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| Ronaldo joined YouTube at a time when MrBeast was facing crisis. |
Cristiano Ronaldo introduced his personal YouTube channel on August 21. After only 90 minutes, he reached 1 million subscribers, received the golden button and broke the record of MrBeast – the YouTuber with the most subscribers in the world and known as the “king of YouTube”.
“MrBeast set a YouTube record for gaining over 20 million subscribers in 28 days. Cristiano Ronaldo broke that record in ONE day. Crazy!”, British TV presenter Piers Morgan wrote on X.
Ronaldo’s arrival comes at a time when MrBeast is in crisis . In fact, the rise of the world’s richest YouTuber has been controversial over the years, but things are at a peak right now.
Contestants of the Beast Games program – MrBeast collaborated with Amazon to produce – accused the producer of being unorganized, creating an unsafe working environment, and not providing enough food and medicine. MrBeast’s long-time partner – Ava Kris Tyson – was accused of inappropriate behavior with minors. Many of MrBeast’s inappropriate statements in the past are also being dug up and heavily criticized.
Growth rate slows down
MrBeast has not addressed the allegations in any of his YouTube videos. On August 17, he uploaded a video titled 7 Days Stranded In A Cave . As of August 24, the video had 3.3 million likes and 1.5 million dislikes.
Although YouTube has removed the ability to view dislikes on videos, some extensions on the Internet still allow users to view this metric.
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| MrBeast is no longer achieving the channel growth rate of 1-2 years ago. |
This is a much more negative ratio than MrBeast has ever had. His video 7 Days Stranded At Sea , uploaded on August 5, 2023, has 7.5 million likes and 89,000 dislikes.
According to social media analytics tracker Social Blade, MrBeast’s channel’s subscriber count has also dropped. While his YouTube channel has gained 6 million subscribers in the past 30 days, according to the site, the growth rate has dropped 66.7% in the same time frame.
The YouTube king’s video views have also dropped over the past month. As of August 24, the number was 2.038 billion, down 6.1% from normal.
Which way for MrBeast?
People like MrBeast operate in a space where admiration and scrutiny coexist, says Thomas Mustac, a senior partner at public relations firm OtterPR. Despite the controversy and pushback MrBeast has faced, Mustac believes the YouTuber’s brand has shown resilience.
“Although his channel subscriber growth has slowed, it shows that his loyal fan base is still active,” he said.
However, experts point out that a growing number of dislikes and negative attention could signal the beginning of a reputation crisis, if not handled effectively.
“As someone who is well versed in crisis management, how MrBeast responds in this situation will be key. Being transparent, addressing concerns directly, and making changes to its content or behavior can help minimize harm. Conversely, ignoring or mishandling these issues can make them worse,” said Mustac.
Given MrBeast’s influence, it’s possible that this criticism will die down like it has in the past. However, the cumulative effect of repeated controversies could erode his brand value. “Taking action now could reverse this trend and strengthen his relationship with his audience, leading to a more positive and hopeful future for MrBeast.”
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| Media experts say MrBeast needs to be transparent and try to handle the crisis to continue maintaining his position as the “king of YouTube”. |
Contrecia T. Tharpe, a strategist at marketing and branding firm FayeVaughn Creative, told Newsweek that while MrBeast is facing many challenges, that doesn’t mean the “king of YouTube”‘s empire is crumbling.
She explained that while MrBeast’s followers may react by leaving negative comments, disliking videos, and unfollowing the internet star, the fame he has built will not easily disappear.
“That brand doesn’t disappear overnight. However, MrBeast can’t just sit back and hope it goes away. He needs to confront these issues head-on and remind people why they’ve supported him all this time.”
To truly turn things around, MrBeast needs to be transparent about what’s going on, Ms. Tharpe said. Avoiding or downplaying the issue won’t work.
“By doubling down on the honesty and humanity that made him famous, he can begin to rebuild trust. It’s not just about damage control, it’s about reestablishing a connection with his audience and proving that he’s still the person they’ve trusted all along.”
Stephanie Alston, president of solutions company BGG Enterprises, agrees that MrBeast needs to prioritize transparency and accountability to turn things around. She says that while it may seem “invulnerable,” even the most influential creators can be affected by constant negative press and public scrutiny.
Negative news doesn’t cripple MrBeast’s platform immediately, but it can erode trust over time, Alston explained.
“For a character like MrBeast, public sentiment is important because his brand is built on intimacy and generosity. If the public perceives a discrepancy between his actions and the image he projects, it could be damaging,” she said.