Zoe KleinmanTechnology editor and
Tom GerkenTechnology reporter
Emma Lynch/BBC
Lilly Sabri has nearly six and half million followers on YouTube, where she posts fitness videos
YouTube content creators contributed £2.2bn to the UK economy in 2024 and supported 45,000 jobs, according to an impact report carried out by Oxford Economics.
It comes as an all-party parliamentary group (APPG) is launched to represent UK creators and influencers.
Its co-chair Feryal Clark, Labour MP for Enfield North, described them as “trailblazers of a new creative revolution” who had been “undervalued in Westminster for too long”.
British content creator Lilly Sabri welcomed the research and the creation of the parliamentary group.
“For many years people have questioned whether being a content creator is a real job, and whether you can actually build a sustainable career from it,” she told the BBC.
“I started as a content creator on YouTube eight years ago, launched my first business around three years ago and my second shortly after.
“Even though my physiotherapy degree is an integral part of what I do, without YouTube I wouldn’t be where I am today and I wouldn’t have launched these businesses and employed as many people as I do.”
While APPGs are informal and have no official power, with around 500 of them representing various sectors and interests, they are able to provide industry insights directly to policy-makers.
For many content creators and influencers, the new group is a symbol of long-overdue recognition for their work.
They say the challenges they face include access to training and funding opportunities, finding suitable studio spaces, and acquiring film permits.
“This new cross-party forum will put that right: tearing down the barriers that stifle talent, championing creators as pioneers of our time, and making sure Britain leads the world as the ultimate home of creativity, innovation and ambition,” Ms Clark said.
Some of the biggest YouTubers in the world are British, with names like DanTDM and the Sidemen boasting millions of subscribers.
While Joseph Garrett, better known as Stampy, has 10 million subscribers on his main YouTube channel.
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Stampy is known for sharing videos playing Minecraft
He told BBC Tech Life content creators like himself had been dependent on traditional revenue streams like advertisers and sponsors to make money on their channels.
“This has kept a significant disparity between views and revenue generated for online only content compared to more traditional media,” he said.
YouTubers historically had to get significantly more eyeballs on their videos than TV for the same advertising money.
In particular, streaming platforms will typically pay out based on viewer engagement with an ad, while TV ad buys are generally paid at a fixed rate.
But Stampy said this had started to shift in recent years.
And Brandon B, who has 16 million subscribers, and is known for his short-form visual effects videos, said the industry needed government support to “break through to the next level”.
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Brandon Baum also has 5 million followers on TikTok and 2 million on Instagram
“We’re now at a scale where it feels like we really do need that government stamp of approval and a voice in Parliament to help us get through,” he told the Today programme, on BBC Radio 4.
“It’s about supporting our business growth – everything from being able to look at taking on capital or loans from banks and almost just having the infrastructure around us.”
He said despite his massive following he has experienced difficulty navigating UK rules for things as simple as getting a filming permit, because of “clunky systems”.
“I want to start seeing all of those things come out so the UK can really start highlighting and pushing creators out… to allow them to actually make their content to reach even further global audiences around the world.”
This is not the first sign that streamers and influencers are entering the political mainstream.
This summer Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer invited 90 influencers to a reception at 10 Downing Street, and in the US the White House has opened up its press briefings to include content creators and influencers alongside traditional journalists.
