YouTube will now let creators refresh old videos with new brand deals
It could turn past viral hits into fresh revenue streams without re-uploading.
YouTube is about to flip the script on how creators make money from their old videos. Starting in 2026, the streaming giant says creators will be able to swap out old brand sponsorships and slot in new ones without ever re-uploading. A viral video from five years ago that still has engagement can become a renewable revenue machine.
At its Made on YouTube event in New York, the company framed it as a win-win for both Advertisers and creators. For brands, the appeal is obvious. Why gamble on untested uploads when you can place your product in content that has already proven its worth with existing engagement? A makeup review or a coding tutorial that still goes viral could become fresh real estate for advertisers looking for impact. And for creators, it’s a way to keep cashing in on their biggest wins long after the first deal ends.
YouTube has already paid out more than $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies in the last four years, as revealed by the company. Meanwhile, its Shopping program has exploded with a fivefold jump in merchandise sales in just the past year, with over 500,000 creators now monetizing globally.
Louis Eriakha
Of course, the idea isn’t completely new. Twitch streamers already refresh sponsorships on recorded streams, podcasts have been swapping ads in archived episodes for years, and Spotify leans heavily on dynamic inventory. But YouTube bringing this model into the mix changes the equation entirely. Unlike other platforms, it sits on two decades of evergreen content, all of which still pull in audiences today.
And that’s where things get interesting for rivals like TikTok and Instagram. TikTok has been sprinting to improve creator payouts, but most of its monetization still depends on what’s trending now. Meta, meanwhile, has tied brand campaigns to live campaigns or short-shelf-life posts. YouTube’s move raises the bar by shifting the competition from “what’s hot this week” to “what keeps working year after year.” And this could give YouTube the deepest bench by far.
If it works as intended, brands could cherry-pick tried-and-true content with guaranteed reach, creators could turn their viral moments into recurring income, and YouTube would seal its position as the most dependable money-maker in the creator economy.
