Tag: YouTube

YouTube appears to be taking its strongest action yet against low-quality AI-generated content, as several major channels accused of producing so-called “AI slop” have either disappeared or had their videos wiped from the platform.

According to research highlighted by video platform Kapwing, at least 16 high-performing AI-focused channels have been impacted, with their combined reach previously standing at around 4.7 billion views and roughly 35 million subscribers.

While YouTube has not publicly issued a detailed announcement confirming each removal, multiple tech outlets report that these channels are now either gone entirely or left with empty pages, suggesting a platform-wide cleanup effort is underway.

For creators and viewers alike, this could mark a turning point in how YouTube handles mass-produced AI content.

Not all AI content is considered a problem. Many creators use AI tools responsibly to edit videos, generate subtitles, or improve production quality.

But “AI slop” refers to something different.

The term is commonly used to describe low-effort, repetitive videos generated almost entirely by automated systems, usually produced at scale to exploit YouTube’s recommendation algorithm.

These videos often include:

• Automated voiceovers
• Repetitive storytelling formats
• Stock or AI-generated visuals
• Minimal human creativity or originality
• Mass uploads designed purely to capture ad revenue

In short, they are designed to maximize clicks and watch time rather than provide genuine entertainment or value.

Over the past year, viewers have increasingly complained about seeing similar AI-produced videos flooding recommendations, sometimes pushing out original human-created content.

Kapwing’s research suggests that among the top AI-content channels on YouTube, 16 major players have recently been removed or stripped of content.

Some channels were reportedly deleted outright, while others still exist but no longer contain videos.

However, YouTube itself has not publicly listed the affected channels, so exact enforcement details remain partly unclear.

YouTube has been under growing pressure to maintain content quality as AI tools make video production faster and cheaper than ever.

Removing large AI slop networks may be YouTube’s way of protecting both viewer experience and legitimate creators.

Importantly, YouTube is not banning AI content itself.

The issue appears to be low-quality, mass-produced videos, not creators who responsibly use AI tools as part of their creative workflow.

For years, some operators built channels that relied on automation rather than storytelling, originality, or personality. AI tools allowed them to produce hundreds of videos quickly, often earning advertising revenue with minimal human effort.

Now, that model looks increasingly risky.

AI has made content creation accessible to more people than ever before, but it has also created an explosion of automated media designed purely to chase engagement.

TikTok, Instagram, and streaming platforms are all dealing with similar issues as AI content becomes easier to produce at scale.

YouTube’s current actions may only be the beginning of stricter moderation across platforms.

YouTube has not confirmed whether further removals are coming, but analysts expect moderation to increase throughout 2026 as the platform refines policies around AI content.

Nollywood actress and filmmaker Bimbo Ademoye has raised a public alarm after YouTube removed monetisation from her movie Where Love Lives following an alleged fraudulent copyright claim on one of its soundtracks.

According to Ademoye, the song in question is a track she fully owns, with proper clearance and approval obtained directly from the artist before it was used in the film. Despite this, she says an individual identified as Emmanuel Davies filed a copyright claim against the movie, leading YouTube to redirect monetisation away from her channel.

In an emotional statement shared on social media, Bimbo accused Davies of stealing her soundtrack, uploading it to digital platforms such as Spotify, and then using that upload to falsely assert ownership.

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“A song I have full ownership of… was lifted and claimed by one Emmanuel Davies.

Not only did he steal my song, he also claimed copyrights and took monetisation,” she wrote.

The actress stressed that she follows due process on every project, noting that she pays for all soundtracks used in her films and conducts thorough checks before uploading any content online.

As a result of the claim, YouTube reportedly demonetised Where Love Lives, meaning ad revenue from the film is now being withheld or redirected while the dispute is unresolved.

Bimbo described the situation as deeply frustrating, especially given the time, resources, and financial investment that went into producing the movie.

Taking a firm stance, the actress warned that she intends to pursue the matter through legal and regulatory channels, stating that she would not back down until the issue is fully addressed.

“Until I see you behind bars, I will not rest. I’d let the authorities do their job,” she added.

For many Nigerian filmmakers who rely on YouTube revenue, such claims pose a serious threat to sustainability in an industry already battling piracy.

In a historic moment for the global digital community, IShowSpeed (Darren Jason Watkins Jr.) has officially surpassed 50 million subscribers on YouTube and he did it live on his 21st birthday while streaming from Nigeria. The milestone marks a defining moment not only for Speed’s career but also for Black creators on the platform.

Fans from around the world watched as the YouTube subscriber counter ticked past 50 million during his Africa tour livestream. Nigeria, one of the stops on his “Speed Does Africa” tour, became the backdrop for what many are calling a landmark achievement for Black creators in YouTube history. Social media exploded as viewers celebrated both his birthday and the historic milestone.

Social media reports confirms that IShowSpeed’s main channel now officially stands at 50,000,000 subscribers, cementing him as a true digital powerhouse.

One of the standout moments from Speed’s time in Nigeria was his verdict on Nigerian jollof rice live on stream, he declared Nigerian jollof the best he’d had so far in comparison with Senegalese jollof, a declaration that delighted viewers and reignited the long‑standing West African jollof debate. 

Social posts from fans also echoed that sentiment, noting how the streamer reacted to the spiciness and flavour of local dishes during his livestream in Lagos. 

Real‑time posts on community forums show Nigerians celebrating his presence, reacting positively to his content, and noting that he’s actively absorbing cultural experiences rather than just passing through. Many locals highlighted how he engages with audiences and talks about Nigerian culture to his millions of viewers live on stream. 

The ongoing stream content indicates that Speed has been interacting with his surroundings, food, and local energy in Lagos; typical of how he’s been doing in other countries on the tour. 

This milestone is more than just numbers; it’s a statement about the power of youth, global audiences, and cultural representation in the digital space. 

CoComelon has recorded another historic milestone on YouTube, as its animated children’s classic “Wheels on the Bus” emerged as one of the most-watched music videos worldwide in 2025, pulling in an estimated two billion views within the year across global audiences.

The achievement reinforces CoComelon’s dominance in digital children’s entertainment and highlights the continued power of nursery rhymes in the streaming era.

Produced by Moonbug Entertainment, CoComelon has long been a heavyweight on YouTube, consistently ranking among the platform’s most-subscribed and most-viewed channels. “Wheels on the Bus” is one of its flagship videos, enjoyed by toddlers and families across multiple regions and languages.

While YouTube does not release official annual rankings that isolate children’s content from general music videos, industry trackers and viewership estimates indicate that “Wheels on the Bus” recorded extraordinary engagement in 2025, with view counts reportedly crossing the two-billion-view mark within the calendar year.

Unlike mainstream pop releases, CoComelon’s success exists in a unique category where children’s music often rivals and sometimes surpasses global chart hits in raw view numbers. Over time, “Wheels on the Bus” has accumulated billions of lifetime views, placing it among YouTube’s most-watched videos of all time.

Its 2025 performance further cements children’s digital programming as one of the most powerful segments in online video consumption.

In a remarkable feat for Nigerian digital content creators, Pastor Jerry Eze’s YouTube channel, New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declarations (NSPPD), has become the third most-watched YouTube channel worldwide in 2025. With over 102 million watch hours accumulated this year, NSPPD has emerged as a global hub for faith-based content, highlighting the growing international appetite for spiritual programming.

NSPPD began as a digital extension of Pastor Jerry Eze’s ministry, offering daily prayers, prophetic declarations, and spiritual guidance. What started as a way to connect with church members during the COVID-19 pandemic has now transformed into a global phenomenon, attracting millions of viewers from Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

The channel’s rapid rise is particularly notable because it competes not with traditional entertainment or gaming content but with other top-tier global YouTube channels. In 2025, NSPPD ranks only behind some of the world’s most-watched entertainment creators, making it a rare achievement for faith-based digital media.

Record-Breaking Viewership and Engagement

According to reports, NSPPD amassed over 102 million watch hours, making it the third-highest channel globally by total watch time. The channel regularly draws hundreds of thousands of live participants during prayer sessions, creating a highly engaged community that is active not just in watching content but interacting in real time.

This level of engagement has positioned NSPPD as a powerhouse in digital ministry, demonstrating that niche content with high authenticity and community engagement can compete with mainstream global media.

Revenue Milestone: ₦11.8 Billion in 2025

NSPPD’s global viewership has also translated into substantial earnings, with reports estimating ₦11.8 billion in revenue for 2025. This revenue comes from a combination of YouTube ad monetization, Super Chats, memberships, and sponsorships, reflecting the financial potential of faith-based digital media when executed at scale.

For perspective, this places NSPPD among the highest-earning non-gaming channels globally, and it underscores the economic potential of African content creators in the global digital ecosystem.

The Global Impact of NSPPD

The channel’s success is more than just numbers. It reflects a broader shift in global media consumption, where viewers increasingly turn to live digital experiences for connection, guidance, and inspiration. Pastor Jerry Eze’s approach combines spiritual messaging with highly accessible digital formats, allowing him to reach audiences across cultures and continents.

This milestone also demonstrates that African creators can lead globally, with content that resonates beyond regional or cultural boundaries. NSPPD has effectively turned digital ministry into a world-class platform, setting a benchmark for other faith-based creators.

As 2025 comes to a close, NSPPD’s achievement signals a new era for online religious content. Channels like NSPPD are not only shaping digital media trends but are also redefining what it means to build a global community around shared values and beliefs.

In a significant shake-up for the global music industry, YouTube has announced it will stop providing its streaming data to Billboard’s U.S. music charts starting January 16, 2026. This decision ends a decade-long partnership that helped measure song popularity and influence chart positions for artists around the world. 

The move arose from a dispute over how Billboard weights different types of streams, raising questions about digital consumption, fairness, and how chart success should be defined in the streaming era. Here’s a breakdown of what this change means for artists, fans, and the music business at large.

Why YouTube Pulled Back Its Data

At the heart of the split is a disagreement over Billboard’s chart methodology specifically, how it assigns different values to paid versus ad-supported streams:

• Billboard currently gives more weight to paid or subscription streams (like Spotify Premium or Apple Music) than to free, ad-supported plays.
• YouTube argues this system undervalues listening behaviour on its platform, where billions of users stream music for free with ads. 

In response, Billboard updated its formula for 2026 to make ad-supported streams count more than they did before (reducing the number of streams needed to count toward the charts). However, paid streams still count significantly more than free streams, and YouTube says this doesn’t reflect how modern fans actually engage with music. 

YouTube’s global head of music, Lyor Cohen, called Billboard’s formula “outdated” and insisted that all streams paid or free should be counted equally for chart calculations. Because Billboard would not adopt this approach, YouTube announced it will stop submitting its data for all Billboard charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200. 

A Brief History of YouTube & Billboard Charts

YouTube began contributing data to Billboard’s Hot 100 in 2013, recognizing that video streams were a growing part of how people consume music. Later, its data was added to album charts like the Billboard 200. 

Because YouTube reaches billions of listeners worldwide; especially in regions where paid subscriptions are less common, its inclusion historically helped songs chart higher based on popularity across video and music formats.

Now, with the partnership ending after January 16, 2026, YouTube streams will no longer factor into these official U.S. rankings unless the two organizations find a new agreement. 

How Billboard’s New Chart Rules Work

For charts dated January 17, 2026 (tracking data from January 2-8), Billboard will adjust its streaming values:

• 1,000 paid/subscription on-demand streams = one album unit
• 2,500 ad-supported on-demand streams = one album unit

This narrows the difference between paid and free streams compared with previous years, but paid streams still count more per stream than ad-supported ones. 

Under this system, a song must be streamed more times on a free tier to count the same as fewer paid streams, a key reason YouTube disagrees with the approach. 

What this could mean for Artists

• Chart Visibility Changes: Songs that used to climb based on huge YouTube view counts alone may now chart lower or not at all on Billboard charts.
• Strategy Shifts: Labels may push artists toward platforms where plays still count fully for Billboard, such as Spotify, Apple Music, or other paid services.
• Video Release Planning: Big-budget music videos might become less central to chart strategies, though they’ll still matter for engagement and reach.

Artists with strong YouTube performance particularly in genres like K-pop, hip-hop, Latin pop, and Afrobeats,  may feel the biggest impact, as many of their fans use YouTube as a primary means of listening. 

For Fans

• Streaming Choices Matter More: Streaming on paid platforms may have more chart impact than listening on YouTube alone.
• Billboard Chart Dynamics Change: Fans who boosted songs to the charts via YouTube views might see different results going forward.

What This Doesn’t Change

• Music Industry Certifications: YouTube streams will still count toward certifications like RIAA Gold and Platinum, which have their own criteria separate from Billboard charts.
• Luminate Reporting: YouTube continues to submit data to Luminate (a major industry analytics provider), so labels and artists will still see full YouTube consumption metrics. 

YouTube’s move isn’t just a technical shift in how charts are calculated, it’s a cultural statement about what matters most in music consumption today. Whether this leads to new chart models or renewed negotiation between platforms and publishers remains to be seen.

The 2025 YouTube Creator rankings in Nigeria deliver a resounding verdict: the audience’s appetite for long form narrative content is insatiable, positioning Nollywood actors, producers, and indigenous filmmakers as the undisputed digital champions. This list shows that success is measured not by viral short clips, but by total watch time driven by feature length movies and serialized dramas.

Omoni Oboli TV

Leading the charge as the Top Creator of the Year is veteran actress and filmmaker Omoni Oboli. Her channel, Omoni Oboli TV. She leverages her massive brand recognition to host her own high production-value movies and series. Crucially, she supplements this with personalized lifestyle vlogs and behind the scenes content. Her success in the industry is a blueprint for established stars looking to control their own distribution narrative.

Itelediconstudio

The Yoruba Film Kingpin securing the second spot, Itelediconstudio, run by actor and producer Ibrahim Yekini (Itele D Icon), underscores the digital power of Yoruba language cinema. The channel focuses on high-quality, culturally rich indigenous films and short series. Itelediconstudio’s content resonates deeply with the Yoruba diaspora and local audience, generating massive, highly loyal watch time.

Uchenna Mbunabo TV

A powerhouse in the East, Uchenna Mbunabo TV is a prime example of a film producer successfully transitioning into a massive digital distributor. The channel is dedicated almost entirely to uploading full length Nollywood movies and serial dramas, bypassing traditional distribution routes. Mbunabo’s ranking demonstrates that access to a high volume of quality, polished movie content is a key driver for millions of Nigerian viewers who treat the channel as a free, on demand streaming service.

Saira Movies

The presence of Saira Movies at number four highlights the immense digital influence of Kannywood, the Hausa-language film industry based in Northern Nigeria. Run by filmmaker Aminu Saira, the channel caters to a massive Hausa-speaking audience across Nigeria and West Africa. Its high ranking confirms that regional, culturally specific content has incredible digital market power and viewership loyalty.

Maurice Sam TV

Actor Maurice Sam follows the increasingly common trend for Nollywood talent: transforming a personal brand into a distribution platform. Maurice Sam TV features a constant upload schedule of full length movies, often starring himself. This shows that when viewers connect with an actor’s personality, they are highly motivated to follow them directly to their own distribution channel, thus increasing the actor’s creative and financial control.

RuthKadiri247

Actress and filmmaker Ruth Kadiri has built one of the most reliable digital brands in the industry. Her channel, RuthKadiri247, is known for its consistent output of emotional dramas and relatable short series. Her high ranking is a testament to the power of a relentless and professional upload schedule, which keeps her vast audience continuously engaged and coming back for the next release of her work.

APATATV+

APATATV+ is a major force in distributing Yoruba language films and dramas. Unlike creator led channels, APATATV+ is a dedicated production and distribution house, operating as a vital aggregator of indigenous cinema. Its high position underscores the mass appeal of professionally packaged Yoruba movie content and the public’s continuous demand for cultural storytelling.

Uche Montana TV

Actress Uche Montana’s channel success mirrors that of her peers, focusing on uploading full movies and series. As a rising star, her high ranking indicates that the new generation of Nollywood actors are prioritizing direct to consumer digital distribution right from the start of their careers, recognizing YouTube as the most crucial platform for building long term audience loyalty.

Sonia Uche TV

Rounding out the Nollywood domination is Sonia Uche TV. Like the others, this channel focuses on high-drama, emotionally engaging full-length movies that capture the typical Nollywood viewing experience. Her channel’s success further reinforces the fact that narrative continuity and long-form storytelling are the core metrics for success on Nigerian YouTube.

Brain Jotter

The only non-movie channel to crack the Top 10, Brain Jotter, demonstrates the immense difficulty comedy skit makers face in competing with movie channels for watch time. While comedy skits are massive on other platforms, Brain Jotter’s ability to break into this movie-dominated list is a huge achievement. His success is built on a recognizable brand, consistent comedic timing, and viral catchphrases, proving that genuine, high-quality humor can still get enough collective views to compete on the platform.

The Academy Awards, one of the most prestigious events in global entertainment, could soon find itself at the center of a broadcasting shake-up. According to fresh reports from Bloomberg and other outlets, YouTube has formally expressed interest in acquiring broadcast and streaming rights to the Oscars, positioning itself as a challenger to the traditional network dominance that has defined the ceremony for decades.

YouTube’s Ambition to Host the Oscars

YouTube, with its 2.7 billion monthly users, has long cemented its status as the world’s most influential video platform. Its recent inquiry into Oscars rights is being hailed by industry watchers as a bold move that could redefine how audiences experience live cultural events. The appeal is clear: while traditional television viewership has steadily declined, YouTube thrives among younger demographics who increasingly consume live events and highlights online rather than through cable television.

Analysts argue that the Oscars’ migration to YouTube. If this happens, it could inject the ceremony with fresh relevance. Features like live chat, polls, real-time audience engagement, and instant replay clips could make the show interactive in ways traditional TV cannot match.

ABC’s Standing Contract: A Barrier to Entry

However, YouTube’s ambitions face a significant hurdle. ABC currently holds exclusive U.S. broadcast rights to the Oscars through 2028, under a contract signed with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2016. This deal not only secures ABC’s coverage but also extends its global distribution partnerships.

The partnership between ABC and the Oscars is longstanding, dating back to 1976. While viewership has fluctuated over the years, hitting historic lows in the 2020s—ABC has retained the prestige of hosting Hollywood’s biggest night. For YouTube to step in, it would either need to negotiate terms for after 2028, or strike an unprecedented arrangement that coexists alongside ABC’s deal, which appears unlikely.

YouTube Expresses Interest To Host The Oscars, Plans To Buy Rights — Reports pic.twitter.com/fPP55qj6K5

— Streamdorm | Film & TV News (@Streamdorm_) August 18, 2025

What This Means for the Oscars

The Oscars have battled declining TV ratings in recent years, prompting the Academy to explore new ways of reaching younger and global audiences. Moving to a digital-first platform like YouTube could potentially address both challenges:

• Global Reach: YouTube’s international accessibility could expand the Oscars’ footprint beyond traditional TV markets.  
• Youth Engagement: With Gen Z and millennials spending far more time on YouTube than cable, the ceremony could reclaim cultural relevance.
• Interactivity: Live engagement features could transform a passive viewing experience into an active, social one.

On the other hand, such a move raises questions about prestige and tradition. Would streaming dilute the Oscars’ aura as a formal, televised event? Could the Academy risk alienating long-time audiences who still prefer the TV broadcast format?

For now, ABC’s standing contract means YouTube’s interest remains speculative. But the fact that YouTube is actively inquiring about rights signals a shifting tide in entertainment broadcasting. If the Oscars were to transition to YouTube in the future, it could mark one of the most significant cultural and technological shifts in awards-show history.
One thing is clear: the conversation about where the Oscars belong in the digital era has officially begun.