PewDiePie will now live-stream exclusively on YouTube
Swedish YouTube star Felix Kjellberg, better known as PewDiePie, will now live-stream exclusively on YouTube, as per a new deal. Felix's return to live-streaming on the Google-owned streaming platform comes one year after he switched to a rival company. The 30-year-old continues to remain the most successful independent creator on the platform, with more than 104 million subscribers and 25 billion views.
He had joined Dlive for live-streaming in 2019
While no details about the deal's financial aspects have been revealed, it's possible that YouTube would have spent a fortune in getting Felix on-board, given the popularity he commands on the worldwide digital space. After he joined rival live-streaming platform Dlive in 2019, Felix gained an impressive 822,000 followers there. Earlier this year, he also took a short break from making YouTube videos.
Felix said returning to YouTube feels like a 'natural fit'
Felix, who had joined YouTube in 2010, said that returning to the streamer "feels like a natural fit." "Live-streaming is something I'm focusing a lot on in 2020 and beyond, so to be able to partner with YouTube and be at the forefront of new product features is special and exciting for the future," he added.
YouTube remains world's favorite gaming platform
Felix's decision to go exclusive with YouTube comes at a time when video streaming and online gaming is on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, YouTube boasts of being the largest global gaming platform with millions of gamers watching more than 50 billion hours of game play annually. Recently, the company also signed deals with other popular streamers, CouRage, Valkyrae, and Typical Gamer.
The rise and controversies of PewDiePie
Felix is the second most-subscribed YouTuber, next only to Indian music label T-Series, which has 137 million subscribers. His content mostly comprises live game commentary, vlogs, animated comedy shorts, and reaction videos. However, his rise hasn't been without controversies. In 2017, his videos were found to carry anti-Semitic references and imagery. In another instance, Felix apologized for using racist insult against a fellow gamer.
