YouTube’s Chief Business Officer: E-Commerce Will Become Creator ‘Juggernaut’

The booming creator economy could become a “juggernaut” thanks to e-commerce, as individuals with online followings sell products, taking a greater share of consumer spending, said YouTube Chief Business Officer Robert Kyncl.

“This distributed retail is definitely a force that is starting to build. And the people who will benefit the most are creators because they have the trusted audience,” said Kyncl in an interview during The Information’s Creator Economy Summit Thursday. “It’s a space that we’re definitely paying very close attention to.”

Also Kyncl emphasized how YouTube has retained its influence in the sector, even as it fends off rivals like ByteDance’s TikTok.

He said for the past five years, the number of creators making a living off YouTube has grown consistently. That’s helped advertising revenue rise 40% year over year.