A new economic report claims bigger numbers for creators in Europe, just as regulators and broadcasters push back.
At the MIPCOM conference in France, YouTube released its second annual European Economic Impact Report. Tubefilter's write-up asks the sharper question: can big numbers win YouTube a better deal in Europe?
YouTube's headline figures for Europe
- YouTube says its European creator economy added €8.4 billion to GDP in 2025, up from €7 billion in the previous report.
- It credits the ecosystem with supporting more than 220,000 full-time-equivalent jobs, up from 200,000.
- Over 70 percent of watch time on content from EU27 channels comes from outside the EU.
- YouTube says its Partner Program pays eligible creators more than half of their channel revenue.
For comparison, Tubefilter notes that TikTok's latest European report claimed €2.6 billion and 52,000 jobs, though the two companies measure differently.
What creators told the survey
- 63 percent say they get little or no support from government bodies, and most lack access to training, public grants or studio space.
- 83 percent rely on recommendation algorithms for growth and income, and 71 percent of those say reduced visibility would hurt their livelihoods.
- 64 percent say more support from traditional media and institutions would help.
The politics around YouTube's report
European officials are examining Big Tech closely, from smart glasses to AI chatbots, and in the UK YouTube is in a dispute with media companies such as the BBC over how prominently their content appears in recommendations. Tubefilter argues that YouTube is positioning itself as a partner to legacy media while its stance favours creators over broadcasters who want algorithmic preference.
How to read a report like this
Company-commissioned economic studies are useful but not neutral: they are chosen to show the platform's value. The creator survey numbers are the most interesting part, because they show how dependent a livelihood can be on a recommendation system that creators do not control.
