James R | On 29, Apr 2015

YouTube has made several deals with its top creators to fund new original series and films.

The streaming service has long placed an emphasis on encouraging its creators to create more, introducing YouTube Spaces with free facilities for channels with over 5,000 subscribers. Now, though, YouTube is facing growing competition from other sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. With subscription service Vessel also contacting YouTube stars with promises of generating them more money, YouTube is responding by reinforcing the bonds it does has: the site has now partnered up with four creators to bring their new content to life.

Since launching their first YouTube channel in 2007, the Fine Brothers’ channels have amassed over 17 million subscribers and over 3 billion views, as well as earning a Daytime Emmy. YouTube is now working in partnership with Mandeville Films to produce a new scripted comedy series that takes a satirical look at the world of singing competition shows.

For six years, Prank vs. Prank have waged a prank war on each other in front of an audience of nearly 14 million subscribers and generated nearly 3 billion views on their two channels. Their new series will see “celebrity guests” join Jesse and Jeana to pull off their most ambitious pranks yet.

YouTube veterans Smosh have over 35 million subscribers across their channels, with comedy sketches that have generated over 7 billion views. In their new series, Ian and Anthony will work at a theme restaurant where out-of-control kids and crazy parents are all in a day’s work.

Joey Graceffa has a following of over 5 million subscribers, 600 million views and earned two Teen Choice nominations. Now, he will team up with other YouTubers to create an “all-new murder mystery reality series”.

While the phrase “murder mystery reality series” is enough to catch anyone’s attention, though, YouTube is thinking bigger: it will also step into the movie business, producing several feature-length films with major channel AwesomenessTV.

The films, which will be released over the next two years, will all star YouTubers and will premiere globally on the site, before becoming available online elsewhere: a move that Alex Carloss, Head of YouTube Originals, says will establish “a new distribution paradigm for years to come”.

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