I'm not basing anything I say here on rumors or hearsay, I'm simply reading the content on Google's own websites regarding this, as I personally have no experience about it.

From the first link:

> I'm not a YouTube partner, so why am I seeing ads on my videos?

> YouTube may also place ads on videos in channels not in the YouTube Partner Program.

Doesn't this mean that YouTube is earning money from ads placed on videos where people don't get anything from the revenue?