PewDiePie signs exclusive deal with YouTube
Controversial streamer was YouTube’s first individual creator to amass 100 million subscribers.
PewDiePie has signed an exclusive deal with YouTube preventing the controversial Swede from live-streaming on other platforms as a way for the company to set itself apart from its competitors, Variety reported.
The 30-year-old, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, boasts approximately 104 million YouTube subscribers, his user page shows, and his videos have garnered more than 25 billion views so far, according to the report.
PewDiePie signs copies of his new book "This Book Loves You" in this undated photo (Getty Images)
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“YouTube has been my home for over a decade now and live streaming on the platform feels like a natural fit as I continue to look for new ways to create content and interact with fans worldwide,” Kjellberg said in a statement obtained by Variety. “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.”
YouTube, which is owned by Google, faces competition from rival streaming sights, such as Amazon-owned Twitch.
YouTube did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment.
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Kjellberg got his start with YouTube in 2010 and for years his viewership has ranked among the best, if not topped the charts, according to the report. He streams everything from video games to unusual Internet findings, personal events and even sometimes gets involved in the news of the week.
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His YouTube channel had received the most subscribers worldwide by 2013. Six years later, he was reportedly named YouTube’s first individual creator to amass 100 million subscribers.
In March, Forbes reported his net worth to be approximately $15 million.