Oct 9, 2023

Rooster Thies removes popular videos from Youtube.

Rooster Teeth, part of Warner Bros. Discovery, is removing many of its most popular videos from Youtube in a maneuver to increase ad revenue. [Rooster Teeth, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, has produced some of the most popular videos and web series on the Internet, including "Red vs. Blue," "Camp Camp," and the feature film "Lazer Team." Rooster Theiss has been publishing videos on Youtube for years. The official account was launched in July 2006 and currently has 8,900 videos. There are more than 9 million registered users and the videos have been viewed more than 5.7 billion times.

Why did Rooster Teeth do this - according to the company, "Simply put, animation is expensive and difficult to produce." Because of the financial resources needed to produce animated programs, Rooster Teeth relies on advertising revenues. In a video posted on social media, Rooster Teeth showrunner Kelly Shawcross explains that if a user watches an ad-supported video on the Rooster Teeth website, the company earns five to ten times more than if the same video is viewed with ads on Youtube "The revenue from Youtube is already there for us," says Shawcross. Youtube revenue is not enough for us anymore," Shawcross said.

As you may know, we are making some changes at Rooster Teeth. These changes are intended to allow us to continue producing the content you know and love, as well as new and upcoming projects. This change will allow us to continue to produce the content you know and love, as well as new and upcoming projects... pic.twitter.com/jGyycDZob4

- Rooster Teeth (@RoosterTeeth) October 5, 2023

Removed from Youtube - So far, the Red vs. Blue and Camp Camp series have been Red vs. Blue and Camp Camp series have been removed. If the company's decision proves beneficial, no one should be surprised if other videos are similarly removed and other successful independent creators emulate Rooster Teeth's decision.

Do I need a subscription to view videos on the Rooster Teeth website - No subscription is required to access most videos on the Rooster Teeth website. However, users who subscribe to the $5.99/month First program will receive an ad-free viewing experience and exclusive content.

What is the reaction to this decision - it is always difficult to determine how a message is received from social media replies, but it is truer than ever: on Twitter, Rooster Teeth's original tweet received 1,400 "Likes!" but most of the approximately 500 replies are critical of the announcement. On Instagram, most of the top replies are sympathetic to the studio's situation, but there are still many who are angry about the announcement.

Jamie's take: The anger of Rooster Teeth fans on social media seems misplaced. The company offers a free way to watch almost all of its videos, and it does not seem like an unreasonable demand that those who watch do so in a way that is sustainable for the company.