BTS, BLACKPINK, NCT Dream, Seventeen and GOT7’s BamBam topped the celebrity category of the 2021 Korea Power YouTuber 100 list.
Forbes Korea revealed the list, stating that as media shifts from TV to YouTube, many celebrities are focusing on YouTube activities.
Based on a survey in Korea, YouTube emerged as a popular media with six out of 10 Koreans watching YouTube instead of TV.
Because of their popularity, celebrities gain an overwhelming number of subscribers faster than pure video creators, according to Forbes.
It added that because of Hallyu, or Korean Wave, foreign fans have flocked to celebrities’ official and personal channels, increasing the number of views explosively.
Based on estimated annual income from YouTube, BTS’ Bangtan TV is the No. 1 Korean celebrity channel. Forbes Korea estimated that the channel’s annual income is 19.09 billion won ($16.42 million). As of July, Bangtan TV had 52.7 million subscribers with a total views of 10.9 billion.
BLACKPINK grabbed second place with their official YouTube channel earning an estimated 13.48 billion won ($11.6 million). Their YouTube channel has 62.5 million subscribers with total views of 10.9 billion.
The top 20 in Forbes Korea’s 2021 Korea Power YouTuber 100 celebrity category (based on Social Blade data) are:
- BTS’ Bangtan TV - 19.09 billion won ($16.42 million)
- BLACKPINK’s official channel - 13.48 billion won ($11.6 million)
- NCT Dream - 2.171 billion won ($1.86 million)
- Seventeen - 1.92 billion won ($1.65 million)
- GOT7’s BamBam Space - 1.6872 billion won ($1.45 million)
- Mamamoo - 1.6871 billion won ($1.45 million)
- EXO - 1.685 billion won ($1.45 million)
- IU Official - 1.56 billion won ($1.34 million)
- aespa - 1.46 billion won ($1.25 million)
- TXT - 1.1456 billion won ($986,000)
- Ssoyoung (Ahn So-young) - 1.1432 billion won ($984,000)
- Psik Univ - 1.1426 billion won ($983,431)
- Red Velvet - 781.96 million won ($673,030)
- Loona The World - 781.68 million won ($672,789)
- Baek Jong-won (Paik’s Cuisine) - 561.84 million won ($483,573)
- NCT Daily - 514.4 million won ($442,742)
- Hong Jin-kyung - 427 million won ($367,517)
- Kim Jong-kook - 426.4 million won ($366,966)
- Akdong Musician - 374.01 million won ($321,878)
- NCT - 363.75 million won ($313,048)