‘This isn’t the old pre-roll world’: YouTube has been talking TV — now it’s selling that way

By Krystal Scanlon  •  December 17, 2025  • Ivy Liu YouTube has been chasing TV ad budgets for years. What’s changed recently is the approach. Marketers who’ve sat through recent pitches say the difference is clear. The VIP packages, sold both directly to advertisers and through agencies, are built around spend thresholds. The more an advertiser commits, the more they unlock – credits, price discounts and access to higher tiers of creators. The specifics of those incentives and tiers, however, remain under wraps.  What stands out though is who YouTube is aiming these deals at. The pitch is landing squarely on TV advertisers – buyers used to making larger commitments in exchange for better access, sharper pricing and a more predictable schedule. Appropriately enough, YouTube has dubbed it the VIP (Video Incentives Program) program. “The VIP program is really beneficial for clients because they can get credits, price advantages and tap into YouTube’s creators, who create custom content,” said Hermelinda Fernandez, svp, digital investment at Canvas Worldwide, adding that her clients want to buy YouTube this way.  “Advertisers have the ability to try and create more of a TV schedule on the platform as well,” she added. All of which
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