View source for YouTube channel

'''YouTube''', formerly named '''YouTube Spotlight''',<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/user/YouTube |title=YouTube Spotlight |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=February 27, 2025 |archive-date=December 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181207232004/https://www.youtube.com/user/YouTube |url-status=dead}}</ref> is the official YouTube channel for the American video-sharing platform [[YouTube|of the same name]], spotlighting videos and events on the platform. Events shown on the channel include [[YouTube Comedy Week]] and the [[YouTube Music Awards]]. Additionally, the channel uploaded annual installments of ''[[YouTube Rewind]]'' between 2010 and 2019. The channel briefly ranked as the [[List of most-subscribed YouTube channels|most-subscribed]] on the platform in late 2013. As of November 2025, the channel has 44.2 million subscribers and 2.70 billion video views.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://socialblade.com/youtube/user/youtube|title=YouTube YouTube Stats, Channel Statistics|work=[[Social Blade]]|access-date=February 13, 2025|archive-date=February 13, 2025|archive-url=https://archive.today/2025.02.13/https://socialblade.com/youtube/user/youtube#selection-1839.0-1872.0|url-status=live}}</ref>

== History ==
On November 2, 2013, the YouTube channel briefly surpassed [[PewDiePie]]'s channel, to become the [[List of most-subscribed YouTube channels|most-subscribed channel]] on the website. The channel ascended to the top position through auto-suggesting and pre-selecting itself as a subscription option upon new user registration for YouTube.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cohen|first=Joshua|url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2013/11/04/youtube-most-susbcribed-channel/|title=YouTube Is Now The Most Subscribed Channel On YouTube|work=[[Tubefilter]]|date=November 4, 2013|access-date=September 20, 2013|archive-date=April 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406033842/https://www.tubefilter.com/2013/11/04/youtube-most-susbcribed-channel/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Videos ==

=== ''YouTube Rewind'' ===
{{Main|YouTube Rewind|l1=''YouTube Rewind''|YouTube Rewind 2018: Everyone Controls Rewind|l2=its 2018 installment|YouTube Rewind 2019: For the Record|l3=its 2019 installment}}
Between 2010 and 2019, YouTube released an annual ''[[YouTube Rewind]]'' video through its Spotlight channel. The series' 2016 installment, ''The Ultimate 2016 Challenge'', became YouTube's fastest video to reach 100 million views, doing so in just over three days. It is also the eighth-[[List of most liked YouTube videos#Non-music videos|most-liked non-music video]] of all time with over 3.40 million likes. Shortly after the video was released, the Spotlight channel surpassed 1 billion total video views.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://socialblade.com/youtube/user/youtube/monthly|title=youtube Monthly YouTube Statistics|work=Social Blade|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230093419/https://socialblade.com/youtube/user/youtube/monthly|archive-date=December 30, 2016|access-date=February 12, 2017}}</ref> 

The 2018 installment, ''[[YouTube Rewind 2018: Everyone Controls Rewind|Everyone Controls Rewind]]'', was received overwhelmingly negatively. In just under a week after its release, it became YouTube's [[List of most-disliked YouTube videos|most-disliked video]] of all time, surpassing the music video for [[Justin Bieber]]'s "[[Baby (Justin Bieber song)|Baby]]", and shortly thereafter became the first YouTube video to reach 10 million dislikes.

The following year, ''[[YouTube Rewind 2019: For the Record]]'' also quickly garnered a notably negative like–dislike ratio as well, amassing 3.9 million dislikes within its first day of release.<ref>{{Citation |title=YouTube Rewind 2019: For the Record {{!}} #YouTubeRewind | date=5 December 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lAe1cqCOXo |access-date=2024-03-13 |language=en |archive-date=2019-12-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210034001/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lAe1cqCOXo |url-status=live }}</ref> It is currently the third-most-disliked YouTube video with over 9.6 million dislikes.

=== ''YouTube Nation'' ===
In January 2014, ''YouTube Nation'' was launched on its channel, as a collaborative project between YouTube and [[DreamWorks Animation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/01/dreamworks-animation-youtube-nation-663833/|title=DreamWorks Animation Confirms Daily YouTube Show 'YouTube Nation'|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=January 13, 2014|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=April 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412060818/http://deadline.com/2014/01/dreamworks-animation-youtube-nation-663833/|url-status=live}}</ref> DWA oversaw the production while YouTube managed the sales and marketing of the series.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wallenstein|first=Andrew|url=https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/new-series-youtube-nation-launches-tuesday-from-youtube-dreamworks-animation-1201053518/|title=New Series 'YouTube Nation' Launches Tuesday on YouTube via DreamWorks Animation|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=January 13, 2014|access-date=April 6, 2015|archive-date=September 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904183235/https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/new-series-youtube-nation-launches-tuesday-from-youtube-dreamworks-animation-1201053518/|url-status=live}}</ref> The series is a news series that rounds up information from the ''Spotlight'' channel.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gutelle|first=Sam|url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2014/01/09/youtube-nation-dreamworks-daily-news-show/|title=YouTube And Dreamworks To Launch Daily Video News Show|work=[[Tubefilter]]|date=January 9, 2014|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=June 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616131828/https://www.tubefilter.com/2014/01/09/youtube-nation-dreamworks-daily-news-show/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[YouTube]] also promotes the series through its ''Spotlight'' channel. Early in its history, the series used guest hosts [[Grace Helbig]], [[Hannah Hart]], and [[Mamrie Hart]] (no relation) to help propel the series and its audience.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gutelle|first=Sam|url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2014/02/11/grace-helbig-hannah-hart-mamrie-hart-youtube-nation/|title=Grace Helbig, Hannah Hart, And Mamrie Hart Take Over 'YouTube Nation'|work=[[Tubefilter]]|date=February 11, 2014|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=May 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140518013304/http://www.tubefilter.com/2014/02/11/grace-helbig-hannah-hart-mamrie-hart-youtube-nation/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Due to regularly being promoted on the ''Spotlight'' channel (now just called YouTube), ''YouTube Nation'' was able to reach the 1 million subscriber milestone within three months of its launch.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gutelle|first=Sam|url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2014/04/17/youtube-millionaires-nation-steve-woolf-zadi-diaz/|title=YouTube Millionaires: YouTube Nation Finds The Best Videos On The Net|work=[[Tubefilter]]|date=April 17, 2014|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=July 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708232527/http://www.tubefilter.com/2014/04/17/youtube-millionaires-nation-steve-woolf-zadi-diaz/|url-status=live}}</ref> The series was nominated for the fourth annual [[Streamy Award]] under Best News and Current Events but lost to ''[[SourceFed]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.streamys.org/nominees-winners/4th-annual-nominees-winners/|title=4th Annual Streamy Awards Nominees|publisher=[[Streamy Awards]]|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=September 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924123852/http://www.streamys.org/nominees-winners/4th-annual-nominees-winners/|url-status=live}}</ref> After 350 episodes, the series aired its last episode on December 5, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|last=Spangler|first=Todd|url=https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/dreamworks-animation-youtube-pull-plug-on-youtube-nation-show-1201370036/|title=DreamWorks Animation, YouTube Pull Plug on 'YouTube Nation' Show|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=December 4, 2014|access-date=January 9, 2015|archive-date=June 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617190130/https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/dreamworks-animation-youtube-pull-plug-on-youtube-nation-show-1201370036/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== ''Hello 2021'' ===
{{Main|Hello 2021}}

On December 10, 2020, YouTube announced that [[Fremantle (company)|Fremantle]] would produce ''[[Hello 2021]]''—a series of five localized [[New Year's Eve]] countdown specials that will celebrate notable videos of the year, and feature other guest appearances and performances. There will be separate specials for [[Japan]], [[South Korea]], [[India]], the [[United Kingdom|UK]], and [[Americas|the Americas]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Del Rosario|first=Alexandra|date=2020-12-10|title=Matthew McConaughey, RuPaul, Storm Reid & More To Ring In New Year With YouTube In 'Hello 2021' Global Celebration|url=https://deadline.com/2020/12/matthew-mcconaughey-rupaul-storm-reid-new-year-youtube-hello-2021-1234653416/|access-date=2020-12-10|website=Deadline|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-12-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201215210502/https://deadline.com/2020/12/matthew-mcconaughey-rupaul-storm-reid-new-year-youtube-hello-2021-1234653416/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== ''One Trillion Minecraft Views on YouTube and Counting'' ===
In December 2021, ''One Trillion Minecraft Views on YouTube and Counting'' was posted to commemorate the one trillion views of ''[[Minecraft]]''-related videos.<ref>{{cite web|last=Parrish|first=Ash|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/15/22838148/minecraft-1-trillion-views-youtube-mojang-microsoft|title=Minecraft crosses 1 trillion views on YouTube|work=[[The Verge]]|date=December 15, 2021|accessdate=June 10, 2024}}</ref> Featuring various ''Minecraft'' content creators, the video is a 3D animation based on the game.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hale|first=James|url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2021/12/15/youtube-minecraft-one-trillion-views/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215190855/https://www.tubefilter.com/2021/12/15/youtube-minecraft-one-trillion-views/|title=YouTube Celebrates 'Minecraft's' Trillionth View With Nods For Top Creators|work=[[Tubefilter]]|date=December 15, 2021|archive-date=December 15, 2021|accessdate=June 10, 2024}}</ref>

== Events ==

=== Themed week events ===
In May 2013, the ''Spotlight'' channel was being used to stream its [[YouTube Comedy Week|Comedy Week event]], produced by [[ChannelFlip]]. During the event, YouTube used its homepage to spotlight comedy videos made specifically for the event.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Rothman|first=Lily|url=https://entertainment.time.com/2013/05/20/youtube-bets-big-on-laughs-with-its-first-ever-comedy-week/|title=YouTube Bets Big on Laughs with Its First-Ever "Comedy Week"|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=May 20, 2013|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=June 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605010243/http://entertainment.time.com/2013/05/20/youtube-bets-big-on-laughs-with-its-first-ever-comedy-week/|url-status=live}}</ref> The video of the 2-hour kickoff event has earned 1.06 million views as of September 2014.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z3cI0NnKN0|title=The Big Live Comedy Show - YouTube Comedy Week|publisher=[[YouTube]]|date=May 19, 2013|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609215944/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z3cI0NnKN0|url-status=live}}</ref> The event was met with mixed critical reception, with the particular mixture of [[new media|new]] and [[old media|traditional]] media personalities, as well as technical difficulties being specifically scrutinized.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gutelle|first=Sam|url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2013/05/20/youtube-big-live-comedy-show-fail/|title=Six Reasons Why YouTube's 'Big Live Comedy Show' Didn't Work|work=[[Tubefilter]]|date=May 20, 2013|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=April 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424072403/https://www.tubefilter.com/2013/05/20/youtube-big-live-comedy-show-fail/|url-status=live}}</ref> The event was the first of its kind about being streamed by YouTube. Although it was marketed as the first annual Comedy Week event, there have been no announcements regarding a follow-up Comedy Week event.

On August 4, 2013, YouTube launched "Geek Week", which was kicked off by [[Freddie Wong]] in the United States, and [[TomSka]] in the United Kingdom.<ref name=ytgeekweek>{{cite web|url=https://youtube.googleblog.com/2013/07/youtube-geekweek-2013.html|title=YouTube geeks out with first-ever Geek Week: August 4-10, 2013|work=YouTube Official Blog|publisher=[[Blogspot]]|date=July 24, 2013|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=March 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330043229/https://youtube.googleblog.com/2013/07/youtube-geekweek-2013.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Gutelle|first=Sam|url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2013/07/24/youtube-geek-week-teaser/|title=Geek Week Officially Coming August 4th As YouTube Releases Teaser|work=[[Tubefilter]]|date=July 24, 2013|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=July 19, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719065621/http://www.tubefilter.com/2013/07/24/youtube-geek-week-teaser/|url-status=live}}</ref> The week was composed of themed days, which included Blockbuster Sunday, Global Geekery Monday, Brainiac Tuesday, Super Wednesday, Gaming Thursday, and Fan Friday.<ref name=ytgeekweek/> The event was launched in conjunction with [[Nerdist Industries|Nerdist]] in the US, and ChannelFlip in the UK.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cohen|first=Matt|url=http://www.nerdist.com/2013/07/youtube-launches-geek-week/|title=YouTube Launches "Geek Week"|publisher=[[Nerdist]]|date=July 24, 2013|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=April 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429004959/http://www.nerdist.com/2013/07/youtube-launches-geek-week/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Schroeder|first=Stan|url=https://mashable.com/2013/07/24/youtube-geek-week/|title=YouTube Announces Geek Week, Starting Aug. 4|work=[[Mashable]]|date=July 24, 2013|access-date=September 20, 2013|archive-date=October 9, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009221945/http://mashable.com/2013/07/24/youtube-geek-week/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== #ProudToLove ===
During the 2013 [[Gay pride#LGBT Pride Month|LGBT Pride Month]], the channel was used to bring light to LGBT and LGBT pride-related information and videos.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rudolph|first=Christopher|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/27/youtube-proud-to-love_n_3511805.html|title=YouTube Celebrates Gay Pride With 'Proud To Love' (VIDEO)|work=[[HuffPost|Huffington Post]]|date=June 27, 2013|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=March 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311081158/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/27/youtube-proud-to-love_n_3511805.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Google]], which owns YouTube, has been said by [[TechCrunch]] to be "a huge proponent of gay rights".<ref>{{cite web|last=Crook|first=Jordan|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/06/27/youtube-celebrates-pride-with-proudtolove-spotlight-channel/|title=YouTube Celebrates Pride With #ProudToLove Spotlight Channel|publisher=[[TechCrunch]]|date=June 27, 2013|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=June 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190628104157/https://techcrunch.com/2013/06/27/youtube-celebrates-pride-with-proudtolove-spotlight-channel/|url-status=live}}</ref> An article on the Official YouTube Blog was attached to the event.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://youtube.googleblog.com/2013/06/were-proudtolove-lgbt-community-on.html|title=We're #ProudToLove the LGBT community on YouTube|work=YouTube Official Blog|publisher=[[Blogspot]]|date=June 27, 2013|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=April 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415061700/https://youtube.googleblog.com/2013/06/were-proudtolove-lgbt-community-on.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== YouTube Music Awards ===
{{Main|YouTube Music Awards}}

In November 2013, YouTube launched its first [[YouTube Music Awards|YT Music Awards presentation]]. Announcing its nominations in the previous month, the award show aimed to create traffic through its social media voting format.<ref>{{cite web|last=Spangler|first=Todd|url=https://variety.com/2013/digital/news/youtube-music-awards-nominees-announced-1200749352/|title=YouTube Music Awards Nominees Announced|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=October 21, 2013|access-date=September 20, 2013|archive-date=July 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701181852/http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/youtube-music-awards-nominees-announced-1200749352/|url-status=live}}</ref> The event was streamed onto the ''Spotlight'' channel, and has earned over 4.5 million views as of September 2014.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXBPbnv1H-U|title=The First-Ever YouTube Music Awards (YTMA)|publisher=[[YouTube]]|date=November 5, 2013|access-date=September 20, 2013|archive-date=June 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618152409/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXBPbnv1H-U|url-status=live}}</ref> The event's technical difficulties and its plethora of nominations for mainstream artists, rather than [[YouTube]] artists, were at the center of overall mixed critical reception.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gelt|first=Jessica|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-youtube-music-awards-eminem-wins-artist-of-the-year-20131103-story.html|title=YouTube Music Awards: Eminem wins Artist of the Year ... wait, what?|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=November 3, 2013|access-date=September 20, 2013|archive-date=March 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311020437/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-youtube-music-awards-eminem-wins-artist-of-the-year-20131103,0,7513928.story|url-status=live}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{YouTube|u=YouTube|link=no}}
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| years = 2013-2013
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{{Succession box
| title = Most Subscribed Channel on YouTube
| years = 2013-2013
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[[Category:Number-one YouTube channels in subscribers]]
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[[Category:YouTube channels launched in 2005]]