A UK YouTube sponsorship agreement should name the deliverable and publish date, say where the segment sits and how long the video stays up, set the approval rounds, and list the claims the creator can make. It must require a clear "Ad" label that viewers see before they click, set out usage rights, any exclusivity, the fee and when it is paid, and what happens if the video is late or taken down.
What goes in each clause?
The parties and the deliverable. Who is paying whom, for what: “one 60–90 second integration in a long-form video on the creator’s main channel”, not “a YouTube video”.
Dates. When any product or access arrives, when the draft is due, and the publish window. Say what happens if a date slips on either side.
Placement and duration. Where in the video the segment runs (the first third is common) and how long the video stays public. A video quietly made private a week later is a breach.
Approval. How many rounds of changes the brand gets, what counts as a change (facts and claims, not style), and how fast each side responds.
Claims. What the creator can and can’t say about what you’re promoting. The brand supplies the claims and can back them up; the creator doesn’t add health, finance or comparison claims of their own.
Disclosure. An “Ad” label where viewers see it first, and YouTube’s paid promotion setting switched on. More on this below.
Usage rights. Whether the brand can reuse the segment, where (organic posts, paid ads, website), for how long, in which countries, and whether it can be edited. The creator keeps ownership unless a buyout is named and priced.
Exclusivity. If the creator can’t work with competitors, for how long and in which category. Keep it short and specific.
Fee and payment. The fee, whether VAT is added, when it’s paid, and how. Paid on approval, from money held in escrow, protects both sides.
Late delivery, take-down and cancellation. What happens if the video doesn’t go up, the creator removes it early, or either side pulls out before filming.
Disputes and law. How disagreements are settled, and that the agreement is governed by the law of England and Wales (or Scotland or Northern Ireland).
What do the ASA rules say about YouTube sponsorships?
Under the CAP Code, advertising must be obviously identifiable as advertising. If a brand pays a creator, in money or in free product, and has any control over what they say, the segment is an ad. In plain English:
Label it “Ad”, up front. For a fully sponsored video, the ASA says the label belongs in the title, the thumbnail or the first seconds of the video, so viewers know before they engage.
The description isn’t enough. Viewers don’t see it before they click.
For an integration inside a normal video, say it’s an ad immediately before or as the segment starts.
Switch on YouTube’s paid promotion setting as well. It adds a disclosure label at the start of the video.
Avoid vague labels. “Sponsored by”, “thanks to” or “#spon” on their own are not as clear as “Ad”.
Affiliate links and discount codes from the brand count too.
Both sides are responsible: the ASA and the CMA can act against the brand as well as the creator. The ASA and CMA influencer guide and the CMA’s guidance have worked examples.
Can I use a free template?
A template is a starting point, not protection. Most are written for US law (where the FTC, not the ASA, sets disclosure rules) or leave usage and payment timing vague, which is where disputes start. If the deal is large or unusual, have a solicitor read it.
What do the terms on a Sponsarva deal cover?
The terms on every Sponsarva deal cover these clauses. Both sides agree them before the brand pays, and they form the contract between brand and creator:
The deliverable, platform and delivery date.
Revision rounds.
Usage term, territory and media, including paid-ad use, and who owns the content.
Exclusivity, if any, and for how long.
The disclosure the creator will use.
Product shipping, tracked on the deal.
Payment held by Stripe before work starts, released after the brand confirms delivery.
Disputes handled on the platform against the written terms.
Read the platform rules in the Terms of Service: content and deliverables, escrow and payout timing and disputes. For prices, see the UK YouTube sponsorship cost guide.
It can be, if it shows an offer, acceptance and a price. But an email thread rarely covers usage, approval or what happens on late delivery, which is where disputes start.
Both the creator and the brand. Put the label in the agreement and check it on publish day.
Only if the agreement grants that licence, with a term, territory and media. Without it, the creator owns the video and the brand has no right to run it.
Only if they’re VAT-registered, in which case 20% is added to the fee. The agreement should say whether the fee includes VAT.
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