how much do you guys think felton is making in terms of annual income (let's say net). ignore the value of any trips he's flown out to (not going to count what airfare and hotel could costs). let's just talk about actual money he makes from youtube and sponsors since this is what he does full time and he has no other part time jobs..are we talking something smaller like $30k and he probably lives modestly so that covers his housing, food and other expenses for the year? i feel like this is the most likely and the guy just is making it work year over year but not saving much for the long term and probably doesn't have much of a net worth..or do you guys really think he's making something solid like $75k-$100k+? i feel like it has to be an overall lower income and that maybe his lifestyle just doesn't require high expenses so it works for him. but maybe i'm super uninformed about how lucrative a running youtube channel can be...i just don't see how or why he'd be making six figures from his videos and few sponsors that he has had.
makes me wonder what all the others are actually making? if they are generally just spending what they make and bringing in pretty low #s compared to a normal corporate job would pay for someone college educated...or if they really are making big money from YT and are still able to set themselves up for their future/retirement
Kofuzi did a video showing how much he made in youtube ad revenue in 2024. Comparing the actual number to the estimate on Viewstats, it seems Viewstats gave a pretty good estimate. If we assume Viewstats is accurate for other running channels as well, then we can make some guesses.
Let's take Ben Is Running as an example. Viewstats estimates that he made $40k in ad revenue in the past year. I'm not sure how much he gets paid for sponsorship videos in the running space, but some larger channels (1M+ subs) in other niches pull in $5k+ per sponsored video. So let's say $1.5k per sponsored video and 4 sponsored videos per month. That's $72k per year. He also does affiliate marketing on other social media platforms like Instagram, so maybe that's another $15k. Comes out to $127k a year. That's not bad! The people here who want this lifestyle should give it a shot.
Yep I think people are vastly underestimating how much value these guys have to brands. Ben is Running has 130k followers on instagram, Nick Bester has 86k. 2 of the UKs best runners for reference, Josh Kerr has 128k followers, Phil Sesemann has 33k. I bet they all earn over £100k easily. Hobbyjogging/parkrun is massive in the UK and I would bet most people are more aware of these YouTubers/influencers than most pro runner's except for the true superstars like Keely Hodgkinson.
Kofuzi did a video showing how much he made in youtube ad revenue in 2024. Comparing the actual number to the estimate on Viewstats, it seems Viewstats gave a pretty good estimate. If we assume Viewstats is accurate for other running channels as well, then we can make some guesses.
Let's take Ben Is Running as an example. Viewstats estimates that he made $40k in ad revenue in the past year. I'm not sure how much he gets paid for sponsorship videos in the running space, but some larger channels (1M+ subs) in other niches pull in $5k+ per sponsored video. So let's say $1.5k per sponsored video and 4 sponsored videos per month. That's $72k per year. He also does affiliate marketing on other social media platforms like Instagram, so maybe that's another $15k. Comes out to $127k a year. That's not bad! The people here who want this lifestyle should give it a shot.
Yep I think people are vastly underestimating how much value these guys have to brands. Ben is Running has 130k followers on instagram, Nick Bester has 86k. 2 of the UKs best runners for reference, Josh Kerr has 128k followers, Phil Sesemann has 33k. I bet they all earn over £100k easily. Hobbyjogging/parkrun is massive in the UK and I would bet most people are more aware of these YouTubers/influencers than most pro runner's except for the true superstars like Keely Hodgkinson.
That being said, the hobbyjogger Jesus, Fordy - said he'll never make enough from running to do it full time. I don't know if he's hiding how much he earns, or brands don't want to invest in middle age plodders - regardless of followers and engagement.
Yep I think people are vastly underestimating how much value these guys have to brands. Ben is Running has 130k followers on instagram, Nick Bester has 86k. 2 of the UKs best runners for reference, Josh Kerr has 128k followers, Phil Sesemann has 33k. I bet they all earn over £100k easily. Hobbyjogging/parkrun is massive in the UK and I would bet most people are more aware of these YouTubers/influencers than most pro runner's except for the true superstars like Keely Hodgkinson.
That being said, the hobbyjogger Jesus, Fordy - said he'll never make enough from running to do it full time. I don't know if he's hiding how much he earns, or brands don't want to invest in middle age plodders - regardless of followers and engagement.
Fordy Runs only has 20k subscribers on Instagram and 48k on YouTube compared to Bens 125k+ so it’s likely nowhere near as much.
I agree it could well be around this number, if not higher. FOD might be able to clarify. But rather than sponsored videos, Ben seem to have deals for a race build up series.
You'd be surprised how much some of these guys make, influencer marketing is huge at the moment. That being said, most probably get free kit.
Worth a shot sirpoc? Myself and all the hobby joggers would subscribe in a flash!
Just to confirm , that wasn't me who posted that 😂 as much as I appreciate the subscription, sirpoc84 is hopefully riding off into the sunset soon ha ha
If nothing else, this thread is kinda of amusing. I hope the guys who make content take some of it in good spirits.
In the big thread I guess I am "famous" for (spoiler, I'm not famous) , the trolls are sometimes the best bits!
I agree it could well be around this number, if not higher. FOD might be able to clarify. But rather than sponsored videos, Ben seem to have deals for a race build up series.
You'd be surprised how much some of these guys make, influencer marketing is huge at the moment. That being said, most probably get free kit.
Worth a shot sirpoc? Myself and all the hobby joggers would subscribe in a flash!
Just to confirm , that wasn't me who posted that 😂 as much as I appreciate the subscription, sirpoc84 is hopefully riding off into the sunset soon ha ha
If nothing else, this thread is kinda of amusing. I hope the guys who make content take some of it in good spirits.
In the big thread I guess I am "famous" for (spoiler, I'm not famous) , the trolls are sometimes the best bits!
Ha ha, I never noticed. I'd say you are sub-Reddit and anonymous running forum famous! Doing a Ben Barrows and riding off into the sunset will add to the mystic!
What happened to Ben Is Running's Pure Sport deal? At one point he was promoting that he was a Pure Sport-sponsored (sub?)elite runner, and then he stopped advertising them. Everyone knows that it’s not a real elite runner group anyway, but mostly just influencers.
Kofuzi makes a yearly video recapping how much he earns through YT and brand deals - I think it was around 30-40k in YT ad revenue when he had 100k subs, plus the same again in brand deals. I imagine Ben will be in that ballpark as they both kind of do the same thing, neither of them coach and they often have similar big brand deals - both suckle on the ASICS teet for example. The big difference in my opinion, is that Ben started in his early 20s, whilst doing a minimum wage kitchen job, with zero responsibilities. The risk was low and you can't really begrudge him for jumping on every brand opportunity, getting paid to do your hobby and travel for free would be very appealing at that point in most peoples lives. Kofuzi on the other hand had a decent job in the legal sector, a family to support and the money to buy his own kit / travel to marathon majors. Must have put a lot of strain on his relationships to leave all that and pursue making YT his full time gig, but I guess he's 'made it' or whatever, so he's probably happier, plus he only has to be a parent the one week of the month that he's home.
To anyone saying the barrier to entry is low, or anyone can do it, obviously hasn't seen the hundreds/thousands of small channels and the absolute crap they are pumping out. My YT algorithm recently started serving me lots of tiny running channels - less than 1k subs, less than 100 views per video, and some of them are mind-numbingly dull. No one needs a weekly mileage breakdown video from a random middle-aged HR consultant from Kent, with the personality of a pebble. The Youtubers we discuss on here are the cream that has risen to the top.
Ben Parkes has 80k Instagram and 256K Youtube! On a side note, he piosted a while ago he ran Paris Marathon. (2h57) But no video at all of that event so must be a creative decision not to release it.
Companies House link PARKES RUNNING LTD filing history - Find and update company information - GOV.UK
Bens Linkedin. He was in Sales prior to 2019 when he went all in on the YouTube. Others will be able to say if Covid helped or hindered him in growing his channels
Benjamin Parkes - Athlete and YouTuber - Parkes Running | LinkedIn
For those that are not sure, the address in Reigate will be his accountant. Not his actual address.
To anyone saying the barrier to entry is low, or anyone can do it, obviously hasn't seen the hundreds/thousands of small channels and the absolute crap they are pumping out. My YT algorithm recently started serving me lots of tiny running channels - less than 1k subs, less than 100 views per video, and some of them are mind-numbingly dull. No one needs a weekly mileage breakdown video from a random middle-aged HR consultant from Kent, with the personality of a pebble. The Youtubers we discuss on here are the cream that has risen to the top.
I thought the point of that comment was the opposite, insinuating that it's actually hard to make good content but the barrier to CREATE is low. As you show, there are tons of people making bad content with cell phones. Hit record then upload. It's hard to make good content that people actually want to watch and there are no shortage of critics here. Critics who say they know the right way to train, are fit, are faster, have the right shoes, are better looking, wouldn't take a LMNT contract or Coros freebie, wouldn't accept a free trip across the world to spend time with like minded people, etc. They could record their morning run and post today....
Parkes dwarfs everyone else in Strava followers, even the great teat sucker Kofuzi.
Do you think its the "I bought these myself with my own money" that makes the difference? He does get into a lot of races, but I don't get the impression he gets free bibs. He's obviously fast enough to meet good for age standards for most big events. But I reckon he just pays like everyone else.
I think its as simple as that. People dont want #paidad masquerading as reviews or comment. They want someone knowledgeable about the item reviewing it and giving an honest un-influenced score.
Even if it cut his feet to pieces! There is absolutely ZERO chance Ko will slag off the Asics Meta Ray he's been flown out to "review" And as a result, how can I (as a very non elite runner) possibly believe a word he says?
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.
Even if it cut his feet to pieces! There is absolutely ZERO chance Ko will slag off the Asics Meta Ray he's been flown out to "review" And as a result, how can I (as a very non elite runner) possibly believe a word he says?
Do most people watching the videos realize that Kofuzi is getting kickbacks?
Yes, this was what I was alluding to, while also genuinely encouraging people to try it.
Low barrier of entry doesn't necessarily guarantee success and Youtubing doesn't necessarily mean easy work.
You have to have some measure of talent or skill at crafting a story and marketing yourself to appeal to a large audience. Some luck with the algorithm is also helpful. I think Youtube suggested Ran to Japan to me when he only had 1 or 2 videos uploaded. I resisted watching for awhile, but when I decided to click, the content itself was enjoyable, so I continued watching.
I don't know how much Parkes plays into the mental health angle. More obviously relate to him over Kofuzi.
He has mentioned in the past. Though I've not noticed it much, if at all, in the last 2-3 years or so.
I would suggest he brings it up less than Fordy mentions "neuro-divergent" these days. Which is becoming a crutch...
I don't doubt Ben struggled with depression, the same with Welsh Runner. Running is good therapy and attracts people who struggle with mental health.
Fordy comes across as someone who is a bit socially awkward looked up all the symptoms of some neurodivergent condition and then paid for a private diagnosis. There is a proliferation of this going on, classic confirmation biased. I don't think it's a huge issue; it's just a curious trend - I think Phily has ADHD.
This post was edited 2 minutes after it was posted.
Continuing the new feature on this sub which I will sporadically post over the next few weeks/months. Lots of big match ups of 32 (or maybe 16 if I can’t think of 32) ‘influencers’.
*****Match 1 on page 202. Will collate the first round results when all matches played to see who has made the next round (so still time to vote) ******
Culminating in the crowning of our favourite YouTuber. We like to mock and laugh at many on here but who do we actually like? Who escapes our ire and gets to be crowned champion. Vote either up or down depending on your choice.
Round 1 - match 2/16. Feel free to comment as to why you came to this judgement.
Continuing the new feature on this sub which I will sporadically post over the next few weeks/months. Lots of big match ups of 32 (or maybe 16 if I can’t think of 32) ‘influencers’.
*****Match 1 on page 202. Will collate the first round results when all matches played to see who has made the next round (so still time to vote) ******
Culminating in the crowning of our favourite YouTuber. We like to mock and laugh at many on here but who do we actually like? Who escapes our ire and gets to be crowned champion. Vote either up or down depending on your choice.
Round 1 - match 2/16. Feel free to comment as to why you came to this judgement.
The FOD runner vs Phily Bowden
Vote up for FOD and down for PB
I wanted to downvote this stupid idea, but couldn't vote against our very own Andy!
Continuing the new feature on this sub which I will sporadically post over the next few weeks/months. Lots of big match ups of 32 (or maybe 16 if I can’t think of 32) ‘influencers’.
*****Match 1 on page 202. Will collate the first round results when all matches played to see who has made the next round (so still time to vote) ******
Culminating in the crowning of our favourite YouTuber. We like to mock and laugh at many on here but who do we actually like? Who escapes our ire and gets to be crowned champion. Vote either up or down depending on your choice.
Round 1 - match 2/16. Feel free to comment as to why you came to this judgement.
The FOD runner vs Phily Bowden
Vote up for FOD and down for PB
Whilst I upvoted Andy. Against different opponent Philly would get my vote.
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