YouTube provides hours of entertainment for many, but for a select few it also means millions of dollars in advertising revenue. YouTube allows certain content creators to monetize their videos through their “YouTube Partner Program,” which means ads will play before or around a video, and the content creator will be paid through an AdSense account.
Some of the top earners include Taylor Swift, EMI Music, and the WWE. The number one earner, however, is a woman who makes videos of herself unboxing Disney (DIS) toys -- and according to OpenSlate, she made $4.9 million in 2014 from YouTube ads alone.
The channel, DisneyCollectorBR, features hundreds of videos of well-manicured hands opening Disney toys and an accented voice describing what’s inside of the packaging. We never see the owner’s face and her identity is a mystery. The New York Times tracked down a 21-year-old woman living in Westchester but couldn’t confirm that she was truly DisneyCollectorBR, and Buzzfeed believe she’s an older woman living near Disney World in Florida.
These videos may seem odd but unboxing has become a trend on YouTube, with popular videos ranging from the unpackaging of a pair of $700 Louboutin heels to opening a pack of Bic pens. DisneyCollectorBR’s unboxing videos get millions of hits -- her “Play Doh Sparkle Princess,” video has been watched 177,743,026 times. Her channel has a total of 3,481,507 subscribers and 4,750,324,337 views.
Other top earners include PewDiePie, a Swedish video game commentator who made $3.99 million in 2014 and littlebabybum, a channel that plays animated children’s songs and made $3.46 million over the year.
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