YouTube’s 2026 Brandcast presentation to advertisers featured the announcement of several new creator shows, as well as additional features to drive brand connections and commerce opportunities.
“Viewers don’t just watch YouTube to be entertained, learn something new, or make decisions; they come to YouTube with a purpose,” said Sean Downey, president for the Americas and global partners. “Be it brand building or driving performance, with YouTube, you no longer have to choose—all your objectives can be met on one platform.”
Referring to the creator space as “the new Hollywood,” YouTube revealed a new exclusive slate of creator shows. “Creators aren’t just driving culture, they’re building trusted relationships with their fans,” Downey said. “When creators talk about products on YouTube, viewers are 13 times more likely to search for the brand and 5 times more likely to buy.”
The new slate includes, on the variety and talk front, Keep the Meter Running with Kareem Rahma, produced by Rahmavision and AND Media; a new season of Julian Shapiro-Barnum’s Celebrity Substitute and Outside Tonight; Quen Blackwell’s Feeding Starving Celebrities 2.0 and Morgan Jay’s Music Therapy. In competition series there’s Jesser’s Summer of Soccer, Alex Cooper’s Unwell Games, Erling Haaland’s Erling’s Gauntlet and Dude Perfect’s Squad Games. There’s also a travel series with Trevor Noah, as well as a microdrama slate, and more.
New features include custom sponsorships, using AI to surface videos tailored to a brand’s desired moment; masthead enhancement, direct CTV purchases via Google Pay, affiliate partnership enhancements, and improved AI tools for creators.
“The future of media and marketing is not just something we’re watching happen—it’s something we are building together, across creators, brands, and viewers, only on YouTube.
New creator shows coming exclusively to YouTube from Dude Perfect, Trevor Noah, Quen Blackwell and more
