Yes, but you have to plan and play the game as if you are going to win.
I've seen channel way smaller do paid promotion and/or reviews of stuff.
You're right. Also, if a significant Youtube channel, does a very big sponsorship deal. E.g. A big oscilloscope giveaway, two free high end ones, per week for a month. The sponsors, may possibly help significantly advertise the offers/competition/youtube video, themselves. As really, the more viewers who see it and participate, the bigger the value they get, from those valuable oscilloscopes, they were giving away.
But if such sponsorship deals, only keep Fran afloat, for a few weeks at a time, assuming they stubbornly insist on keeping things, the same as they are now. I.e. With expensive rentals. It would only be delaying things. But it could work out.
I'm torn/conflicted here. Between dealing out doom and gloom, in the hope it might get Fran (directly, indirectly or slightly), to change course, and handle the property situation, much more efficiently and effectively.
Verses being the nice guy, and being hugely optimistic about the situation.
EDIT: On reflection, I was being too harsh and critical. The viewership drops, have only been quite a recent thing. It could just be a temporary blip and/or readily solvable by Fran. I was over-reacting to short term trends/information, and partly jumping to conclusions.
Presumably with a youtube channel. Sometimes experimentation and fine tuning is needed, to refine the sweet spots.