James R | On 08, Feb 2020

Justin Bieber: Seasons has broken YouTube records to become the most-watched YouTube original to date.

The docuseries, which premiered last month, sees the pop superstar pull back the curtain for the first time for a TV series to give fans an intimate look into the past few years of his life. From the joys of marriage to struggles through difficult periods, Justin opens up to reveal his biggest challenges as he gets back into the studio to record his first album since 2015.

The series premiered on 27th January on YouTube, with Premium subscribers getting early access to new episodes ad-free, or general viewers able to watch two new episodes weekly for free with ads. A week on and it has already broken a record with the most-viewed premiere in its first week of all YouTube’s originals to date.

Episode 1 had 32.65 million views in the first week, according to YouTube, topping the 25.4 million for the debut episode of Liza On Demand Season 2 and the first episode of Cobra Kai Season 2 (21 million).

Bieber, meanwhile, remains the most-followed music artist on the platform, surpassing 50 million subscribers to his channel.

The first four episodes of Seasons are now available to view for free on Bieber’s YouTube channel, with Episode 4 landing on Wednesday. YouTube Premium subscribers can access the first six episodes.

 

Trailer: YouTube announces new Justin Bieber documentary Seasons

3rd January 2020

YouTube is teaming up with Justin Bieber for Seasons, a new documentary following the musician.

For the very first time, the pop superstar will pull back the curtain for a TV series that gives fans an intimate look into the past few years of his life. From the joys of marriage to struggles through difficult periods, Justin opens up to reveal his biggest challenges as he gets back into the studio to record his first album since 2015.

Bieber first drew attention through YouTube after his mother began posting videos of his cover songs back in 2007. That was how Scooter Braun discovered the singer, who has gone on to amass 47.5 million subscribers on YouTube, making him the most popular artist on the video site.

“When I was getting started, YouTube provided me a platform and a community where I could share music, experiences and moments with my fans,” Bieber said in a statement. “It feels great to partner with YouTube for this original documentary series. I want my fans to be part of this journey.” 

Seasons marks YouTube’s continued push into music and unscripted programming for its YouTube Premium subscription service, from How to Be: Mark Ronson to its Lover’s Lounge special linked to the release of Taylor Swift’s music video for the single Lover. Indeed, YouTube’s pivot away from expensive drama to build upon its YouTube Music service echoes a wider trend to tap into the popularity of musical artists among viewers, with Peter Berg directing a Rihanna project for Amazon Prime Video and a Billie Eilish project in the works at Apple TV+, which also spent big last year to acquire an Ed Sheeran documentary. Netflix, meanwhile, has begun airing a new series following Japanese boy band ARASHI.

Justin Bieber: Seasons will premiere on 27th January on YouTube, with Premium subscribers getting early access to new episodes ad-free, or general viewers able to watch two new episodes weekly for free with ads.

Here’s the trailer for the series, which also features his new single, Yummy.

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