Do you navigate YouTube with an ad blocking tool in tow? If so, YouTube luminary PewDiePie has a few things he’d like to say to you.
The Swedish export pegged by Forbes as the world’s #1 earning YouTube star has written a Tumblr post (essay? wordstream?) regarding YouTube’s march towards the subscription service YouTube Red. The new service allows users to pay for an ad-free version of the video hub, but that might not be all that enticing to someone that already uses an ad block service in their day-to-day internet activities. PewDiePie (a.k.a. Swedish export Felix Kjellberg) says shielding yourself with AdBlock hurts content producers with smaller channels.
He offers that he doesn’t mind being AdBlocked, but it wreaks havoc on the little guy.
I think what many people still don’t realize is that:
# YouTube Red exist largely as an effort to counter Adblock.
# Using Adblock doesn’t mean you’re clever and above the system.
# YouTube Red exists because using Adblock has actual consequences.
Now, there are questions remaining to be answered about YouTube Red. Like: How much of YouTube Red’s $10 actually goes to its creators?
How come YouTubers don’t get payed for November’s free trial period?This was changed recently, (Source). Will YouTube Red actually be beneficial for smaller channels? Is the $10 price actually justified?
These are all important questions about YouTube Red. But right now, it’s more important that we understand what the actual problem is here.
PewDiePie notes that “YouTubers lose about 40% of their ad income.” It’s a total that’s increased from 15-20% in years previous.
By the way, PewDiePie has a new series coming to YouTube Red titled Scare PewDiePie.
“See PewDiePie get scared like never before in this YouTube Red Original Series, from the creator of The Walking Dead at Skybound Entertainment and Maker Studios,” reads a splash of text under the show’s teaser. “You’ll be laughing and screaming along with PewDiePie as he makes his way through terrifying pranks inspired by his favorite video games. Coming in 2016.”
[h/t Vulture]