The objective behind Sam Eckholm’s YouTube channel and the series Access Granted is incredibly ambitious: “Uncover the extraordinary." Access Granted takes viewers inside the world's most secret operations to reveal the people, technology, and decisions redefining global power. From next generation fighter jets and nuclear missile silos to the Secret Service, every episode brings unprecedented access to ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
Sam’s journey as a creator began during his time serving active duty as an Officer in the United States Air Force. Today, he leads a civilian production team dedicated to sharing the human stories of America’s three million service members in a world that often misunderstands them.
Historically, these stories lived in documentaries, history channels, or long-form television formats that no longer reach digital native audiences. Access Granted, Sam’s flagship YouTube series, was designed to modernize that model, bringing high-trust, cinematic storytelling to YouTube, without sacrificing credibility or security.
As the channel grew, the objective expanded. Access Granted grew beyond U.S. military narratives to include defense companies, aerospace leaders, advanced tech firms, and allied nations. The launch of Access Granted as a flagship series formalized this vision.
Today, the Access Granted team continues the mission that Sam started while in uniform, to open doors, spark curiosity, and give viewers a rare look inside the extraordinary worlds most people never get to see.
Sam operates in uncharted territory, a civilian trusted with rare behind-the-scenes access to the world's most elite and high tech missions. No one else is as effective in this space, and Access Granted executes with unmatched professionalism and impact.
Each mission story begins with months of planning, close coordination with frontline units, and a strict review process. Some of these stories rest in a "dream sheet" of topic ideas that we've identified as needing a YouTube spotlight, others have rare access pitched to us by service branches, aerospace leaders, and defense companies that are familiar with, and trust, our work. One of the most complicated stories, flying the U-2 Spy Plane to the edge of space, took over 2 years of coordination to film. This particular aircraft is legendary for its top secret use as reconnaissance platform for over 50 years. From camera mounting positions to performance details of the aircraft, our team worked closely with the Air Force to ensure we told an accurate, secure story.
Execution required overcoming barriers that few creators ever face. Regulatory approval, operational security, and multi-layer stakeholder alignment are non-negotiables in defense and intelligence spaces. Sam’s background as a former Air Force Public Affairs officer became the critical bridge. He understood not only how to earn institutional trust, but how to protect it, allowing commanders, manufacturers, and partners to say “yes” where they otherwise wouldn’t.
The result has been unprecedented access. Access Granted became the first creator-led team to produce mission storytelling for the U.S. Space Force, filmed exclusive submarine content with NATO, and shared the story of the U-2 spy plane, one of the most restricted aviation platforms in the world. In several cases, both the military and manufacturers now use Access Granted videos as their primary public-facing educational resource. Launched in 2020 and now in its fifth season, Access Granted has grown to over 1.5 million subscribers. The show blends traditional Hollywood filmmaking with a modern YouTube style, leaving viewers with something much more engaging than a standard documentary.
Visually, the series set a new bar: cinematic production quality traditionally reserved for network documentaries, adapted for YouTube consumption. Strategically, the biggest disruption came from being first. Defense and mission-driven organizations were not predisposed to investing in creator-led storytelling until results proved its value.
Today, the challenge has evolved. What began as breaking through the barrier of access has become managing inbound demand for storytelling. Access Granted is now a viable, scalable media business with a purpose-built team, demonstrating that mission-first storytelling can succeed commercially while reshaping how entire industries communicate with the world.
The results of Access Granted directly reflect and exceed the original objectives: establishing authority, earning unprecedented access, and proving that mission-first storytelling can scale globally in new media.
From January 2025 to January 2026, the Access Granted YouTube channel experienced significant, sustained growth, increasing from 900,000 subscribers / 215 million views to 1.6 million subscribers / 360 million views within a single year. This growth was driven not by trend-chasing or algorithmic gimmicks, but by trust-based, high-caliber storytelling, validating the demand for serious, mission-focused content on modern platforms.
From a credibility standpoint, Sam Eckholm’s recognition on Forbes 30 Under 30 affirmed the platform’s leadership at the intersection of defense, innovation, and media. That authority translated into tangible business outcomes: renewed and expanded client contracts, long-term partnerships, and consistent inbound demand from organizations previously hesitant to engage in creator-led storytelling.
As reach expanded, so did influence. Access Granted content is now referenced and reused as an educational resource by military branches, manufacturers, and allied nations. Sam has been invited for speaking roles and positioned as a subject-matter expert on modern mission storytelling at levels as high at the Pentagon.
Operationally, the growth supported a transition from a creator-led channel into a scalable media company. In 2025, Sam (and parent company SE Media) added full-time hires and contractors, secured representation with Creative Artists Agency, opened a San Francisco office, and expanded its media footprint through high-profile media features and speaking opportunities, cementing its position as a sustainable, category-defining platform.
