Creators in TV are no longer a novelty. Broadcasters and streamers now commission, license and co-produce creator shows, and some creators are funding their own films. The creators who get the most from it are the ones who own their formats, so every new platform becomes another place to earn from something that is theirs.
In the UK, the BBC agreed in January 2026 to make original programmes for YouTube for the first time. In the US, Netflix now streams Good Mythical Morning on the same day it goes live on YouTube. Here is how the move into TV, film, streaming and publishing works, and why ownership sits at the centre of it.
Why are TV and streaming services turning to YouTubers?
Because that is where the audience is watching, including on the living-room screen. In the US, YouTube recorded 13.8% of all TV watch-time in May 2026, the largest share of any media distributor for the third month running, according to Nielsen's The Gauge.
The UK picture is similar. YouTube reached 51.9 million UK viewers in December 2025, passing the combined reach of the BBC's channels for the first time, Marketing Week reported.
For broadcasters and streamers, creators bring three things that are hard to build from scratch: an audience that already turns up, formats that have been tested in public, and production teams used to making a lot of content quickly. For creators, TV and streaming bring new viewers, bigger budgets and a different kind of prestige.
How do UK broadcasters work with YouTube creators?
UK broadcasters have moved from inviting creators onto their channels to meeting audiences on YouTube itself.
The BBC. In its January 2026 deal with YouTube, the BBC agreed to commission original programming made specifically for YouTube, launch new channels including seven for children, and run a training programme to develop the next generation of UK YouTube creators, according to Marketing Week. Some of those programmes may also appear on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
Channel 4. Channel 4 launched Channel 4.0 in October 2022 as a digital-first strand for YouTube, built around young UK creators and aimed at Gen Z. Channel 4 said in 2023 that 84% of its viewers were aged 13 to 24, and the strand has since made branded series with advertisers.
The pattern is useful for creators to understand. UK broadcasters are not just booking YouTubers as guests. They are building creator-style shows and training creators, which means there is growing demand for people who already know how to make formats that work online.
Are YouTube creators getting TV shows on streaming services?
Yes, and increasingly on their own terms. The clearest US example is Mythical, the studio founded and owned by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal. In July 2026, Netflix licensed three Mythical shows, Good Mythical Morning, Mythical Kitchen and Last Meals, with new episodes streaming on Netflix from 7 September 2026 on the same day they release on YouTube, C21Media reported.
The detail that matters is the structure. Mythical still produces the shows and still publishes them on YouTube, where its channels have more than 35 million subscribers. Netflix gets a proven, much-loved library. Mythical gets a new audience and a new revenue line, without giving up the shows it built.
That is the shape of the best creator TV shows today: licensing a format you own, rather than handing it over.
Can YouTubers make their own films?
They can, and some are doing it by bringing their audience with them as backers. US film critic and YouTuber Chris Stuckmann funded his horror feature Shelby Oaks through Kickstarter, where 14,720 backers pledged $1,390,845 in March 2022, according to the campaign page. Distributor Neon then acquired the film in July 2024, as Deadline reported, and it reached US cinemas in October 2025.
The lesson for creators is less about horror and more about sequence. The audience funded the film first, and a distributor came in once there was something finished to back. Building the thing before you sell it usually gives a creator more say in the final deal.
What about publishing and audio?
The same logic runs through books, podcasts and live events. Publishers and audio networks value creators because they arrive with a built-in readership or listenership. The strongest deals tend to go to creators who treat the book, show or tour as an extension of a world they own, rather than a one-off appearance.
Why does ownership matter for creators in TV and film?
When a creator moves into TV or film, the most important question is not "how big is the fee?" but "who owns the format when this is over?"
A fee is paid once. A format or IP you own can be licensed to more than one platform, sold into other countries, turned into a live show, extended into products and kept earning long after the first series airs. It is the difference between being hired for a show and owning a show that others want to buy.
That is why the smartest creator-led TV deals look like the Mythical model: the creator keeps the rights, licenses them for a period or a territory, and keeps the relationship with their audience on their own channels. If you want to go deeper, our guide to creator IP licensing explains how those licensing deals are structured, and how creators make money shows where TV and film sit alongside brands, products and subscriptions.
If you have a format that could travel and you would rather build it into something you own than hand it over, we would love to hear about it. At Modem Studios, that is the kind of thing we build together with creators.
FAQ
How do YouTubers get TV deals?
Most YouTube creators get TV deals by proving a format online first. Broadcasters and streamers look for shows with a loyal audience, a repeatable structure and a creator who can deliver consistently. Deals now range from appearing on existing programmes to licensing a finished show, as Mythical did with Netflix, or making original content for broadcasters' YouTube channels.
Do creators keep the rights when their show moves to TV?
It depends on the deal. In a licensing deal, the creator keeps ownership and grants a platform the right to show the content for a set time or territory. In a commission, the broadcaster often owns more of the rights. Creators who already own a proven format usually have the strongest position to keep rights.
What does day-and-date mean for creator shows?
Day-and-date means a show is released on two platforms at the same time. When Netflix licensed three Mythical shows in 2026, new episodes were set to stream on Netflix on the same day they premiered on YouTube. It lets creators reach a new audience without taking the show away from existing fans.
Is YouTube watched on TV screens?
Yes. In the US, YouTube had the largest share of TV watch-time of any media distributor in May 2026, at 13.8%, according to Nielsen. In the UK, YouTube reached 51.9 million viewers in December 2025. For creators, the living room is now part of their audience, which is one reason broadcasters want to work with them.
Tags
Creators in TV, YouTube, Streaming, Creator IP, Film