Big Business For YouTube Stars

Bethany Mota, an 18-year-old video makeup and fashion blogger from Los Banos, Calif., recently got an offer from CBS Films to make a cameo in a movie and let her more than 7 million followers know about it, according to the New York Times. But Mota, who’s represented by United Talent Agency, would come at a cost. Her reps reportedly came back with a $250,000 fee for CBS’ offer and the studio declined, instead selecting several lesser-known bloggers for the movie.

Warning: Video containers apparent teenagers.

Though the Times questioned whether UTA had overasked, the agency’s digital chief Brent Weinstein told the paper YouTube clients are represented just as aggressively as movie or TV stars.

“These are extraordinarily talented artists, with large audiences, and it’s our job to help them build long-lasting careers,” he said. That includes brand deals, which for some YouTube stars can bring in $1 million or more annually, the Times noted.

Mota, for example, has a clothing line at Aeropostale and previously partnered with JCPenney and Forever 21. She’s also started branching out into other areas such as public appearances – her Motavatour hit malls across the country earlier this year and she’s a current contestant on this fall’s “Dancing With The Stars.”