In a recent X post, user @RhysSullivan claimed that the YouTuber MrBeast is using a specific trick with sponsored advertisements on his videos, to lower the chances of the viewer skipping them. They alleged that Beast does this through the use of a “progress bar,” which is an animation that shows the viewer how much of the advertisement has been played.

The user stated that the progress bar would speed up initially, and would slow down as the advertisement played. He claimed that this is a way for the YouTuber to make viewers less likely to skip out on these segments of the video.

The same user also mentioned, in a comment under his post, that the progress bar hits its halfway mark in ten seconds, but the remaining half takes 35 seconds to complete.

He followed up, in a reply to his comment, stating that he found this tactic “interesting.” However, that did not mean he necessarily agreed with the YouTuber’s methods. Further, he mentioned that although video games and websites deploy this technique as well, it’s usually for the “benefit of the user,” unlike MrBeast’s application of this method in his videos.

Part of the reason why MrBeast’s videos have large budgets is because of the revenue he receives from sponsors. He has over 308 million subscribers on his YouTube channel as of July 2024 and has gained about 2.4 billion views on his videos.

Based on these metrics, sponsors would be willing to pay upwards of $1 million for a minute-long advertisement, according to estimates. These sponsorship agreements with influencers like MrBeast could also include clauses that tie revenue to specific viewer actions, such as completing an advertisement, which is calculated through detailed analytics.

Therefore, it could make sense for MrBeast to use strategies like the progress bar to try and retain viewership.

X reacts to the accusations against MrBeast

This situation sparked conversation on the ethical implications and the psychology behind MrBeast using such methods in his videos.

Some, like @alexunickel, claimed it isn’t fair to the YouTuber’s fanbase:

“Wow he has no respect for his audience at all lol.”

Others like @tzmartin state that the situation could be manipulative:

“Definite dark pattern (manipulative), designed to keep viewers engaged with the sponsored segment against their initial intention. Hope this doesn’t become a trend.”

Although a majority of the comments spoke against MrBeast’s strategies, some, like @shadyfromtwitch, call the method genius:

“That is lowkey genius though… F**k I hate it, but I have to respect it.”

Others, like @ytRosie, claim that this isn’t anything new for the MrBeast channel. They said:

“He’s always done this for sponsored segments, doesn’t change the fact I’ve always skipped the ads lol”

Overall, the incident did bring around important conversations on transparency between YouTubers and their viewers. As of this writing, MrBeast has not addressed the use of this trick in his videos.