Is current news a good niche?
Current news is established: lots of channels, few newcomers, and it’s hard for new ones to break in. RPM is middle of the road, around $2.5–$6.25 per 1,000 views. We haven’t seen any new channels here in the last 90 days. Only 19% of channels are faceless: viewers here mostly come for a person on camera.
Pros
- The median channel earns an estimated $4.8K – $12.1K a month
Cons
- Only 19% faceless: mostly on-camera channels
- No new channels in the last 90 days
- Crowded: 80 channels already compete here
Examples worth studying
The channels beating their niche average by the most, and the biggest breakout videos of the last 90 days. The full list is in the app.
Channels beating the average
Bilgi Zinciri222K subscribersFacelessShorts(opens YouTube in a new tab)47×$1.9K – $4.7KByNiche estimate, monthly
Nicholas Nova38,300 subscribersShorts(opens YouTube in a new tab)36×$1.4K – $3.5KByNiche estimate, monthly
Austin Sweatt517K subscribersShorts(opens YouTube in a new tab)35×$2K – $5KByNiche estimate, monthly
Breakout videos, last 90 days
- Yemek Borusuna Armut Kaçan 5 Aylık Gebe İnek Ameliyatla Kurtarıldı #shortsAgro TV, 984.2K views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
1,457× - İzlerken duygulanmamak elde değil. Hisler sadece insanlara özgü değil...ÜNSAL KUŞ, 2.3M views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
515× - 🌪️ La tormenta más fuerte de todo el planetaAntena 3 Noticias, 1.3M views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
388×
How to start a current news channel
Only 19% of channels in this niche are faceless. Viewers expect a face and a personality, so being ready to go on camera makes it a lot easier.
The most common formats among the channels we track: person talking to camera (51%), narrated documentary / explainer (25%), compilation / clip montage (11%).
Study the example channels below: which titles and thumbnails multiply their average, and how long are the videos?
Pick a narrower angle inside current news: focus on one audience or one question instead of the generic videos everyone makes.
Aim for the median first: here that’s 26,456 views per video. Ship your first 10 videos in one format, then adjust from the data.
Do the math honestly: 100,000 monthly views in this niche earn roughly $250 – $625. You need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours to monetize.
Frequently asked questions
What is the YouTube RPM for current news?
Long videos in current news earn an estimated $2.5–$6.25 per 1,000 views (News & politics category). Shorts pay much less: about $0.04–$0.1 per 1,000 views. RPM also shifts with your viewers’ countries and the ad season.
Can you run a faceless current news channel?
19% of the 80 channels we track here are faceless. The most common formats: person talking to camera (51%), narrated documentary / explainer (25%), compilation / clip montage (11%).
How competitive is the current news niche?
We track 80 channels. We haven’t seen any new channels in the last 90 days. We haven’t seen new channels break in yet.
How much does a current news channel make?
The median channel earns an estimated $4.8K – $12.1K a month and gets a median of 26,456 views per video. The estimate comes from the last 30 days of views and the niche’s RPM range; the biggest channels earn far more.