Got a Viral Video? Licensing Agencies Compared (Newsflare vs ViralHog vs Jukin)
Verdict: read the exclusivity clause before the revenue split
Newsflare, ViralHog and Jukin Licensing are three of the best-known viral-clip licensing agencies. The headline split matters, but so do three other terms that decide what the same clip earns: whether the deal is exclusive, whether you keep copyright, and how long money takes to reach you. Newsflare is the only one of the three that states both a split (50% of the video licence fee) and a payment time (within 24 hours of the client paying). Jukin states a payout threshold but not a split. ViralHog publishes the least about money but is clear that its deal is exclusive.
Where each lands: Newsflare for the clearest terms overall: 50% of the licence fee, ownership kept, paid within 24 hours of a client paying once your balance is over £25. Jukin if you accept a $100 payout threshold and a 6-12 month wait for a first payment. ViralHog if you accept an exclusive management deal and will ask for the split in writing.
The three agencies side by side
Terms as listed on each agency's own pages on 4 November 2026. Where a cell says "Not published", the agency does not list it, so ask before you sign.
| Newsflare | ViralHog | Jukin Licensing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue split | 50% of the video licence fee (Newsflare, 4 November 2026) | Not published on its FAQ or homepage | Not published on its partner page |
| Exclusive? | Covered in a separate exclusivity guide: check your setting | Yes: you grant exclusive rights to manage, promote and monetize; "neither you nor anyone else" may do so | Not stated; you may keep the video posted where it is ("We encourage you to keep the video up wherever you've posted it") |
| Copyright kept? | Yes: "you always retain ownership" | Not published | Yes: "You retain full ownership"; Jukin buys the rights to represent and manage the video |
| Payout threshold | Pays on sales above £50; balances under £25 accumulate | Not published | $100 minimum balance; below that rolls to the next month |
| How fast | Within 24 hours of the client paying, if balance is over £25 | Not published | Monthly distributions; first payment averages 6-12 months |
| Payout methods | PayPal or Wise (card or bank transfer) | Not published | PayPal, check or bank transfer |
| Total paid to creators, as stated by the agency | Not published | $24.4m paid to content sellers (80,772 licensed videos) | Over $41m paid to video partners |
Country eligibility is not stated by any of the three, so confirm on the submission form that your country and payout route are supported before you upload.
Newsflare: ownership kept, quick payments
Newsflare's help centre is direct about the part creators worry about most. It says "Did you shoot it? You own it," and that when you license through Newsflare you always retain ownership. You are granting permission to license, not transferring the clip.
Payment rules are equally concrete. Newsflare pays out on video transactions that sell for more than £50, and says that once a client has confirmed use and paid, you get your money within 24 hours as long as your balance is over £25. Payment goes by PayPal or Wise.
On the split, Newsflare's help centre says: "The amount you are paid is 50% of the video licence fee generated from selling the right to use your video to one of our clients" (read 4 November 2026). Press Gazette reported a 45% creator share in January 2022, when Newsflare raised £5m in a round led by Foresight Group and Edge Investments, so the current page is the figure to use. Ad-funded placements are a separate case; ask how they are split.
ViralHog: exclusive by design
ViralHog's FAQ states that you grant it exclusive rights to manage, promote and monetize your content, and that "exclusive" means neither you nor anyone else can do those things once you sign. It asks creators not to give permission to others because that conflicts with the contract. Its stated reason is that several sellers of the same footage drive the price down.
It does not publish the money side. Its monetization FAQ says only that it is hard to predict ad revenue and that it takes steps to maximize monetization. The homepage shows 80,772 licensed videos and $24.4 million paid to content sellers, which is a total, not a per-clip rate. Its FAQ does not state copyright ownership, contract length or a payout threshold, so those are the questions to put in your email before accepting.
Jukin Licensing: stated threshold, slowest first payment
Jukin's partner page answers the exclusivity question plainly: no, you can keep the video up wherever you posted it. It also says you retain full ownership and that Jukin acquires only the rights to represent and manage the video. On the stated terms, that makes it the lowest-friction deal of the three for creators who want the clip to stay live. It does not say the representation itself is non-exclusive, so confirm in the contract that no other agency may license the same clip.
Payouts are monthly with a $100 minimum balance; smaller amounts roll forward. Jukin states that the average time to a first payment is 6-12 months, so treat it as a slow, long-tail channel rather than quick cash. Payment is by PayPal, check or bank transfer. Jukin does not publish its percentage split.
The exclusive-rights trap
A viral Reel or TikTok is usually reposted within hours. An exclusive agreement means that only one party can license it, which suits agencies because it keeps prices up, but it also means you cannot sell the same clip elsewhere, and in ViralHog's wording you should not give others permission to use it. The risk is signing exclusivity without knowing the split, the term and how to exit.
Also watch your own platform. If you post the video to Instagram or TikTok and an agency takes exclusive management rights, reposts by brands and pages that you tolerated yesterday may need to be handled by the agency. Ask who sends takedown requests and who decides.
Checklist before you sign
- Get the split in writing. Ask for the percentage, and what it is calculated on (gross licensing fee, net profit, or ad revenue).
- Confirm exclusivity and its length. Is the clip exclusive across all agencies, or only the ones you submit to? For how many months or years?
- Confirm you keep copyright. Look for wording that you retain ownership and only grant a licence, as Newsflare and Jukin state.
- Check the payout threshold and rollover. Compare £25/£50 at Newsflare with $100 at Jukin against what a single clip may realistically earn.
- Ask how long the first payment takes. Jukin states 6-12 months on average; Newsflare states 24 hours after a client pays.
- Check country eligibility, payout method and currency. Make sure PayPal, Wise or bank transfer works for your country and note any conversion cost.
- Find the exit clause. Ask how to remove a clip from the agency and what happens to already-issued licences.
- Prove the clip is yours. Keep the original file with metadata and anyone who appears in it ready to sign a release.
Who each option is for
- One viral clip, want money soon: Newsflare's 50% split and 24-hour payment after the client pays fit best.
- Want to keep posting the clip everywhere: Jukin's stated non-takedown stance fits, as long as you accept the slower first payment.
- Want a hands-off manager and accept exclusivity: ViralHog, with the split and contract term confirmed first.
Alternatives to licensing
Licensing is a one-off sale of a clip you already have. For ongoing income from the same audience, compare it with platform payouts in our TikTok vs Instagram vs YouTube Shorts pay comparison, which matters because eligibility differs by country, and with the wider ranking of 15 social media income streams. If your video's reach was TikTok-driven, see how Creator Rewards, LIVE Gifts and TikTok Shop pay out. Organic reposts with credit and brand deals negotiated directly are the other routes; neither pays through an agency's exclusive terms.
Page updates
4 November 2026: first published. Terms are as listed on the agencies' own pages and in Press Gazette on this date. Agencies change terms without notice, so re-read the contract you are offered.
FAQ
How do I license a viral video?
Submit the original file or link to a licensing agency, prove you shot it, and accept its licence terms. Before agreeing, get the revenue split, exclusivity period and copyright wording in writing.
Do I keep copyright if I license through an agency?
Newsflare says you always retain ownership, and Jukin says you retain full ownership while it gets rights to represent and manage the video. ViralHog's FAQ does not state copyright ownership, so ask.
What does an exclusive deal mean?
ViralHog defines it as you granting exclusive rights to manage, promote and monetize the content, so neither you nor anyone else can do so once you sign.
What is the payout threshold at each agency?
Newsflare pays on sales above £50 and pays out once the balance is over £25; Jukin requires a $100 minimum balance. ViralHog does not publish a threshold.
How fast do I get paid?
Newsflare says within 24 hours after the client confirms and pays. Jukin distributes monthly, with 6-12 months average to a first payment.
What is Newsflare's revenue split?
Newsflare says you are paid 50% of the video licence fee generated from selling the right to use your video to a client, as listed on 4 November 2026.
Can I keep my video online while it is licensed?
Jukin says it encourages you to keep the video up wherever you posted it. ViralHog asks you not to give others permission to use it, so check each contract.
Where does licensing sit among other ways to earn?
It is a one-off sale per clip. See the ranking of 15 income streams for recurring options.