X is shutting down its Creator Revenue Sharing program and replacing it with the Original Content Rewards Program, a move that raises the bar for creators while pushing them harder toward paid subscriptions. Existing participants will keep earning through September 7, 2026, but new sign-ups are already closed as of August 8.
Why X is killing revenue sharing
X says the old program’s incentives were “misaligned,” with creators focused on maximizing payouts rather than bringing genuinely new content to the platform. In practice, the engagement-based model rewarded inflammatory posts, recycled memes, and engagement-bait threads — content designed to generate replies (where ads were served) rather than inform or entertain. The new program aims to fix that by rewarding originality instead of raw engagement numbers.
What the Original Content Rewards Program requires
The new program has noticeably higher barriers than its predecessor. To qualify, creators must:
- Subscribe to X Premium, Premium+, or Premium Business — a paid subscription is mandatory, meaning creators must pay X before X pays them
- Have at least 500 verified followers — not just any followers, but verified ones
- Earn 500,000+ Home Timeline impressions from verified users in the past 90 days
- Regularly post original content — reposts, basic edits (cropping, filters, watermarks, speed adjustments), and automated content are explicitly disqualified
- Be at least 18 years old and reside in a participating country
Content that qualifies includes original threads, videos, memes, graphics, illustrations, reporting, analysis, and commentary. Disinformation and misleading material are also disqualified.
Payout timeline and how earnings work
Earnings under the new system are based on “qualified impressions” — unique impressions from Premium users viewing posts on the Home Timeline, where at least 50 percent of the post is visible. Payments are issued every two weeks.
For existing Revenue Sharing participants, the final payouts land on August 14 and August 28, with a last payment covering earnings through September 7 expected around September 11. Applications for the new program open September 8, with the first payment for transitioning creators due September 25.
The real cost to creators
There is something worth questioning here. X is asking creators to pay for a Premium subscription as a prerequisite to earning money on the platform — a model where you must be a paying customer before you can be a paid contributor. Combined with the “verified followers” requirement, which effectively means followers who also pay for Premium, the new program ties creator earnings to the size of X’s subscription revenue rather than the broader user base. Creators with large followings among non-paying users will find their reach counts for nothing under this system.
Whether this produces better content or simply squeezes creators into subsidizing X’s subscription numbers remains to be seen.
