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Another great slate of shows and movies coming from top creators to YouTube Red

By Susanne Daniels

Global Head of Original Content

If we ask our creators, most of them will tell you that there’s a project, an idea, a collaboration, or a vision that they’ve always wanted to bring to life. YouTube has helped them achieve incredible things—build a fanbase, gain exposure, even earn serious money—but sometimes, they dream of something more.

Late last year we launched YouTube Red Originals for exactly that reason. We wanted to help our creators realize their ambitions on the platform where their community already lives.

With nine projects launched so far—including “Scare PewDiePie,” “Foursome” and “MatPat’s Game Lab” —we’re seeing fans sign up, tune in, binge and share their enthusiasm with their friends. Our original series and movies are one of the leading drivers of YouTube Red subscriptions, with viewership that rivals similar cable shows.

We’re also seeing creators featured in YouTube Red Originals get a boost in subscribers and watchtime on their main channels, with most of this watchtime coming from viewers who haven’t watched that creator’s content before. It turns out that there’s a virtuous cycle from YouTube Red that actually supports their existing channel on YouTube.

We’re also seeing fans consume these series and films in unexpected ways. Over half of the time spent watching Red Originals is happening on people’s mobile phones. Maybe that’s why the social buzz around YouTube Red Originals is so large. “A Trip to Unicorn Island” earned more Twitter mentions and impressions at launch than “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “House of Cards” and “True Detective” saw when they were released.

Based on the success we’ve seen so far, we’re thrilled to announce our latest slate of YouTube Red Originals.

RENEWALS:


“SCARE PEWDIEPIE” - SEASON 2: Produced by Maker Studios, the creator and executive producers of “The Walking Dead” franchise from Skybound Entertainment, and Felix Kjellberg under the Revelmode banner, the second season of the reality adventure series, “Scare PewDiePie,” promises even more thrills and chills.

“FOURSOME” - SEASON 2: Produced by AwesomenessTV, the second season of “Foursome” returns to YouTube Red following Andie's adventures in the high school dating world. We meet a brand new Andie, a new era of extracurricular hooking up and high school awkwardness.

UNTITLED SMOSH MOVIE: After releasing the episodic series “Part Timers” on YouTube, Smosh is coming back for a feature-length comedy on YouTube Red. Luckless Charlie (Anthony Padilla) moves into a new apartment, only to find he has a roommate: a self-centered ghost named Max (Ian Hecox). Max makes Charlie’s life a living hell, until they learn that the only way Max can get into heaven is by working together.

NEW TO YOUTUBE RED:


“STEP UP” SERIES: “Step Up,” a fan favorite dance film franchise that launched the career of Channing Tatum, transitions to a new series with a heart-pounding, sexy, music-filled and dramatic look at dancers in a contemporary performing arts school. Adam Shankman, Jennifer Gibgot and Meredith Milton, all producers of the original "Step Up" films, will executive produce the series, along with Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum, who both co-starred in the original "Step Up" film.

“RHETT & LINK’S BUDDY SYSTEM”: In this new scripted comedy series, Rhett & Link must go out of their way to regain control of their internet empire from their mutual co-ex-girlfriend who is now an evil Infomercial Queen holding a very big secret over their heads. The series also features “Saturday Night Live” alums Molly Shannon and Chris Parnell, as well as Leslie Bibb and Page Kennedy.

DAN & PHIL TOUR DOCUMENTARY: Top YouTube comedy stars, Dan Howell and Phil Lester are taking their fans inside their latest world tour, “The Amazing Tour Is Not On Fire.” With hilarious anecdotes, sketches, and lots of surprises for their fans, we’re bringing Dan and Phil’s successful live stage show exclusively to YouTube Red. They’ll also be giving audiences a behind-the-scenes look with a documentary about the making of the tour.

“VLOGUMENTARY”: Executive produced by award-winning filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, Maker Studios, and Shay "ShayCarl" Butler, “Vlogumentary” provides a personal, intimate lens into the world of some of YouTube's biggest creators and demonstrates the power of the platform in shaping the lives of creative voices, their audiences and the media landscape.

UNTITLED ANIMATED SERIES: 3BLACKDOT and its top YouTube creators SeaNanners, TheMrSark and VanossGaming star in an animated comedy series, helmed by Michael Rowe, Emmy Award-winning writer of “Futurama” and “Family Guy,” about a team of ill-equipped paranormal investigators who struggle to unfold the mysteries of the paranormal universe for their desperate clients.

UNTITLED MICHAEL STEVENS PROJECT: In this new educational series, Vsauce creator Michael Stevens will take a deeper look into the human mind, using real subjects, including himself and special guests, to show some of the most mind-blowing, important and least understood aspects of human nature.

Susanne Daniels, Global Head of Original Content, recently watched the first episode of “Escape the Night with Joey Graceffa.”

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