Author Topic: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators  (Read 2557 times)

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Online EEVblogTopic starter

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BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« on: April 11, 2023, 12:37:39 am »
Just a dumb move signing up for these MCN's.
TLDR; Sign over control of your adsense and memership revenue to us and we promise to give you back 100% of that income and (maybe) get you some extra ad read deals.
Turns out they weren't paying back the 100% promised on memberships and hoped no one would notice. Worked for a few years until, well, someone noticed.



« Last Edit: April 11, 2023, 01:36:06 am by EEVblog »
 

Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2023, 01:46:29 am »
If you watch the original video, Ethan breaks down the numbers. $619k skimmed since Dec 2020 at a rate of 30%.
That means H3H3 made $2.05M in subscriptions in 28 months, or $73k/month  :o
 

Online Bud

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2023, 02:01:35 am »
What does this guy do? I could not get a good sense of his theme by scrolling through the list of his videos thumbnails, is he a yellow press podcaster kind of thing?
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Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2023, 05:18:10 am »
What does this guy do? I could not get a good sense of his theme by scrolling through the list of his videos thumbnails, is he a yellow press podcaster kind of thing?

He used to be one of the best and highly regarded comedy/skit channels on Youtube. He was probably in the top 10 biggest Yotuube channels at one point, he is considered youtube royalty and personally knows Suzan Alphabet.
He won a pioneering lawsuit for Fair Use on Youtube.
In recent years he's famously turned into an extreme SJW, attacking other Youtubers.
I haven't watched for donkeys years.

There are many videos about his downfall:
 

Online Ed.Kloonk

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2023, 07:02:13 am »
I don't want to be -that- guy...

I've yet to watch the videos.
That seems to be alot of turnover flippantly signed away without doing prudent checks.

Managers skim and they cheat. Ask any rock singer from the 1970's. Too busy partying perhaps?
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Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2023, 09:37:36 am »
I don't want to be -that- guy...
I've yet to watch the videos.
That seems to be alot of turnover flippantly signed away without doing prudent checks.
Managers skim and they cheat. Ask any rock singer from the 1970's. Too busy partying perhaps?

TLDR; He checked the early deposits and they were 100%. He then left it to his accountant to continue to check and they didn't check throughly when Youtube Subscriptions were introduced.
His contract implied Subscriptions was the same 100%, so he assumed it was still 100%. BBTV took it as being under another 70% category in the contract. Only when he got a new accountant did it get check again several years later and $620k out of pocket.
 
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Offline tom66

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2023, 12:34:20 pm »
For $620k he could probably get a really good lawyer and get... I dunno... at least $50k of that back eventually after the lawyer's cut, if genuinely it was something that was up to legal interpretation and not crystal clear.  But at ~$1M/year income, I don't know if I'd be worried.
 

Offline Buriedcode

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2023, 02:05:21 pm »

TLDR; He checked the early deposits and they were 100%. He then left it to his accountant to continue to check and they didn't check throughly when Youtube Subscriptions were introduced.
His contract implied Subscriptions was the same 100%, so he assumed it was still 100%. BBTV took it as being under another 70% category in the contract. Only when he got a new accountant did it get check again several years later and $620k out of pocket.

I am not a content creator, but the highlighted portions just seem a bit naive to me.  When it comes to money management, advertising, or the satelite industries surrounding "content creation" I imagine people will fleece you if you're not completely on top of everything.  Not having much money to pay someone to look into these things is a valid excuse - I'm not sure this guy has that excuse.

I use to watch a few of his vids, I remember him being one of the less irritating youtubers, and its sad this has happened but... he needs to get a new accountant and stop taking things on faith. It's an expensive lesson.
 

Offline PlainName

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #8 on: April 11, 2023, 03:58:43 pm »
Quote
he needs to get a new accountant and stop taking things on faith

Ahem. He has, hence this thread.
 
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Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #9 on: April 11, 2023, 11:35:47 pm »
Quote
he needs to get a new accountant and stop taking things on faith
Ahem. He has, hence this thread.

Yes, his new accountant spotted it I think.
Honestly, it's surprisingly easy to miss something like this. I've got so many income sources and volumes of transactions etc, that once you have a system set up with your accountant and it's working, i.e. more money coming in that going out, it's hard to get the enthusiam to check stuff.
e.g. Stripe or PayPal for example could be taking out some huge new fee and I wouldn't be aware of it, as money is still coming in, so it's easy to think it's all stil lworking automatically. You just never think to try and put the effort in to go and check and correlate exact inputs with exact outputs.
 

Offline EPAIII

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #10 on: April 12, 2023, 09:39:32 am »
I don't get it. Just WHAT is it that BBTV does that motivates people making money on YouTube to sign over that income to BBTV only to have BBTV then send that money to them? What is wrong with just collecting YOUR earnings on YouTube YOURSELF?

What am I missing???
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Offline PlainName

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #11 on: April 12, 2023, 10:31:09 am »
I don't get it. Just WHAT is it that BBTV does that motivates people making money on YouTube to sign over that income to BBTV only to have BBTV then send that money to them? What is wrong with just collecting YOUR earnings on YouTube YOURSELF?

What am I missing???

In his case, his country for channel and payment purposes is Israel and it apparently can't be changed. There was also something about multiple streams which I skipped over so can't spell out. BBTV circumvents all that, and whereas other similar facilities take a cut, BBTV promised not to take a cut from the channel income and, instead, make their money from adverts they source. Win all round if they'd kept to that.
 

Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #12 on: April 12, 2023, 11:02:52 am »
I don't get it. Just WHAT is it that BBTV does that motivates people making money on YouTube to sign over that income to BBTV only to have BBTV then send that money to them? What is wrong with just collecting YOUR earnings on YouTube YOURSELF?

What am I missing???

In his case, his country for channel and payment purposes is Israel and it apparently can't be changed. There was also something about multiple streams which I skipped over so can't spell out. BBTV circumvents all that, and whereas other similar facilities take a cut, BBTV promised not to take a cut from the channel income and, instead, make their money from adverts they source. Win all round if they'd kept to that.

Yes, that's his reason. He's actually been very skeptical and critical of MCN's, but he needed a way to avoid the Israel account thing.
For anyone else there is no advantage, which is why BBTV had to move to the 100% model. The "brand deals" they get are a nothing burger, you are better off doing your own deals. Big Youtube channels get approached daily from the major brands.
 

Offline thm_w

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #13 on: April 12, 2023, 09:21:44 pm »
Yes, that's his reason. He's actually been very skeptical and critical of MCN's, but he needed a way to avoid the Israel account thing.
For anyone else there is no advantage, which is why BBTV had to move to the 100% model. The "brand deals" they get are a nothing burger, you are better off doing your own deals. Big Youtube channels get approached daily from the major brands.

That alone sounds like a reason to use one, not that they find you better deals but they'd: select suitable deals, respond, haggle, ensure you get paid, etc. IF you want to spend your time doing something else.
But maybe better to hire a general assistant/junior accountant? for something like that.
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Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #14 on: April 13, 2023, 03:21:43 am »
That alone sounds like a reason to use one, not that they find you better deals but they'd: select suitable deals, respond, haggle, ensure you get paid, etc. IF you want to spend your time doing something else.
But maybe better to hire a general assistant/junior accountant? for something like that.

Many youtubers that rely on brand deal ad spots will have a full time person working just on getting and sorting out those deals. The income will easy pay for them.
 
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Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #15 on: April 13, 2023, 03:22:47 am »
They are paying him back it seems:
 

Offline eti

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #16 on: April 17, 2023, 06:49:18 am »
Sadly there isn't much wisdom left in the world (duh, look around you). How people routinely sit and watch themselves get shafted, is almost (almost) comical in the demonstration of HOW lacking in wisdom most people TRULY ARE.

Even the (supposedly) "wise" people, turn out to be mostly halfwitted and naive to the gills. Wake up - no one cares - no one is honest in business - don't be gullible. ALWAYS assume people are out to shaft you, and try to not be too cynical whilst you're thinking that, but USE YOUR BRAINS and INSTINCTS (that is why GOD gave you them!)

Money ALWAYS seems to override instinct and gut feelings - I don't understand why people are bought and sold SO EASILY; ignore the figures, FOLLOW YOUR GUT FEELING, and if you are sensitive to that, and smell a rat, EVEN IF THEY OFFER YOU £500M, tell them politely - "seeya, no thanks". Walk away, say nothing - NOTHING.
« Last Edit: April 17, 2023, 06:54:00 am by eti »
 

Offline eti

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Re: BBTV screws over Youtube Creators
« Reply #17 on: April 17, 2023, 06:55:42 am »
I don't want to be -that- guy...
I've yet to watch the videos.
That seems to be alot of turnover flippantly signed away without doing prudent checks.
Managers skim and they cheat. Ask any rock singer from the 1970's. Too busy partying perhaps?

TLDR; He checked the early deposits and they were 100%. He then left it to his accountant to continue to check and they didn't check throughly when Youtube Subscriptions were introduced.
His contract implied Subscriptions was the same 100%, so he assumed it was still 100%. BBTV took it as being under another 70% category in the contract. Only when he got a new accountant did it get check again several years later and $620k out of pocket.

Gotcha! "assumed"

Why do people CONSTANTLY "assume"?  :palm: :palm: :palm: :palm:
 


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