Revver, one of the first video sharing sites to share revenue with it’s userbase have announced they have paid 1 million dollars to video creaters and sharers.

To coincide with this announcement is Revver’s one year anniversary. Doug Bresler, the creator of “Doogtoons” ended up being the one to receive an honorary check for the one millionth dollar earned.

Steven Starr, the founder of Revver shared his thoughts on user generated video,

“The time and place to be an independent creator is right now, online.” said Steven Starr,
founder and chairman of Revver. “Smart advertisers are financing an online economy
that supports these creators, and the top talent will build fortunes. This is historic: It is the
birth of a sustainable art form, and it’s happening before our eyes.”

I would have to whole heartedly agree. Bloggers, podcasters and video creators are developing brands. Those brands just happen to be “themselves” Those who become successful in the user generated space will probably net some pretty lucrative advertising deals. Here is a small bit of history concerning Revver.

Revver launched the 1.0 version of its site in September 2006 to foster the independent creator community emerging on the Internet. From the beginning, the Revver business model sought to reward these creators for sharing their work. By screening submissions and not accepting copyright-infringing content, Revver is able to monetize each and every video. The company’s performance-based advertising system also rewards video owners based on the popularity of their content without instituting barriers to entry. The result is the first open and effective marketplace for online video.

Congratulations to the users of Revver. Apparently, their ‘ad revenue sharing model’ is working. Here is a video showcasing the celebration.