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12/10/2026VIFLY ACTU

Substack tests three sponsorships that finance access rather than interrupt playback

No solid and useful official announcement has been published in the last 24 hours. This edition therefore retains a Substack experiment announced on 8 October and still current: three native sponsorship formats that can pay for publications, offer content to readers and preserve the direct relationship with subscribers.

Our method: distinguishing facts, citing sources and calmly explaining what can really change for creators, independent and digital professionals.

Marketing

Substack launches three native sponsorship formats for publications

Substack is experimenting with Upgrade, Unlock and Masthead with small groups of Bestsellers and participating brands. With Upgrade, a brand finances a month of paid access for free subscribers of a publication. Unlock allows a sponsor to make a normally paid article available free of charge, while paying the publisher. Masthead brings together authors and creators around a theme in a dedicated editorial destination. Substack also adds Kantar studies for some large campaigns to measure brand awareness, perception and consideration, beyond impressions and clicks. The program remains experimental: creators choose to participate via their Creator Kit, but activation does not guarantee to receive a campaign.

What it can change: Prepare a simple media kit with audience, opening rate, engagement, positioning and examples of collaborations. Set your editorial rules, sponsor identification, reuse rights and really useful indicators in advance. Do not present these formats as an income source accessible to all: Substack tests them with a limited group.
Read the source: Substack →