YouTube channel partners who have begun offering paid subscriptions to their content have yet to see a huge influx of paying viewers, Variety reported after talking with some of those partners. But those involved largely say they're willing to wait and see if activity improves.
The companies aren't abandoning their subscription strategies, but early results are not expanding as hoped, National Geographic Society Vice President of Global Strategy Adam Sutherland told Variety. "We had hoped to set the world on fire."
YouTube told Variety that the paid channels program is still in its earliest stages. "Just as the Partner Program empowered creators to take their channels to the next level, we look forward to seeing how creators bring new content to their fan communities on YouTube," the company said. The service is still young: YouTube introduced subscriptions on the site in mid May.
And some YouTube channels which began charging subscription fees are pleased with the results. According to Variety, Sesame Workshop, which produces the program "Sesame Street," is happy with its performance so far.
For more:
- Variety had this story
- The Guardian had this story
Related article:
Some YouTube channels start charging viewers