Most VPN links carry no sponsor line
Here is every tech video with a VPN's link or code, and how many of them say the VPN sponsored the video.
| VPN | Link or code | Says sponsored |
|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | 774 | 91 |
| Surfshark | 594 | 145 |
| ExpressVPN | 316 | 54 |
The rest are links and codes with no sponsor line. VPN review channels say why in their descriptions.
“We are affiliated but not sponsored by any service provider.”
YouTube description, The ultimate BEST VPN comparison, 2026-09-24
So most tech videos with a NordVPN link never say NordVPN sponsored them. To see who a VPN pays, read the sponsor line.
Where a VPN does pay, a rival is often there too
130 of the 393 sponsored VPN videos sit on channels that have also run a rival VPN's read. That includes 46 of NordVPN's 91 and 25 of ExpressVPN's 54.
- XDA ran NordVPN reads in October, November and December 2025, then a Surfshark read in January 2026.
- JerryRigEverything showed the Surfshark app on his bench in September 2025, then ran NordVPN reads in February and April 2026.
- Lon.TV ran ExpressVPN reads in January, February and June 2026, then a Surfshark read in October 2026.
This is one of the red flags we look for in a creator: No exclusivity. Might promote your competitors afterwards.
Some channels stay with one VPN for years
Surfshark has the fewest reads on shared channels: 29 of its 145.
- Christopher Lawley has run 31 Surfshark reads in 30 different months, from December 2021 to July 2026, and no other VPN in our data.
- Thao Huynh ran 20 Surfshark reads from July 2021 to September 2025.
- Lex Fridman ran 9 ExpressVPN reads from July 2022 to August 2024.
That is the green flag: Loyal to your brand. Goes out of their way not to promote your competitors.
Why VPNs show up on so many tech channels
“VPNs might be the number one advertiser on YouTube. I don't have the exact stats”
My First Million, episode 496, 2023-09-19
On tech channels we do have the stats. VPN links are everywhere, on 1,978 videos. Sponsor lines are not, on 393.
What to check before you book a tech channel
- Read the channel's sponsor lines from the last year, and skip the links.
- Look for a rival VPN or app in that list, and how recent it is.
- Put exclusivity for your category, with an end date, in the contract.
The free audit does this for the channels your buyers watch, before you spend anything.