The practice of acquiring viewing time on the YouTube platform through paid services involves monetary exchange for accumulated minutes or hours watched on a channel’s videos. This contrasts with organic growth, which results from genuine viewer interest and engagement with content. For example, a channel seeking to quickly meet monetization requirements might engage such a service.
The perceived importance of this practice stems from YouTube’s eligibility criteria for monetization and the algorithm’s tendency to favor channels with higher watch times. Historically, channels struggling to gain traction have viewed it as a shortcut to achieving these goals. However, this approach carries risks related to policy violations and potential penalties from the platform.