A popular YouTube group called Watcher announced a new subscription-based, paywalled content strategy, which has been met with significant backlash from their fans. They will be releasing some episodes on YouTube, but the rest of the season will be exclusively available on their own website, Watcher TV, for a monthly fee of $5.99 or a yearly fee of $59.99. The group claims that this move is necessary to support their content creation, but critics argue that they are already making significant revenue from their YouTube ad revenue, Patreon, and brand deals. Many fans feel that this move is a betrayal, as they are being asked to pay for content that was previously available for free. The backlash has led to a significant number of dislikes on their announcement video, and many fans have expressed their disappointment and frustration with the decision.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Watcher, a YouTube group, announced a subscription-based paywalled content strategy.
2. The strategy involves releasing a couple of episodes on YouTube and then making the rest of the season exclusively available behind a paywall on their own website, Watcher.tv.
3. The subscription cost is $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year.
4. Watcher has almost 3 million subscribers on YouTube.
5. The group's videos typically get around 1 million views each.
6. Watcher has a successful Patreon with over 12,000 members and three different monthly payment tiers.
7. The group runs a lot of ads in their content and has brand deals.
8. Watcher's estimated RPM (revenue per 1,000 views) on YouTube is around 8-9.
9. The group has a large team, with over 25 employees.
10. Watcher is not removing their existing YouTube content, but rather making new content exclusive to their website.
11. The decision has been met with a negative reaction from their audience, with many expressing disappointment and frustration.
12. Some YouTubers have successfully implemented third-party subscription services, but these services typically offer additional content on top of what's available on YouTube, rather than replacing it.