YouTube content creators contributed £2.2bn to UK economy in 2024
1 hour ago Share Save Zoe Kleinman Technology editor Share Save
Emma Lynch/BBC
YouTube content creators contributed £2.2bn to the UK economy in 2024 and supported 45,000 jobs, according to an impact report carried out by Oxford Economics. It comes as an all-party parliamentary group is launched to represent UK creators and influencers. Its co-chair Feryal Clark, Labour MP for Enfield North, described them as "trailblazers of a new creative revolution" who had been "undervalued in Westminster for too long". British content creator Lilly Sabri - who has nearly six and half million followers on the platform, where she posts fitness videos - welcomed the research and the creation of the parliamentary group.
"For many years people have questioned whether being a content creator is a real job, and whether you can actually build a sustainable career from it," she told the BBC. While all-party parliamentary groups are informal and have no official power, with around 500 of them representing various sectors and interests, they are able to provide industry insights directly to policy-makers. For many content creators and influencers, the new group is a symbol of long-overdue recognition for their work. They say the challenges they face include access to training and funding opportunities, finding suitable studio spaces, and acquiring film permits. "This new cross-party forum will put that right: tearing down the barriers that stifle talent, championing creators as pioneers of our time, and making sure Britain leads the world as the ultimate home of creativity, innovation and ambition," Ms Clark said.