The website says it will share ad revenue with contributors of top-rated amateur videos as a thank-you.

The budding comedians and quirky entertainers who helped YouTube earn $1.65 billion from its sale to Google Inc. are about to start getting their own paydays.

YouTube said Friday that it soon would start rewarding its top-drawing performers with better promotion and a cut of the revenue it generates from placing banner ads around the online videos.

YouTube isn't the first online video company to share money with its contributors. But the deal marks the first time that the likes of lonelygirl15, LisaNova, Renetto and the comedy duo Smosh will receive the same treatment that YouTube gives more-established entertainment industry players, such as CBS Corp. and the BBC.