YouTube Partner Program Market Expansion

Role: Go-to-Market Lead (Strategic Partner Manager, CEE)

Focus: Market Expansion · Go-To-Market · Ecosystem Enablement

I led YouTube's Partner Program expansion across ten EMEA markets. The rollout enabled 1M+ channels to monetize, generated over 100M monetizable weekly views, and connected local creators, advertisers, and media partners. I owned the expansion from the initial market assessment to the GTM roll-out.

10
New Markets
YPP Launched
1M+
Channels Monetized
100M+
Weekly
Monetizable Views
Regional
Creator Economy

Problem / Opportunity

Since March 2013, advertisers in the Baltics, Bulgaria, and the Adriatics could run campaigns on YouTube. However, the YouTube Partner Program (YPP)—which allows creators and media companies to monetize their content—wasn't locally available. This was an untapped growth opportunity, as the 10 markets represented:

34M

People

~1B

Watch-time hours annually

The gap: Creators couldn't earn locally, advertisers lacked locally relevant inventory, and community growth lagged behind markets where monetization was enabled.

Objectives

Launch YPP in 10 new markets (Adriatics (6), Baltics (3), and Bulgaria):

Success Metrics

  • Number of creators and partners onboarded and monetization enabled
  • Number of monetizable weekly views across the ten markets
  • Local press coverage and visibility of YouTube's regional presence

GTM Strategy & Execution

I designed and led YouTube's regional go-to-market strategy—from market assessment and readiness planning to local launch initiatives—working cross-functionally with global, regional, and in-country teams across ten markets.

1. Market Assessment & Prioritization

To determine rollout sequencing and resource allocation, I conducted a market readiness analysis across three lenses:

  • Creator & Channel Health: Active channels, Tier 6+ channels (YouTube's channel segmentation), monetizable views, YoY growth
  • Economic & Digital Maturity: GDP per capita, internet penetration, CPM benchmarks
  • Local Presence & Legal Readiness: Google office & sales team presence, SRAV (sound recording & audiovisual) licensing readiness

Based on this assessment, Serbia emerged as P0, with Bulgaria, Croatia, and Lithuania evaluated as strategically significant.

2. Market Enablement & Readiness

I coordinated cross-functionally with product, legal, localization, and support teams to ensure:

  • SRAV contract readiness
  • Monetization enablement
  • Localized creator and advertiser resources
  • Market sequencing and launch coordination

3. Local Ecosystem Activation

I partnered with local marketing, PR, and sales teams to activate the ecosystem:

  • Creators & IP Holders: Four Partner Launch Events (Belgrade · Sofia · Zagreb · Vilnius) focused on audience development, monetization, branded content, and copyright
  • Press & Users: Three press events (Belgrade · Sofia · Vilnius) + seven localized press releases highlighting local success stories
  • Advertisers & Agencies: Introduced YouTube ad formats and creative strategy; seeded creator–brand collaborations and local campaigns

Constraints

  • No dedicated teams: Orchestrated via shared EMEA & Global teams across product, legal, and support
  • Fragmented markets: Budget and resources distributed across highly varied market maturity levels
  • Compressed timeline: Multi-country launch schedule required tight sequencing and prioritization

Outcome

10 New YPP Markets

Adriatics (6), Bulgaria, Baltics (3)

1M+ Channels

Enabled for monetization

Ecosystem Foundation

The expansion established the foundation of YouTube's local creator economy across ten markets, connecting creators with advertisers and enabling sustainable content creation at scale.

Monetizable Inventory

Generated over 100M monetizable weekly views, providing advertisers with locally relevant inventory and creators with revenue opportunities.

Brand Presence

Established YouTube's presence as a platform for creative entrepreneurship through press coverage, launch events, and local partnerships, shifting perception from purely entertainment to economic opportunity.