YouTube launches new Spotlight on Canada channel

Discovering new and buzz-worthy Canadian content on YouTube just got easier. Launching today,  YouTube Spotlight Canada channel will showcase Canada’s top stars in both French and English, alongside emerging Canadian talent.

Every month, YouTube Spotlight Canada will highlight the creators and the videos that have Canada clicking, watching and sharing. The channel will also feature themed playlists to help Canadians explore trending topics and news stories.

The inaugural edition of YouTube Spotlight Canada is a celebration of the best of the true north, strong and free. Canadians can meet the country’s favourite YouTubers, check out highlights from Canada 150 celebrations, re-live moments in Canadian history and dive into an incredible roster of indigenous music artists.

In addition to this new channel, YouTube is also launching its popular Creator on the Rise feature in Canada, starting on August 2, 2017. Creator on the Rise will identify Canadian creators who are growing rapidly and showcase their videos in the Trending tab on YouTube, helping them build an even bigger audience.

Canada’s YouTubers are part of a new generation of Canadian artists growing up online, and finding fans both at home and around the world. YouTube’s open model and global scale reduces the cost of getting content to international markets. As a result, 90% of views on Canadian channels come from outside of Canada, which is higher than any other country on the platform. By lowering barriers to entry, it’s become a powerful platform for creators in Canada to get their voice heard.

Interesting facts...

• YouTube has over 1.5 billion monthly logged-in users and every day people watch over a billion hours of video and generate billions of views.
• YouTube’s watchtime in Canada is up 30% over last year.
• In the past year, Canadian channels have seen their watchtime grow 45%.
• As Canadian creators build their international fanbase, watchtime for Canadian channels has grown 185% in India, and over 40% in the US, France and Australia.
• Globally, there are 75% more channels with 1M+ subscribers versus last year.
• YouTube saw a 65% increase in the number of Canadian channels that have more than 100K subscribers.
• Watchtime for Canadian broadcast TV channels on YouTube has grown by 400% over the last 3 years.

*Source: YouTube internal data, 2017