United States
VICE News is the digital news arm of VICE Media, the alternative media company co-founded by Shane Smith that built its reputation on immersive, on-the-ground journalism — taking cameras into conflict zones and underreported communities across Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine.
Total Followers +0.2%
15.6M
Across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok
Primary Platform
YouTube
9.3M followers · 60% of audience
Engagement
3.1%
vs. 1.5% category median
Sponsorship Tier
Mega
Est. $33K–$76K / IG post
Shane Smith relaunched VICE News as a social-platform-first news brand and brand partnership vehicle, kicking off with a collaboration with Adobe. The Hollywood Reporter called it 'equal parts creator-driven news outlet and brand partnership vehicle.'
VICE News launched Season 2 of its flagship video podcast in-house (dropping the Club Random co-production deal) and unveiled the Vice News Collective, a broader podcast platform recruiting news influencers from across the political spectrum.
Season 1, co-produced with Bill Maher's Club Random Studios, explored topics from the Trump assassination attempt to vaccine conspiracies, leveraging VICE News' existing YouTube audience to break through with massive viewership.
| Window | YouTube | TikTok | Combined | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last 7 days | +0 +0.0% | +1K +0.1% | +0 +0.0% | +1K |
| Last 30 days | +30K +0.3% | -1087 -0.0% | +0 +0.0% | +29K |
| Last 90 days | +30K +0.3% | -23920 -0.9% | +0 +0.0% | +6K |
| Last 365 days | +30K +0.3% | -23920 -0.9% | +0 +0.0% | +6K |
Daily follower snapshots from CreatorDB's longitudinal index.
| Brand | Type | Platform | Date | Performance vs. baseline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mood Sponsorship | Sponsored content | YouTube | Jul 2026 | — |
| Lucy Goods Sponsorship | Sponsored content | YouTube | Jun 2026 | — |
| AG1 Sponsorship | Sponsored content | YouTube | May 2026 | — |
| Surfshark Sponsorship | Sponsored content | YouTube | Apr 2026 | — |
| Incogni Inc. Sponsorship | Sponsored content | YouTube | Mar 2026 | — |
VICE News is the digital news arm of VICE Media, the alternative media company co-founded by Shane Smith that built its reputation on immersive, on-the-ground journalism — taking cameras into conflict zones and underreported communities across Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine. That documentary-style field reporting defined the channel's YouTube presence for years and attracted a large, globally aware subscriber base. Following VICE Media's financial restructuring, the channel has pivoted around Shane Smith Has Questions, an investigative podcast format in which Smith probes misinformation, UAP disclosure, geopolitical flashpoints, and social trends through long-form conversations with guests like Ken Burns and Sean Penn.
The audience skews heavily male and toward viewers 35 and older — a news-literate demographic that values analytical depth over virality, reflected in engagement that runs well above the category median for news and politics channels. Sponsor partnerships with AG1, Surfshark, and Incogni point to alignment with the privacy-aware, health-conscious male audience that defines podcast advertising. The channel maintains a cross-platform footprint across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, with YouTube as the clear center of gravity. As VICE News consolidates around the Shane Smith podcast identity, its strongest brand-fit sits with advertisers seeking credibility alongside substantive investigative and political commentary content.
Vicenews reaches an audience concentrated in United States primarily through YouTube, and is best activated via long-form YouTube integrations, Instagram Reels and Stories, TikTok branded content. As a news creator they map naturally to brands targeting that space. Demonstrated partners include Mood and Lucy Goods. Engagement on YouTube runs around 3.1%, pointing to an audience suited to category-relevant, mid-funnel brand campaigns rather than pure-reach buys.
Benchmark estimates for a creator at Vicenews's tier (Mega, 15.6M combined followers, United States). Pulled from CreatorDB's category benchmarks.
The CreatorDB Agency runs end-to-end influencer campaigns globally — shortlisting, outreach, contracting, and performance reporting. Talk to our team about building a campaign around creators in this niche.
VICE Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023 and was sold to new ownership, but the VICE News brand and YouTube channel have continued operating. The channel has remained consistently active, now anchoring much of its output around Shane Smith Has Questions, the investigative podcast hosted by VICE News founder Shane Smith.
Shane Smith Has Questions is a bold investigative podcast from VICE News founder Shane Smith that examines the most confusing and controversial issues shaping the world — from misinformation and conspiracy theories to politics, science, and social trends. Season 2 is currently live on the VICE News YouTube channel and targets audiences who want long-form, reported takes rather than headline news clips.
Yes — VICE News posted footage and reporting as Ayatollah Khamenei's casket was paraded through Tehran, drawing enormous crowds. Covering major geopolitical events in the Middle East is core to VICE News's identity, which has sent reporters on the ground to Afghanistan, Syria, and Iran over many years.
Yes — one recent episode of Shane Smith Has Questions features a conversation with Dan Farah exploring who actually controls UAP secrets and the broader politics of government disclosure. UAP coverage has become a recurring thread in Season 2 alongside more traditional political and science reporting.
Sean Penn was featured in a VICE News segment in which he recalled the experience of being seated next to a serial killer, a story that drew significant attention online. Penn has a long history of high-profile journalism and activism that makes him a natural fit for VICE News's interview-driven, character-led storytelling.
VICE News produced an exclusive with Gen. Anderson tied to the African Lion 2026 military exercise, focusing specifically on the arrival of autonomous warfare — drone and AI-driven weapons systems changing modern conflict. The piece reflects VICE News's ongoing tradition of embedding with military and conflict-zone sources to cover stories most outlets miss.
Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns appeared on Shane Smith Has Questions and delivered that line as part of a broader conversation, most likely about American political polarization and shared civic identity. Burns has become one of the most prominent public voices arguing against the us-versus-them framing that dominates current political discourse.
Recent sponsors integrated into the VICE News YouTube channel include AG1 (nutrition supplement), Surfshark (VPN service), Incogni Inc. (personal data removal), Lucy Goods, and Mood. The mix of privacy-tech and wellness brands reflects the channel's predominantly adult male audience skewing toward the 25–44 age range.
Yes — VICE News remains highly active across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok as of mid-2026, uploading new content nearly every day. The YouTube channel alone has grown to well over nine million subscribers, with engagement running notably above the category median for news channels.
VICE News draws a heavily male audience (around 80%) with a wide age spread, peaking among viewers 25 and older — and a significant portion over 45, which is unusual for a digitally native news brand. The United States makes up the core of the audience, followed by the United Kingdom and Canada, reflecting the channel's focus on English-language international reporting.
Stats (followers, engagement, audience demographics, growth) are pulled live from the CreatorDB API covering YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Bio and FAQ content is AI-assisted; news items are sourced from cited public press at generation time. Read the full methodology →
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@vicenews · YouTube
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