TYT operations could benefit from advertiser funding. And, our large audience could entice businesses to advertise with TYT.
However, I’m concerned and thinking about how this could be structured, such that TYT still feels as obligated to our membership, and not obligated to the advertisers. Like, maybe a members’ council to represent the membership in ad decisions.
Also, our community probably has many overlaps in consumption patterns. We could collect and organize our data to find overlaps in products or markets, and around that data identify brands which also meets our member’s criteria. For example, we could imagine our data might show some percentage of us would use a meals-delivery service, and we might have previously determined to consider advertisers with unionized workers. Then armed with our consumption data, our membership council could identify qualifying (eg unionized) brands in such markets we share.
It just seems to me like we could make something work out of all this. It could raise advertiser funds for TYT, could help members find socially conscious businesses which relevantly serve our preferences and our morals, could consolidate our market share towards cultivating such socially conscious business (within an otherwise hostile economic environment), etc.
What other concerns would we have for something like this?
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You make an excellent point. While advertising is a potential gravy train, I wonder, though, if it could come off as a conflict of interest to much of the viewership. It would be tricky to take corporate money and claim to be completely unbiased. After building an excellent reputation for delivering the truth, gaining advertisers might cost more than their worth. 
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What do you mean? We do have advertisers. Haven’t you heard Cenk lament over and over about the increased ad rates being the cause for the financial hardship TYT is experiencing?
I think the poster meant direct ad revenue. Cenk has been complaining on how the main platforms have drifted away from sharing ad revenue with media outlets… or anything deemed as controversial. The amount of $ in ad revenue of these platforms has actually increased, but they have just being lowering the share that used to go to media outlets / controversial content.
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TYT has always aimed at socially conscious brands. That market is not a big set, though.
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Thanks for the clarification <3
@gcrock99 , it just seems to me we could have greater ad space, though as @fourthwall_dragon says, maybe the opportunities are fewer than I imagine… though honestly I’m still a bit skeptical of that.
Aren’t many brands wanting to share how socially conscious they are? Maybe they aren’t big brands, but, I think that gets to my other point on this; how consolidating our market share mindfully can help make space in these markets which otherwise favor bigger and less socially conscious brands.
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The trend is and should be in that direction. But ad revenue is not the only solution. Much less, the one by YouTube or the other platforms and their continuing reducing: It’s an Exponential Trap
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Thanks for the input 
I agree it could be tricky to gain significant advertiser funding, without feeling too compromised. I expect our membership would need to be still holding on to the wheel. I suggested something like a member’s council to kind of address that.
What do you think such a council would need to look like, to not lose our role in relation to TYT news?
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Could you clarify this, or cite something which explains it more?
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Sorry @jared, I was being facetious towards TYT. Perhaps I mistook Cenk’s meaning in the many pleas for contributions. It seemed to be attributed to an increase in the cost of ads, which I have never seen on any TYT show, nor have I seen TYT ads on any other show or medium. I definitely agree with you and @fourthwall, in that any ads should be in alignment with the spirit of the group at large.
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When I’m on a device where I’m logged in to youtube (where im a tyt member), I don’t see ads, but on other devices I have seen them. Perhaps thats whats happening?
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That is an exciting idea. I am totally new here (less than a month), so I don’t know much about how things work, but I am excited to learn. Thank you for including me in your discussion and considering my input. 
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Maybe… I have ad adblocker on my browser, which blocks YT platform ads. But I have seen mini Cenk ad cuts which talk about funding issues within the actual TYT YT clips.
To clarify my idea, I had thought about ads with TYT as potentially included within the video (like Cenk’s cuts, not like typical platform ads), maybe like called out by TYT host as a sponsor. Maybe a short couple seconds bit towards the front half of the video, with a tad longer portion at the end, on how the sponsor aligns with progressive values.
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Why doesn’t TYT offer multiple year memberships, or life memberships for a little discount, It would mean more money now. Just a thought
They could set it up for members to advertise with them. I bet there are several members that would love to advertise their work on the network. I know I would. I’d put good money on the idea that there are other artists on the platform that would as well.
This would alleviate the concerne that advertisers would start to influence them as the advertisers are already members.
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I think this is better idea if the brands are put in a pool that any small business with progressive ethos could enter. A directory that has $200-$300 / year cost to list fee TYT could collect maybe a way to execute that.
As for addressing the primary idea I think the way execute this is an opt in arrangement. If you had some item with merchandise of TYT or a PAC. It could have have a portion of sales add to a media fund. Maybe along with away to donate to the fund directly.
This could fund could be the basis of a media war chest for progressives. Ideally we could have additional ways to ear mark funds, along with proposing and executing media campaigns.
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