YouTube Stars Viewership Is Dropping

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The biggest YouTube channels have experienced a significant drop in viewership over the past year, according to a Social Blade study commissioned by Kotaku.

This study comes after several YouTube stars complained about decreasing video views and subscriber additions. While it seems to confirm the first charge on plummeting views, it doesn�t corroborate the latter about fewer new subscriptions.

Social Blade aggregated data from every channel with over 10 million subscribers, excluding those operated by major record labels and television studios, leaving 49 of the biggest channels on YouTube in total. Here�s what it found:


YouTube views are down meaningfully. Views are now between 5-7% lower since the first half of 2016, and were down 10% between July in September. In January, the big channels averaged about 4 million views, compared to just over 3.7 million views in November.

New subscriptions are down marginally. The big channels had an average of over 10,000 subscribers per day at the start of the year. This is down to about 9,000 new subscribers a day as of November. However, the general trend shows that the number of subscriptions per day as more or less constant.
Several prominent YouTubers have spoken out about decreasing view numbers, including the personality behind the platform's most subscribed channel, PewDiePie, who threatened to delete his account. YouTube's stars play an important role in the platform's success, especially by appealing to younger audiences, so keeping these creators happy is a must. There are a number of theories as to why video views have gone down:


Removing invalid views generated by bots. Otherwise known as view audits, this is when YouTube purges fake, bot-generated traffic from the video view count. The company intermittently conducts view audits, but YouTubers may be noticing them more often because of analytics tools like Social Blade.

Changed search and promotion algorithms. Another theory is that YouTube has adjusted its video-promoting algorithm in a way that emphasizes trending and newsworthy content over posts from big channels who frequently upload videos.

New methodology for counting video views. The fundamental unknown underlying all of this is YouTube's proprietary view-counting algorithm. We know YouTube measures watch time when determining views, and there�s likely an assortment of other factors that it takes into account too.
If 2015 was the year that brands and advertisers embraced online video, then 2016 saw the medium take the next step as live streaming took off.

Live streaming video refers to broadcasts in real time to an audience over the internet. While the concept of live streaming has been around for years, mobile-first video platforms with user-generated content have just recently begun to make serious waves thanks to improved video quality, faster broadband speeds, and enhanced mobile technology.

Online video has become a key part of the strategic business model for both brands and marketers as they seek more innovative ways to capture consumer attention. Creative live streaming video initiatives and campaigns are a way for companies to cut through the digital clutter and have emerged as the medium of choice not only for person-to-person sharing, but also for business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) communication.

Brands are increasingly using live streaming to reach audiences. Its importance has grown significantly thanks to substantial investments by social platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, and Twitter to build and enhance their live-streaming platforms.

And advertising dollars are likely to follow. 88% of agency respondents stated that they �might� or �definitely will� invest in live stream video advertising over the next six months, according to a recent Trusted Media Brands survey.

BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on live streaming video that examines the eruption of online video from the perspective of both consumers and advertisers and assesses how live streaming is emerging as the medium's next catalyst for growth.

Here are some key points from the report:


Live streaming video will further accelerate streaming videos overall share of internet traffic. Streaming video accounts for over two-thirds of all internet traffic, and this share is expected to jump to 82% by 2020, according to Cisco�s June 2016 Visual Networking Index report.

Live video�s value comes from its unique ability to add an authentic human element to digital communications. As a result, brands are leveraging three main streaming methods to connect with their viewers: tutorials, product launches, and exclusive and behind-the-scene footage.

Advertisers will continue to invest heavily in online video, especially as live streaming video gains traction. Already in the US, digital video ad revenue reached $7.8 billion in 2015, up 55% from 2014, according to figures from the Internet Advertising Bureau.

While live streaming is still in its early stages, brands are leveraging micropayments, mid-roll video ads and direct payments from social platforms, to monetize their live streaming videos.

The success of live streaming video hinges on brands overcoming a lack of measurement standards in the space, as well as changes in social media sites' algorithms that affect what content users see.
In full, the report:


Examines the eruption of live streaming video.

Explores the differences between platforms that host live streaming video.

Breaks down successful approaches from both brands and publishers.

Discusses unique monetization opportunities live streaming presents.
To get your copy of this invaluable guide, choose one of these options:


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The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you�ve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of live streaming video.

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