Bad news for all the Pewds out there. PewDiePie just lost the battle for the world’s biggest YouTube channel to Indian music giant T-Series.
Despite PewDiePie’s campaign to keep his reign going strong, after six years he has dropped to number 2.
PewDiePie is still the world’s biggest independent YouTuber.
Originally the apocalypse was predicted to take place in October but Pewds helped maintain his position as the most-subscribed-to channel for some time longer.
https://twitter.com/pewdiepie/status/1103008066927251457
At the time of filing this report, the tally was:
- T-Series: Â Â 89,933,258 subscribers
- PewDiePie: 89,934,107 subscribers
However, expect these figures to fluctuate rapidly in the days ahead. T-Series and its sister channels means more fans for the media company than PewDiePie.
The Campaign
PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, tried everything he could to ensure that YouTube remained a platform for independent creators but that’s gone now.
He even enlisted the help of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to win this David vs Goliath battle.
Elon Musk himself hosts a popular segment on PewDiePie’s channel called Meme Review.
Did meme review last night with Justin Roiland from @RickandMorty
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 18, 2019
T-Series’ Rise Means YouTube No Longer Favors Independent Personalities
The rise of T-Series is littered with controversy and conflict in the YouTube community. Independent creators that established the platform see this corporate takeover as a reflection of YouTube’s increasing commercialization in recent years.
Critics claim that YouTube is increasingly in favor of alliances with large corporations that promise to generate more revenue.
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Besides that, the YouTube algorithm also favors the corporate side. Corporate channels are run by hundreds of employees that stream for longer hours, which is not humanly possible for independent creators. They also upload numerous times a day, more than an independent genuine creator can do.
Denis Crushell from social video analytics firm Tubular Labs expressed reservations on the future of YouTube’s creative and independent future.
“It’s incredible to see how media companies like T-Series are flourishing in this space. Whilst YouTube continues to be a pivotal platform for influencers like PewDiePie, media companies have really doubled down on the platform this year.”
The Numbers Game
T-Series and its sister channels receive over 4 billion views per month. They also share at least 20 videos a day, some of which is recycled content. Yet in numbers, it’s still YouTube’s most viewed media company globally.
Since T-series is an Indian music giant, that also plays a part. India makes up the world’s second largest population. With cheaper Internet and widespread Internet access, India’s online demographic is growing. Now India counts close to half a billion internet users.
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Felix Kjellberg probably saw this coming and claims he is not bothered by the Indian channel. In fact he predicts that this corporate shift on YouTube will lead it to getting replaced soon.
“I don’t really care about T-Series, I genuinely don’t, but I think if YouTube does shift in a way where it does feel more corporate, [then] something else will take its place.”
He may be right given many people shifted to YouTube Red in order to avoid being bombed by commercials mid video. There are already numerous YouTube alternatives such as Vimeo, Twitch, Dailymotion, Metacafe, Patreon, etc
“I think people enjoy this connection so much, I think something else will just show up, if it feels too corporate.”
Check his SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dh-RL__uN4
Why do you journalists root for him losing.why the hate.he didnt lose and he never will lose.he is still ahead by more than a thousand subs.nice try.try again t series