The reported multimillion-dollar offers come as Netflix expands its push to attract creator-led shows and audiences from YouTube.

YouTube is reportedly offering select top creators multimillion-dollar deals to keep their content exclusive to the platform, as it moves to counter Netflix’s growing push into creator-driven entertainment.

The reported offers signal an intensifying battle between the two platforms for influential online personalities and the millions of viewers who follow them.

According to reports by Bloomberg and Business Insider, YouTube has held exclusivity discussions with a small number of prominent creators, with the terms varying from one creator to another. One creator was reportedly offered a verbal deal worth millions of dollars to publish exclusively on YouTube for a specified period, although negotiations had not yet resulted in a final agreement.

The move comes as Netflix steps up efforts to license content from popular creators, including Ms. Rachel and Salish Matter, whose content has attracted audiences across both platforms.

Netflix has also expanded into video podcasts, signing shows such as The Bill Simmons Podcast and The Breakfast Club. Some of those agreements have reportedly required the programmes to leave YouTube.

YouTube has traditionally relied on advertising revenue sharing and other creator monetisation programmes rather than large direct payments in exchange for exclusivity.

The reported offers could mark a significant shift in that strategy, as the platform seeks to retain its biggest stars amid growing competition from streaming services seeking to capture audiences built on social media and online video.

Beyond financial incentives, YouTube has reportedly indicated that creators who turn down exclusivity arrangements could miss out on certain benefits, including marketing support and access to brand opportunities.

The platform has also introduced new tools and features designed to help creators expand their audiences and increase their earnings.

The growing rivalry reflects a broader transformation in the entertainment industry, with Netflix and other traditional streaming companies increasingly competing with YouTube for creator-led programming and highly engaged online audiences.

For top creators, the competition could bring bigger contracts, greater bargaining power and more control over where their content—and the millions of followers attached to it—ultimately resides.