The New Lords of YouTube (GOOG)

Michael Learmonth | May 27, 2008 7:00 AM

legoboulder.jpgWho are the new lords of YouTube? We all know about the original Web video royalty -- the Judson Laipplys and lonelygirl15s of the world. But who's generating views -- whatever that means -- now?

To answer that question, we asked Web analytics startup TubeMogul to give us a list of last week's top 100 video producers, defined as the person or entity posting clips to YouTube.

Some of the results were predictable. The YouTube video producer with the most views last week was the NBA, with 3.5 million views -- understandable given that the playoffs are in full swing.

Also big was Activision's GuitarHeroGames, (ATVI) which shows real life rock stars (from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Police) trying out the game's fake equipment.

Top-10 last week:
1. NBA - 3.46 million views (basketball highlights)
2. Nogoodtv - 3.44 million ("uncensored" celebrity news)
3. Illumistream - 1.96 million (explicit sex education)
4. Ykedwin - 1.87 million (Chinese variety show)
5. YTVideoGuide - 1.8 million (guide to top YouTube clips)
6. IdolFans2008 - 1.73 million ("American Idol" performances)
7. Duowei - 1.59 million (daily news show from state Chinese television)
8. IdolsAroundTheWorld - 1.39 million (more "American Idol")
9. GuitarHeroGames - 1.28 million (promo for Activision's Guitar Hero)
10. NielCicierega - 1.13 million (Harry Potter puppeteer)

Go further down the list, and things get more interesting, at least to us -- we're particularly fond of the guys who re-shot the iconic Indiana Jones scene with a Lego boulder. Among the indie producers making it big there are a few commonalities: As always, stunts and attractive women work on YouTube. But so do smart people with provocative ideas on technology and politics.

25. Vlogbrothers - 579,252 views last week

33. athenewins - 422,950 views

37. Veracifier - 422,950 views

42. macattck2533 - 394,391 views

See Also: What's A Web Video View?

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13 Comments

Mark Rotblat (URL) said:
It's interesting to note that the LEGO boulder/Indiana Jones video is likely a viral advertisement for LEGOS, the new movie, or both. I've seen alot more of these recently, and we've helped seed a growing number of them, like the Coors Smooth Pour videos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFctDvXPHvw).

It's fun to watch the comments on these as the YouTube community seems to enjoy the creativity, but there are also voices denouncing the subtle advertising aspect to this entertainment. I think people should face up to the fact that some ads are enjoyable!

Mark Rotblat, TubeMogul
Agreed--the Lego boulder is no doubt a marketing stunt and also totally brilliant
Peter Dunkley (URL) said:
There's a certain integrity with these viral ads - people are seeking them out and watching because they are enjoyable - I think this has to be much better from a consumer point of view than having to engage with poor ads as a consequence of accessing content
Wolf Nibori (URL) said:
Great article! I love finding out the trends in video. It seems like YouTube's been out for so long, but it's still totally evolving. I'm really excited to see how it might potentially change the way television operates.

Thanks for keeping me abreast of all the changes!
Tony (URL) said:
Totally agree. Lego is simply brillant.
Dominic (URL) said:
You are right. However, I am not sure why viral animated videos created using 3D models have not exploded in popularity yet. I will think that this is the new wave and corporations like http://www.flatpyramid.com are driving this new wave. Flat Pyramid supplies ready made 3D models that can be use to create animated videos.

See link to video below posted on youtube created exclusively with 3D models.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tnppA8x06pI&feature=user
Hunter (URL) said:
Great topic!
frank (URL) said:
Nice work my friend!
Pl keep up with the good info Blog!
DNO said:
You cant forget WHATTHEBUCKSHOW. Definitely a "new lord" and extremely consistent performer.
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galen (URL) said:
640-802 The New Lords of YouTube (GOOG) Cool. So disgusting.

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