Instead of charging tourism boards for sponsored content, Jefferson Graham asks them to cover his largest production costs: flights and hotels. This makes the partnership a lower-risk proposition for the tourism board and enables him to produce content that can then be monetized through other channels like sponsorships and licensing.
When licensing his YouTube show for broadcast, Jefferson Graham discovered his "royalty-free" music couldn't be used for streaming. This forced him to re-edit his entire back catalog to replace the music, a costly and time-consuming pitfall for creators considering multi-platform distribution deals.
After discovering his royalty-free music license was invalid for his TV deal, Jefferson Graham began creating his own music with his brother. This approach eliminates complex licensing issues, prevents future claims, and gives his show a unique, ownable sound, turning a production problem into a brand asset.
Jefferson Graham secured a deal with Scripps News, a FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) channel. New episodes of his show premiere on Scripps, and he then posts them to his YouTube channel 30 minutes later. This hybrid model provides broadcast revenue and exposure without sacrificing his direct-to-consumer YouTube audience.
Instead of focusing solely on direct YouTube monetization, Jefferson Graham's primary goal was to build a content library and proof-of-concept for his travel show, "Photo Walks TV." This strategy successfully positioned him to pitch and secure a licensing deal with the broadcast network Scripps News, fulfilling his dream of getting on TV.
Before taking a buyout from USA Today, Jefferson Graham ran his "Photo Walks TV" YouTube channel as a side project for two years. This incubation period allowed him to test the concept, build a small content library, and establish a foundation, making the leap to a full-time creator career significantly less risky.