“People think I go on TV to make money”... The income twist revealed by ‘2.61 million-subscriber YouTuber’ Pani Bottle

[Financial News] Popular travel creator Pani Bottle (39, whose real name is Park Jae-han), who has about 2.61 million subscribers, candidly revealed why he has recently been appearing on TV more often and how his earnings from YouTube compare with those from TV appearances.
On the 10th, Pani Bottle appeared as a guest alongside former professional Go player Lee Sedol in a video titled “Would I Have Made It This Far If I’d Just Gone Along?” released on the YouTube channel “Kang Ji-young’s Circle,” where he discussed the direction of his career and his income structure.
When host Kang Ji-young asked what criteria he used to decide whether to appear on TV, Pani Bottle set the record straight: “A lot of people misunderstand and think, ‘He doesn’t travel and is on TV all the time to make money,’ but in reality, YouTube brings in a lot more money.”
The reason he cut back on filming for YouTube, his main line of work, and took on TV appearances was not financial gain but “new experiences.” Pani Bottle explained, “I’ve traveled so much that these days I don’t find it all that fun,” adding, “TV, on the other hand, gives me lots of experiences I wouldn’t normally have and lets me explore new areas beyond travel, so I tend to appear on shows mainly for the fun of it.”
He added, drawing laughter from those present, “Since I’ve been focusing on TV, I actually haven’t been making much money lately,” and, “It’s time to get back to my main line of work, YouTube, to earn money.”
Industry analysts say Pani Bottle’s remarks starkly illustrate the difference in how one-person media and legacy (traditional) broadcast media generate revenue. This is because major creators can earn not only view-based AdSense revenue through their YouTube channels but also the full proceeds from branded content (sponsorships and advertising) and IP (intellectual property) spin-offs, making YouTube far more profitable than TV appearances, which are centered on fixed fees per episode.
Since launching his YouTube channel in 2012, Pani Bottle has established himself as one of Korea’s leading travel YouTubers with his distinctive, down-to-earth travel style and outspoken wit. Recently, he has broadened his activities by appearing on a number of variety shows, including ENA’s “Earth Marble World Tour 4,” and is also set to appear on a new variety show, “I Didn’t Know One Card Could Shake a Friendship,” scheduled to air in December.
[email protected] Moon Young-jin Reporter