How many sponsored tech videos name a code?
27% do: 5,493 of 20,684 sponsored deals. A video that names two sponsors counts as two deals.
2,179 of the 20,684 say affiliate in the logged text, and 495 say commission.
Our tables hold a quoted price for 51 of the 10,059 tech channels we track, so we publish no price list. Ask each creator for a rate card.
Source: Our own count of sponsored YouTube videos on tech channels, November 10, 2026
Which tech brands pay in codes?
Software, privacy and cases lean on codes. Table: how many of each brand's sponsored deals name a code, promo, coupon or percent off.
| Brand | Sponsored deals | Deals that name a code or discount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monarch | 66 | 66 | 100% |
| Incogni | 78 | 76 | 97% |
| Casetify | 79 | 67 | 85% |
| Surfshark | 140 | 112 | 80% |
| FlexiSpot | 89 | 43 | 48% |
| PCBWay | 517 | 53 | 10% |
| Micro Center | 104 | 9 | 9% |
| MSI | 141 | 5 | 4% |
| ASUS | 140 | 1 | 1% |
| Best Buy | 121 | 0 | 0% |
“Thanks to Best Buy for sponsoring this episode.”
video description, October 2024
That Best Buy read gives a gift card and a link. Our test found no code in any of Best Buy's 121 deals.
A deal with no code in the text is not a flat fee we can see. The text never prints the fee.
What does a code deal look like in the creator's own words?
The creator names the code and what it gives the viewer. fpt. says it in two lines.
“use code FPT at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!”
video description, September 2026
The code is the creator's name, so each sale shows whose audience bought. Our VPN page counts how many VPN videos carry one.
Does a creator have to say the video is paid?
Yes. YouTube asks for the paid promotion label, and the FTC treats free product as a connection to disclose.
“If you feature branded content, sponsorships, endorsements, or other commercial relationships in your videos, you have to let YouTube know by selecting the paid promotion button in your video details.”
read November 10, 2026
“They can include monetary payment or the provision of free or discounted products (including products unrelated to the endorsed product) to an endorser”
read November 10, 2026
Source: YouTube Help, branded content
Source: eCFR, 16 CFR 255.5
What should a tech brand put in the offer?
- Ask each creator for a price per video in writing.
- Say whether the pay is a fee, a code commission, or both.
- Give each creator a code with their own name in it.
- Ask for the word sponsored in the first line of the description.
“We use coupon codes and tracking links, and we follow every sale through them.”
from his answers to brands
“If commission alone will not keep creators posting, add a guaranteed minimum, a small fee or a retainer”
from his influencer program audit
Brands that keep one channel for years are on tech YouTubers brands sponsor again.