YouTube Isn’t Afraid of Creators Leaving—So Far

YouTube isn’t – After creator-led films like Kane Parsons’ “Backrooms” and Barker’s “Obsession” shattered box-office expectations, YouTube executives say creators aren’t suddenly planning to abandon the platform. The numbers are doing the talking—while the company insists the

By the time “Obsession” and “Backrooms” hit big screens, Hollywood’s assumption was simple: once creators level up, they move on. YouTube’s read of the moment couldn’t be more different.

Mary Ellen Coe, YouTube’s chief business officer, framed the shift as something fans already understand. “These two films are the perfect example of how these creators and directors build incredible fandoms, and fans show up for them at the box office,” Coe said.

And the box office doesn’t look like a one-off.

Barker’s horror-comedy “Obsession” has made $260 million globally at the box office thus far and is now the highest-grossing film ever acquired at a film festival—a record previously held by Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11.” Parsons’ “Backrooms” is the highest-grossing film in A24’s history. bringing in $262 million. Glitch’s “The Amazing Digital Circus” broke a presale record for Fathom Events and brought in $37 million globally. The creator-to-theater pipeline has also been bolstered by Mark Fischbach (aka Markiplier). whose self-funded and self-distributed horror movie “Iron Lung” grossed over $51 million worldwide.

Holist-style comparisons to earlier eras are everywhere. Some in the industry have likened this wave to the rise of auteur filmmakers in the ’70s. or to the ’90s when music video and commercial directors started invading the box office. But the creators behind these new hits aren’t treating the platform that built them like a temporary stepping stone.

The point YouTube keeps returning to is that creators already had control—creative and financial—thanks to platforms like YouTube. Social media isn’t just a place to post; it’s where communities form and where audiences aren’t merely watching. but responding. That relationship, Coe argued, is built into the theatrical results.

“Creators understand what their fans love, and that’s why you see the intensity of the relationship translate into the box office,” Coe said. “I think you’re going to see a lot more feature length [projects] coming out because, once creators see this, it takes up everyone’s ambition.”

This isn’t just theory. Creator Camp—an independent and creator-led production and distribution studio—made its first movie last year: a romantic comedy from Baron Ryan (2.9 million TikTok followers) titled “Two Sleepy People.” Creator Camp CEO Max Reisinger called bigger studios and was met with silence. so the studio went guerrilla—asking Ryan’s fans to sign petitions saying they’d be interested in paying to see the film in their area. then asking theaters one by one if they could show it.

It paid off. A movie made for $100,000 over 100 days with minimal marketing spend has made back four times its budget. It also sold its European rights to France’s mk2 last month. The outcome turned curiosity into momentum: other creators began approaching Creator Camp about making movies of their own. including creators who were bigger names already talking to studios.

“All the bigger studios came back to us [after ‘Backrooms’ premiered]. We just had a meeting with Blumhouse. They were obviously involved in [‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’] and want to find more creators. So this is the busiest we’ve ever been,” Reisinger told.

Underneath the fandom talk is a wider question: are creators really “graduating,” or are they expanding?

Parsons has spent four years building the world and lore of the “Backrooms” universe on his YouTube channel Kane Pixels. which has over 3.3 million subscribers. Markiplier—known for streaming horror games—has over 38.7 million subscribers. Barker and Cooper Tomlinson’s comedy channel that’s a bad idea has over 1.3 million subscribers. “The Amazing Digital Circus,” which has been on Netflix since 2024, started on Glitch’s channel, which has 21.4 million subscribers.

YouTube’s argument is that this ecosystem was designed for creators to keep working, not disappear after a breakthrough. The company points to ongoing, creator-focused changes—some flashy, some more practical. YouTube’s implementation of Google’s Gemini, for example, lets creators insert AI-created images and videos directly into their channel. Then there’s the less headline-friendly side: tools that let creators A/B test titles for videos.

For creators, that can mean the difference between a video getting buried and going viral.

“We’ve always had this model where we create this platform for creators to do the incredible storytelling they do,” Coe said.

That approach marks a contrast with YouTube’s earlier era. YouTube Originals ran from 2017 to 2022 and featured projects produced and funded by YouTube. including scripted and unscripted releases that were more polished than creator content. “Cobra Kai” eventually blew up after moving to Netflix. while “Justin Bieber: Seasons” was also among the era’s successful originals.

After shuttering the YouTube Originals division, YouTube stepped back while independently made creator content has become more expensive and ambitious. Now, Coe said, it’s not the platform deciding what gets renewed. “We ultimately do not cancel shows. We don’t curate. We let the audience greenlight the content,” Coe said. “I have a lot of inbound [requests]. It’s been very consistent for all types — producers. filmmakers. studios — across the ecosystem that are really excited to come to the platform and understand what audiences are looking for. That’s really the magic here, and there’s a lot of demand for that.”.

The YouTube story is also part of a broader media shift. TikTok’s FilmTok community—where creators discuss movies and the movie industry—averaged 6.5 million posts a day last year and has grown by roughly 50% over the past year. The horror community is moving fast as well: HorrorTok has seen a 30 times year-over-year increase.

Dennis Papirowski. TikTok’s global head of entertainment and news. said studios see TikTok as a way to connect with audiences and discover IP. “Studios see [TikTok] as a huge way of connecting and discovering the IP with audiences,” Papirowski told. “Tapping into this pool of talent, I’m glad to see these other new cases coming in and confirming that.”.

Even so, Hollywood’s skepticism hasn’t vanished.

Focus Features has already picked up Barker’s third feature, “Anything but Ghosts.” A24 has tapped him to write and direct a reboot of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” and Barker’s first feature, “Milk & Serial,” was released on YouTube.

Parsons, meanwhile, has been outspoken about wanting to create more “Backrooms” stories—whether that’s a movie or a series. Yet Parsons’ insistence that he will continue making YouTube content has been met with skepticism in the industry.

YouTube’s counter is built on how creators actually work. Their fan followings are already there on social media, and the audience doesn’t just “like” content—it talks back. Coe pointed to features like YouTube’s comments section and chat functionality. where viewers can express opinions often in real time.

“We’ve seen that in the comedy space, where creators have started to create sketches that became like shows or films. I think this is just going to increase,” Papirowski said.

There’s also money. Before theatrical success, these creators were already earning from content posted on social media. YouTube. Coe said. has invested in multiple payment structures for creators. including systems that connect creators to brands within YouTube’s platform and options for creators to upload videos in 4K—aimed at living-room viewing. which can lead to longer watch times and higher revenue from premium advertisers. Coe also said YouTube pays creators the most via views, followed by TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.

“We are the most generous in terms of revenue share on our AdSense,” Coe said. Over the past four years, YouTube has paid $100 billion to creators, artists and media companies.

This is the core reason YouTube says it doesn’t expect a mass exodus: the platform is where creators built their audience, and it continues to reward them.

That’s not theoretical either. Jimmy Donaldson. aka MrBeast. has made a show for Prime Video and has his own chocolate bar line. but he’s been outspoken about not leaving YouTube. After surpassing 500 million subscribers on Friday. Donaldson told his followers. “I’ve got at least another 20 to 30 years in the tank of making YouTube videos.”.

Markiplier has also stayed tethered to the platform. Once “Iron Lung” left theaters, he put its video-on-demand option on YouTube, where the movie has been “highly sought after” in search and discovery, according to Coe.

Creator Camp is also exploring bringing “Two Sleepy People” to YouTube, following Markiplier’s example, and is having open conversations with streamers.

None of this adds up to panic inside YouTube’s leadership.

“One of the things that remains true is YouTube is a canvas for [creators] to bring their most ambitious projects. innovate and to connect with audiences at a scale and scope that really isn’t available to them anywhere else. ” Coe said. “Creators are entrepreneurs. They are the studios of today and tomorrow. So we support them however they want to manage their business. and we’re here to help them continue to build audiences and fandom.”.

Parsons and Donaldson also share something less measurable: YouTube is the platform they grew up watching. Like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese were inspired by theaters into filmmaking. Parsons—who is 20 years old—has spoken about YouTube being the primary entertainment platform he grew up watching.

If the creator boom feels inevitable now, it’s because everyone interviewed for this moment keeps pointing in the same direction: it’s only the beginning.

Creator Camp is working on “a few” horror projects from creators ranging from feature films to TV shows. Streamers like Netflix and Tubi have been investing aggressively in creators. Predicting the next mega-hit is impossible. but Papirowski said the big shift is already underway: “We believe that the creator economy and the traditional media entertainment economy is really converging into one industry. It’s not just one or the other. It’s really one industry going forward.”.

Reisinger put it more simply: “There’s more opportunities for, not just us, but all creators everywhere.”

For YouTube, the takeaway is clear. Creators may be taking their stories to theaters—but the platform that helped them find their audience isn’t losing its hold. The screen may be bigger now. The relationship, though, is staying tight.

YouTube Obsession Backrooms Kane Parsons Barker Markiplier Iron Lung Creator Camp Two Sleepy People MrBeast TikTok FilmTok HorrorTok A24 Focus Features Fathom Events mk2 Gemini creator economy