I think I found a new YouTube algorithm change

[Noobzilla]

What you see in the right sidebar is based on your past immediate viewing habits. If you go and look at 20 videos about "skinning cats", your sidebar will be full of those videos. You must have been watching/researching a bunch of smaller channel (perhaps even...wait for it... s4subbing... hehehe... kidding), to now have small channels show up in there. The algo is super intelligent - it assumes what you just watched, you want to watch more of, mixed in with a little bit of randomness.

They are talking about related channels and I believe you are referring to the related videos

 

[Switchbox]

My related channels are just other big norwegian youtubers. (20k-100k+)
So I don't think they are comparing to size, just content and tagging.

 

[nutwad]

Take it as an opportunity and a word of encouragement from YouTube to finally accomplish your YouTube dreams

 

[Daelene's FantasyPlayland]

Yeah I think YouTube is trying to promote the smaller YouTubers but that is only my though. I also think it varies from person to person.

I hope you are right on this one. I am small YT Channel but unfortunately my views dropped to half after new year.