What to Check Before Buying a YouTube Channel

A YouTube channel with 100K subscribers can generate $500–$5,000/month in ad revenue. But the wrong channel can be a money pit of strikes, demonetization, and dead subscribers. Here's what to verify before clicking "Confirm delivery."

Channel health

1. Subscriber count

Verify the count in YouTube Studio, not just on the public channel page. Public count is rounded; Studio shows the exact number.

2. Watch time (last 28 days)

This is the #1 metric. A 100K-subscriber channel with 50,000 watch hours/month is healthy. With 5,000 watch hours, the subscribers are likely fake.

3. Subscriber growth chart

In YouTube Studio → Analytics → Audience. Look for sudden spikes (likely bought subscribers) vs. steady growth (organic).

4. Demographics

Where are the viewers from? US/UK/CA/AU audiences pay 5–10x more in ad revenue than India/Brazil/Philippines audiences.

Monetization status

5. Monetization enabled?

YouTube Studio → Monetization tab. If "Monetization is off," the channel doesn't qualify (or has been demonetized).

6. YPP (YouTube Partner Program) standing

Check for any policy violations. Even one unresolved violation can prevent future monetization.

7. Ad revenue (last 90 days)

Ask the seller to share a screenshot of YouTube Studio → Analytics → Revenue. Real channels have predictable monthly revenue.

8. Super Chat & memberships

Some channels earn more from Super Chat than ads. Check if these are enabled and what they generate.

Content quality

9. Upload frequency

Look at the last 12 months of uploads. A channel that uploaded 50 videos 2 years ago and hasn't posted since is dying.

10. Video performance

Average views per video. For a 100K channel, average should be 5K–15K (5–15% views-to-subscribers ratio).

11. Top videos

The top 10 videos by views. If they're all from one viral hit 3 years ago, the channel's true value is much lower than the subscriber count suggests.

12. Niche

Gaming, finance, education, and tech pay the most in ad revenue. Vlogs, pranks, and unboxing pay less.

Compliance & strikes

13. Community guidelines strikes

YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Status and features. Any active strikes?

14. Copyright strikes

Same page. Even one copyright strike blocks monetization for 90 days.

15. COPPA / made-for-kids setting

If the channel is marked "made for kids," comments and personalization are disabled — significantly reducing revenue.

Transfer logistics

16. Brand account or personal?

Brand accounts can transfer ownership cleanly. Personal accounts are trickier — you'll need to add your Google account as owner, then remove the seller.

17. Linked AdSense

If the channel is linked to the seller's AdSense, you'll need to delink and relink to your own AdSense. This can take 24–48 hours.

18. Channel verification (phone)

Is the channel verified (checkmark)? If yes, the verification is tied to the seller's phone. You'll need to re-verify with your own number.

The 24-hour rule

After taking over the channel: 1. Don't upload anything for 24 hours. YouTube's fraud detection flags sudden ownership changes + immediate uploads. 2. Change the password and recovery email. 3. Update the channel banner and about page to reflect new ownership. 4. Add 2FA to the Google account.

The bottom line

A real YouTube channel with 100K subscribers and healthy watch time is worth $3,000–$15,000 depending on niche. Anything priced below $2K is either a scam, a dead channel, or about to be demonetized. Do your due diligence.