By Nina Mendes
Contributing Writer
 
Swedish YouTuber, Felix Kjellberg, more commonly known by his screen name: “PewDiePie,” has gained international spotlight by producing gaming and vlogging content since his start in 2010. PewDiePie became the most subscribed YouTube channel on August 15, 2013, and still holds the record to this day; however, his top position is in jeopardy. Based out of India, Bollywood music production company, T-Series will dethrone PewDiePie and claim YouTube’s number one spot within less than six months time according to the future projection calculated by Social Blade.
T-Series began uploading content seven years ago in 2011, but the channel wasn’t very successful when it first launched. The channel’s total views and subscriber count have skyrocketed in recent months due to India’s latest breakthrough in internet and technology. T-Series currently has over 61,900,000 subscribers, compared to PewDiePie who recently broke 66,000,000 subscribers within the past month. There is currently a livestream uploaded by FlareTV that will document the historic moment when T-Series will surpass PewDiePie.
Another reason for the channel’s advancement is due to the number of people they have working collaboratively on a single production. The process of uploading content is exponentially quicker for T-Series because they rely on other artists to produce the material while the behind-the-scenes team edits and finalizes each video. PewDiePie is responsible for creating and editing all of his content himself, and he is consistently challenged to think of new ideas. As a result of this, PewDiePie is only capable of producing one video a day, while T-Series has the potential to post as many as six videos in a single day.
India’s large population is also a reasonable explanation as to why T-Series grew as rapidly as it did. It is home to 1.35 billion viewers geographically located near the channel’s home base. The vast majority of PewDiePie’s subscribers are from the U.S. which is considerably far from his British studio. Fans experience a hint of disconnect simply due to the distance separating him from his subscribers. T-Series can release content and rely solely on local views to gain a profit, whereas PewDiePie’s most massive fanbase is over 4,000 miles away.
Both channels cater to two very different subsections of entertainment but are close in numbers. As India continues to evolve, it flourishes because it’s a densely populated country which is steadily catching up with the progress of the U.S..
PewDiePie uploaded a video two weeks ago where he reacted to his subscribers warning him about the threat that T-Series presented. He responded by jokingly seeming ‘offended’ that the channel would dare to triumph him. His humor and sarcasm are apparent throughout the entire video, which alludes to the fact that he enjoys the lighthearted competition.
The two channels have opened the doorway for international creators to showcase their work on a platform that can be life-changing. As T-Series growth rate continues to multiply, it will intensify the competitive drive already existent on YouTube today.
The fight for YouTube’s top spot is inexhaustible and acute. T-Series will soon be the channel that will serve as the face of YouTube. They will have an impact on the future of the site as well as other creators aspiring to make a name for themselves.
PewDiePie’s five-year reign is drawing to a close; however, his influence on the YouTube community was substantial. His content and character will forever have a significant impression on the site while he continues to upload videos, as YouTube’s 2nd most subscribed channel.