | Min. subscribers | Best for | Creator fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grapevine | 1,000+ | Consumer brands, lifestyle, beauty, tech | Free |
| Influencer.co | 1,000+ | Broad categories, good for getting first deals | Free |
| Sponsorkit | Any size | Generates a media kit and matches you to sponsors | Free tier |
| Sponso | 5,000+ | Tech, software, B2B — strong for creator niches | Free |
| Creatoriq / AspireIQ | 10,000+ | Larger brand campaigns, enterprise-level deals | Free (brands pay) |
| Direct email outreach | Any size | Any brand you choose to target — highest control | Free |
Writing the Pitch — Your Sponsorship Email
A sponsorship pitch email should be short, specific, and confident. It is not a begging letter — it is a business proposal. You have something the brand wants: access to a specific, engaged audience. The goal of the email is to open a conversation, not to close a deal.
SUBJECT LINE
Sponsorship opportunity — [Channel name] · [Niche] · [Subscriber count] subscribers
Hi [Name / Marketing team],
I run [Channel name], a YouTube channel focused on [niche in one sentence]. I currently have [X] subscribers with an average of [Y] views per video and a [Z%] average view duration — my audience are [specific audience description: e.g. "self-hosting enthusiasts who run home labs and make purchasing decisions on hardware and software"].
I've been using [product/service] for [time period] and think it would be a natural fit for an integration. I have a video planned on [relevant topic] that would be an ideal context for introducing [product] to my audience.
I'd love to explore whether there's a fit. Would you be open to a brief call or email exchange to discuss?
Best regards,
[Your name]
[Channel URL] · [Email]
I run [Channel name], a YouTube channel focused on [niche in one sentence]. I currently have [X] subscribers with an average of [Y] views per video and a [Z%] average view duration — my audience are [specific audience description: e.g. "self-hosting enthusiasts who run home labs and make purchasing decisions on hardware and software"].
I've been using [product/service] for [time period] and think it would be a natural fit for an integration. I have a video planned on [relevant topic] that would be an ideal context for introducing [product] to my audience.
I'd love to explore whether there's a fit. Would you be open to a brief call or email exchange to discuss?
Best regards,
[Your name]
[Channel URL] · [Email]
// Keep it under 200 words. Attach a media kit PDF with your channel stats, audience demographics, and example integration screenshots. Don't quote a price in the first email — open the conversation first.
What to include in your media kit
- Channel name, niche description, and link
- Subscriber count and monthly views (last 90 days)
- Average view duration and retention percentage
- Top audience countries and age range (screenshot from YouTube Analytics)
- Engagement rate (likes + comments as % of views)
- Two or three previous sponsorship examples if you have them (with performance notes)
- Rate card or "starting from" pricing for each integration type
- Contact email and response time
Disclosure Rules — Non-Negotiable Legal Requirements
In the UK, the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) and CAP Code require that paid promotions are clearly identifiable as advertising. YouTube also has its own policy. Failure to disclose is not just unethical — it carries legal risk and can result in your channel being penalised by YouTube.
Required
Verbal disclosure in the video
Say it out loud at or before the sponsored segment begins. Clear, unambiguous language — not buried in fast speech.
"This video is sponsored by [Brand]" or "Today's video is brought to you by [Brand]"
Required
YouTube's paid promotion toggle
In YouTube Studio → Video details → More options → check "Video contains paid promotion." This adds a banner to the video automatically. Mandatory under YouTube's policy.
Adds: "Includes paid promotion" label visible to all viewers
Required
Description disclosure
A written disclosure in the video description, above the fold if possible. UK ASA requires this to be prominent — not hidden at the bottom of a long description.
"This video contains paid promotion for [Brand]. All opinions are my own."
Best practice
On-screen text overlay
Adding a visible "#Ad" or "Sponsored" text overlay during the sponsored segment is best practice and increasingly expected by viewers, particularly on younger audiences.
Simple lower-third: "Sponsored by [Brand]" for the duration of the segment
Not sufficient alone
Description-only disclosure
Disclosure only in the description — with no verbal or on-screen mention — does not meet ASA requirements. Viewers who watch without reading the description won't see it.
Description alone: not compliant. Must also be verbal or on-screen.
Not compliant
Vague language
"Thanks to [Brand] for making this video possible" or "partnered with" without clearly identifying it as advertising does not satisfy ASA requirements. Must be clear it's paid.
"Thanks to [Brand]" — ambiguous, not compliant. "This is a paid promotion for [Brand]" — compliant.
Gifted products also require disclosure
If a brand sends you a free product and you mention, show, or review it in a video — even without a cash payment — UK ASA rules require you to disclose that it was gifted. "This product was sent to me free of charge by [Brand]" in both verbal and written form is required. The test is whether the freebie could reasonably influence your opinion — and free product always passes that test in the regulator's view.
Red Flags — When to Walk Away from a Deal
They ask you to not disclose the sponsorship
Any brand that explicitly or implicitly requests you hide the paid nature of a promotion is asking you to break the law (UK ASA) and violate YouTube's Terms of Service. Decline immediately — the risk is entirely yours, not theirs.
Full script control with no editorial input from you
Sponsors can brief you and request key messages be included — that's normal. A sponsor who provides a word-for-word script and requires you to read it verbatim will result in content that sounds like a TV ad, performs poorly, and damages your credibility. Negotiate for your own words or walk away.
Payment on "performance" only with no guaranteed minimum
Some brands propose paying only if a video reaches a certain view threshold. You bear all the production risk; they bear none. Insist on a guaranteed flat fee regardless of performance, with potential bonuses for overperformance — not performance-only payment.
Extremely long revision clauses or unlimited changes
A contract that allows the sponsor unlimited rounds of revision with no time limit can trap you in a loop of re-edits for weeks. Standard: two rounds of revision within 5 business days of draft delivery. Anything beyond that requires a renegotiation fee.
The product conflicts with your audience's values or your own
Promoting a product you don't believe in, or one that your audience would find incongruous or offensive, earns you short-term money and long-term damage. Your audience trusts your recommendations. Burn that trust once and it rarely fully recovers.
They won't pay before the video goes live
Standard practice is 50% upfront on signing, 50% on delivery — or 100% before publication for smaller deals. A brand that refuses any upfront payment and wants the video live before they pay is a financial risk. If they won't pay upfront, require a signed contract with clear payment terms before you begin production.
Chapter 5 Quick Reference
- Highest-paying format: Dedicated video or mid-roll integration (60–90 seconds)
- Pricing baseline: £20–£50 per 1,000 video views — higher for niche/high-engagement channels
- Premium factors: High niche CPM · strong engagement · audience specificity · proven conversions · exclusivity
- Never give your rate first: Ask for their budget — you can always come down, rarely go up
- Best outreach targets: Brands you already use · competitors' sponsors · affiliate programme managers
- Pitch email: Under 200 words · specific · confident · no price in first contact
- Media kit must include: Views/subs · retention % · top countries · engagement rate · rate card
- Payment terms: 50% upfront on signing, 50% on delivery — or 100% before publication
- Revisions: Cap at 2 rounds within 5 business days in the contract
- UK disclosure (required): Verbal + YouTube paid promotion toggle + description disclosure
- Gifted products: Also require disclosure — "sent to me free of charge" verbally and in description
- Walk away if: They want hidden promotion · full script control · performance-only payment · unlimited revisions · no upfront payment
- Anthropic sponsorship: Tech/AI education niche, 10k–20k subs = genuinely viable pitch target 😉