What did YouTube announce at Made On 2026?

At Made On on 23 September 2026, YouTube announced brand-deal help in Ask Studio, Creator Partnerships in 20 countries, a one-click code that shares a sponsored video's performance with the brand, a test of dynamic brand segments across up to 20 videos, and a Shopping affiliate expansion to 35 countries by the end of 2026.

What is YouTube Creator Partnerships?

It is YouTube's program for connecting brands with creators for sponsorships. After Made On 2026 it runs in 20 countries, and creators can give a brand one-click access to a partnered video's performance so the brand can review and boost it.

Can brands boost a creator's sponsored YouTube video?

Yes. With the one-click brand partner code announced at Made On 2026, a brand can see a partnered video's performance and boost it as a paid placement. Agree in the deal whether boosting is included in the creator's fee.

How many countries does the YouTube Shopping affiliate program cover?

YouTube said the program has more than 1.3 million creators and will reach 35 countries by the end of 2026. Before Made On it was available in the US, UK, Thailand, and India.

YouTube Made On 2026: New Brand Deal and Shopping Tools

YouTube used Made On 2026, held on 23 September, to move the brand deal itself inside YouTube Studio. Creators get AI help answering briefs and pitching, brands get a one-click code to see and boost a sponsored video's performance, and the Shopping affiliate program is heading to 35 countries by year end. Together they make YouTube a sponsorship marketplace, not just the place the sponsored video lives.

What YouTube announced

Brand deals in Ask Studio. Ask Studio, YouTube's AI assistant in Studio, will help creators draft responses to brand briefs, build custom proposals, and adjust their media kits. YouTube said it is coming soon, and early coverage says select creators get it first.
Creator Partnerships in 20 countries. YouTube's matchmaking program between brands and creators now runs in 20 markets. YouTube did not publish the full country list.
One-click brand access. A creator can share a code that gives a brand partner access to the partnered video's performance, and the brand can then boost that video as a paid placement.
Dynamic brand segments (testing). A creator can insert a sponsored segment into up to 20 long-form videos at once, target it by region, and attach a shelf with a call-to-action button.
Agency incentives. YouTube said it is investing "hundreds of millions of dollars" to reward high-impact brand collaborations, without publishing eligibility rules.
Shopping affiliates. The program has more than 1.3 million creators, grew GMV 13x over two years, and is set to reach 35 countries by the end of 2026, with Amazon product tagging expanding to India and Brazil.

Figures come from YouTube's Made On presentation as reported by Relevant Audience and the official Google recap. Rollout dates for Ask Studio and the dynamic segments were not given.

Why it matters for creators and brands

Until now, a YouTube sponsorship mostly happened off YouTube: the pitch went by email, the rate lived in a PDF media kit, and the brand saw results in a screenshot the creator sent over. Each new tool pulls one of those steps into Studio. The performance code matters most. A brand that can see verified views and retention, and boost the video with one click, has far less reason to negotiate over self-reported numbers.

Dynamic segments change the unit of a deal. If one sponsor read can run across 20 back-catalogue videos by region, a creator can sell reach in a market rather than one upload. That favours creators with deep libraries over creators who only win on new releases, and it gives brands a way to buy evergreen inventory.

Who benefits

Mid-size YouTubers. The pitch and media-kit help removes most of the admin that keeps smaller channels from sponsorship work.
Brands paying for performance. Verified data and one-click boosting make sponsored YouTube videos behave more like paid media, which is easier to budget for.
Commerce creators outside the US. The jump from four affiliate markets to a planned 35 is the largest change in where YouTube Shopping pays.
Agencies. YouTube's stated incentive spend is aimed at collaborations agencies typically broker.

What to do now

Creators: keep your own media kit current anyway. Ask Studio will draft from it, and brands outside YouTube still ask for one. Our media kit guide covers what to include.
Creators: price sponsor segments per video and per region now, so you have a number ready if dynamic segments reach your channel.
Brands: ask creators for the performance code as part of the deal terms, and agree in writing whether boosting the video is included in the fee.
Brands running many creators at once: a single YouTube tool still only covers YouTube. If your program spans Instagram and TikTok too, run the deals, briefs, and payments in one place such as Elev8or Collabs.

What to watch next

Two things. First, the Ask Studio rollout: which creators get it and whether it reaches non-English channels. Second, how YouTube prices boosting a partnered video. If brands pay YouTube to amplify a creator's post, the creator's share of that value becomes the next negotiation in every sponsorship.