YouTube has become one of the most popular websites in the world since its launch in 2005. It has provided a platform for people to share videos and build audiences on a scale never seen before. As YouTube grew, certain channels were able to gain massive followings of over 100 million subscribers. But which channel was the first to reach this milestone?
The Rise of YouTube
YouTube was founded in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees – Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim. The motivation behind YouTube was to create an easy way for people to share videos online. The site experienced rapid growth, with 100 million views per day less than a year after launching.
By mid-2006, YouTube was one of the fastest growing websites on the internet. Google saw the site’s potential and acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion in October 2006. This provided more resources for YouTube to scale up its servers and support the increasing demand.
Some of the factors behind YouTube’s meteoric growth include:
- User-generated content – Anyone could upload videos to YouTube for free and share them around the world.
- Embedding – Videos could be easily embedded on other websites which spread YouTube’s reach.
- Video recommendations – YouTube’s algorithm recommended related videos which kept viewers engaged.
- Ad revenue sharing – Content creators could monetize videos through ads and make money from their channels.
As YouTube expanded, certain creators were able to build massive followings. Channels producing entertaining, informative and original content saw their subscribers grow to tens of millions and some even passed 100 million. But which channel was the first to reach this milestone?
Measuring YouTube Channel Popularity
YouTube displays a few key stats for each channel which can indicate how popular it is:
- Subscribers – The number of users subscribed to the channel to receive updates.
- Video views – The total number of views across all of the channel’s videos.
- Date joined – The date the channel was created.
The subscribers count is one of the most important. Having over 100 million subscribers represents massive popularity for a YouTube channel. It means the channel has built an audience of tens of millions who enjoy its content enough to actively follow it.
However, it is important to note that just passing 100 million subscribers does not guarantee the channel will remain popular. Viewer engagement can fluctuate over time. But hitting the 100 million mark is still a major accomplishment.
Top YouTube Channels
Below are some of the most popular YouTube channels today with over 100 million subscribers:
| Channel | Subscribers | Content |
|---|---|---|
| T-Series | 234 million | Indian music videos |
| PewDiePie | 122 million | Comedy, video gaming |
| Cocomelon | 143 million | Nursery rhymes |
| SET India | 136 million | Indian TV shows |
| Zee Music Company | 122 million | Indian music |
As the table shows, many of the top channels feature Indian music and media or gaming/comedy content. T-Series has the most subscribers at over 234 million currently. PewDiePie was formerly the most subscribed channel until early 2019.
First to 100 Million Subscribers
So which channel was actually the first to reach 100 million subscribers?
That honor goes to PewDiePie.
PewDiePie is a YouTube channel created in April 2010 by Swedish comedian and video game commentator Felix Kjellberg. The channel originally featured Kjellberg playing and reacting to various video games.
Some key milestones in PewDiePie’s growth:
- August 2013 – Becomes the most subscribed YouTube channel with 15 million subscribers.
- November 2013 – Hits 30 million subscribers.
- September 2014 – Reaches 40 million subscribers.
- July 2015 – Crosses 50 million subscribers.
- September 2016 – Tops 60 million subscribers.
PewDiePie’s subscriber growth kept accelerating thanks to his comedic reactions and commentary during videos. By engaging with his audience and shifting to vlog-style content, Kjellberg built a dedicated fanbase.
Finally, on August 15th, 2013 PewDiePie became the first YouTube channel to pass 100 million subscribers. This was a major milestone cementing PewDiePie’s status as YouTube’s most popular channel.
For context, the second channel to reach 100 million subscribers was YouTube’s official channel in May 2019. No other channel crossed 100 million until T-Series did in early 2019 after years of consistent growth.
So while PewDiePie is no longer the #1 channel, it retains the impressive historical distinction of being the first to 100 million on YouTube.
PewDiePie Since 100 Million
In the years after hitting 100 million, PewDiePie remained one of YouTube’s top channels and Kjellberg became an internet icon and influencer.
Some notable events include:
- October 2018 – PewDiePie launches merch store for apparel.
- April 2019 – His battle for #1 most subscribed against T-Series gains mainstream attention.
- July 2019 – Channel temporarily hits 100 billion total video views.
- December 2019 – Starts live streaming videos on YouTube.
- May 2021 – Signs an exclusive live streaming deal with YouTube.
However, subscriber growth has slowed since peaking at 107 million in 2019. Some factors that contributed:
- T-Series taking over as #1 most subscribed.
- Shifting away from only gaming content.
- Periods of burnout leading to less frequent uploads.
- Controversies surrounding offensive jokes.
Still, PewDiePie remains hugely popular with a devoted fanbase even if the rapid growth has leveled off. Kjellberg has branched out to provide commentary, reactions, vlogs, and other content.
In 2022, PewDiePie’s channel got a slight boost after starting a podcast and earnings from merchandise sales and sponsorships remain strong. It seems likely the channel will remain near the top even if hitting 200 million subscribers seems unlikely.
Other Channels Nearing 100 Million
Several other top YouTube channels are getting close to the 100 million subscribers milestone:
- MrBeast – 99.5 million subscribers
- Kids Diana Show – 97.4 million
- Like Nastya – 87.2 million
- Dude Perfect – 87 million
MrBeast in particular is on pace to pass 100 million subscribers potentially sometime in 2023 based on current growth. His viral stunts and giveaway videos attract huge viewership.
The Kids Diana Show and Like Nastya feature children’s content so they may have a harder time sustaining growth. Dude Perfect’s sports entertainment also continues rapidly expanding its audience.
But for now, PewDiePie remains the sole channel above 100 million. It may take some time for another channel to reach such a massive subscriber count.
Conclusion
In summary, PewDiePie stands out as the first YouTube channel to reach 100 million subscribers. The comedic gaming channel accomplished this major feat back in August 2013 after several years of incredible growth.
PewDiePie’s distinct style of commentary and interaction with his audience allowed Felix Kjellberg to build an incredibly large following on YouTube. No other channel came close to 100 million subscribers for years after.
While its growth has slowed, PewDiePie is still one of YouTube’s most popular and recognizable channels. It seems likely that no other channel will pass PewDiePie’s subscriber count for quite some time. But the massive popularity of YouTube means some other channels will eventually reach the 100 million milestone.