Grand Theft Auto V Videos Valued At Over £200k Per Hour On Youtube, Data Reveals

DanieJanuary 10, 20230 Comment0495

A new study has revealed that video playthroughs of GTA V – released a decade ago this year – are worth an average of £202k per hour of footage on YouTube. This is based on the current CPM (cost per thousand) rate that advertisers pay for ads on the platform, which sees every 1,000 views earning creators £11.20.

The findings come from online casino reviewer Bonusninja, after analysing the top 25 most popular games of last year and comparing the average views reported across the 20 most-watched game playthroughs on Youtube. An average of 18.1 million views were reported across each video showcasing GTA V’s gameplay, with other games analysed including Stardew Valley, Portal 2 and Cyberpunk 2077. This analysis was then measured against each video’s duration to calculate how much creators have earnt per-minute whilst playing.

Each upload related to GTA V – including videos from the likes of YouTubers LazarBeam, theRadBrad and ThirstyHyena – accumulated 18,120,000 views per hour, or 302,000 views per minute – equivalent to £3,374 each minute, or £202,416 each hour.

Although the calculations are based on the most-viewed playthroughs per game, these videos aren’t exclusively uploaded by prolific creators – there are some small creators featured, meaning the earning potential is there regardless of channel popularity.

These views quickly add up – particularly for creators like PewDiePie, whose 6 minute GTA V demo will have made £245,759 from 22M views – equivalent to £2.45 million per hour.

Techno Gamerz – also known as Ujjwal Churasia – has benefitted the most on YouTube, as his playthrough has accumulated 39M views for just 18:47 minutes of gameplay – earning him £435,664, and equating to more than £1.3 million per hour.

Creators’ actual earnings could be even higher, as YouTube also awards higher earnings based on their subscriber count, how many ads are displayed, and creator’s location.

But it’s not just GTA V that’s worth playing for YouTube views – Elden Ring also came out as one of the highest-earning games, with playthroughs earning £1,316 per minute.

Red Dead Redemption 2 also fared well, with the 6.6M views reported for each video equating to £34.4k per hour, or £573 per minute.

Top 10 most profitable playthroughs on YouTube

Grand Theft Auto V – £3,374 per minute
Elden Ring – £1,316 per minute
Red Dead Redemption 2 – £573 per minute
God of War – £531 per minute
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – £521 per minute
Portal 2 – £476 per minute
God of War: Ragnarok – £411 per minute
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet – £399 per minute
Portal – £299 per minute
Doom – £257 per minute

The games analyzed in the study were those that are labeled most popular on HowLongToBeat – although plenty of other games have earnt thousands on YouTube.

A Bonusninja spokesperson commented on the findings, saying: “The earning potential behind YouTube has long been utilized as a revenue stream by content creators – but many might be surprised to find that video game playthroughs can earn thousands.

“It just goes to show that it’s worth putting gaming content and reviews out there, particularly if you’re passionate about what you’re playing, as you could become a regular streamer.”

This includes multiplayer arena game League of Legends, which saw the game’s official channel earn £84,899 for their 8:19 minute-long champion spotlight on Jinx, and a further £46,918 for their Kayn spotlight.

Cozy simulation game Animal Crossing also boasts high earning-potential, with PewDiePie accumulating 9.6 million views for 20 minutes of gameplay – equivalent to £107,240.