If you’re just now checking out YouTube, the sheer volume of content can seem overwhelming, and it can be hard to choose what to watch first.
But looking at subscriber numbers for the streaming site’s channels can actually be helpful in refining your options. Sometimes, high-quality content and entertaining videos can be found on channels that have millions of subscribers.
Just curious about all the hype surrounding the popular streaming site’s content? We can help satisfy that curiosity a bit with our list of the 10 most-subscribed-to channels currently on YouTube. We’ll also discuss what to expect in terms of the kind of content featured on each channel.
From YouTube’s own themed channels to DIY projects to children’s programming and more, here are the 10 most-subscribed-to YouTube channels to date.
| YouTube channel | Number of subscribers |
| 5-Minute Crafts | 69.7 million |
| Kids Diana Show | 69.8 million |
| Sports | 74.9 million |
| Gaming | 87.1 million |
| SET India | 89 million |
| Cocomelon — Nursery Rhymes | 98.9 million |
| PewDiePie | 108 million |
| Music | 113 million |
| YouTube Movies | 128 million |
| T-Series | 162 million |
10. 5-Minute Crafts (69.7 million subscribers)
Launched less than four years ago, 5-Minute Crafts quickly surpassed some of the most popular YouTube channels. It now has over 69 million subscribers consuming an extensive video library.
The 5-Minute Crafts channel offers something for everyone, including “20 bathroom hacks to make your life easier” and “35 unbelievable cooking hacks.”
Kids Diana Show is essentially a children’s show hosted by a child named Diana. Diana’s videos often involve activities such as unboxing toys, vlogs, songs, playing with her brother Roma, and various educational topics. The channel first began on May 12, 2015, and has received over 45 billion views since then.
8. Sports (74.9 million subscribers)
The Sports channel on YouTube, like a few other channels on this list, merely aggregates content from other YouTube channels under a related theme. In this case, the Sports channel pulls sports-related videos ranging in content from news to highlights to live sporting events. This channel began on December 15, 2013, and according to the channel’s About section, it was “generated automatically by YouTube’s video discovery system.”
7. Gaming (87.1 million subscribers)
The Gaming channel appears to be another auto-generated channel by YouTube. In this case, the Gaming channel curates and pulls together gaming-related content from other YouTube channels. Such content includes live games, how-tos, and other trending gaming videos. According to Social Blade, this channel was created on December 15, 2013, just like the Sports channel.
6. SET India (89 million subscribers)
Moving to the No. 6 slot is Sony Entertainment Television India, a 24-hour, Hindi-specific channel with 86 million subscribers. SET India launched as a station in 1995 and entered the YouTube space in 2005.
This channel originally played top-10 artists like Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. Now, it has a library of thousands of videos, including comedy specials like The Kapil Sharma Show and police dramas like Crime Patrol.
Cocomelon — Nursery Rhymes is a channel focused almost entirely on classic children’s nursery rhymes and original songs set to 3D animation.
Originally called ABCkidTV, Cocomelon is one of the longest-running top channels on YouTube. It published its first video in September 2006, and while it experienced steady growth over the years, its popularity exploded in 2017. That’s when it began garnering more than 100,000 new subscribers a month.
4. PewDiePie (108 million subscribers)
After a long time on top, PewDiePie is now only the fourth-most-subscribed-to YouTube channel, with 108 million subscribers. Viewers describe his content as goofy, obnoxious, and filled with profanity. He could also be considered quite a controversial figure.
Created in 2010 by Swedish comedian Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, the PewDiePie YouTube channel is best known for its Let’s Play videos and blogs, as well as Kjellberg’s following.
After dropping out of college to focus on creating content, PewDiePie surpassed 1 million subscribers just two years after his channel’s creation. Kjellberg’s influence on the social network has also had a positive effect on the sales of indie video games, particularly Goat Simulator and McPixel.
He maintained a feud with the now-most-subscribed-to channel, T-Series, throughout much of 2018. They stole the top position from each other multiple times, but Kjellberg eventually capitulated and has now fallen far enough behind that it would take something quite special for him to retake the top spot.
That said, his subscriber numbers are still strong. They remain at a steady 108 million subscribers in November.
3. Music (113 million subscribers)
This is yet another YouTube auto-generated channel that pulls and aggregates content from other channels under a theme. Here, you can find music videos, song playlists, and even live performances. This channel was created on September 24, 2013.
2. YouTube Movies (128 million subscribers)
This is less an aggregator for YouTube content and more of a hub for YouTube’s movie rental/purchase service. On this page, you can watch a variety of movies via renting, purchasing, or choosing to watch movies that are free with ads. You can also pay to watch television shows via this channel, including shows like Veep, Supernatural, and Seinfeld. According to Social Blade, this channel was created on June 10, 2015.
1. T-Series (162 million subscribers)
Finally, eclipsing the former longtime YouTube king is T-Series. It’s a popular Indian music channel with 162 million subscribers and more than 133 billion views since its beginning.
T-Series is best known for its Bollywood music soundtracks. It’s the most-subscribed-to Hindi-language and Indian YouTube channel. It’s also the first channel to reach 100 million subscribers.
Although the T-Series channel launched in 2006 (YouTube started in 2005), the T-Series company, which runs the channel, opened its doors in the 1980s. The company’s breakthrough came in 1990, with the film soundtrack album Aashiqui. The soundtrack sold more than 20 million units in India, making it the bestselling Bollywood album of all time.
Rankings are based on Social Blade findings as of November 2020 and subscription statistics listed on YouTube channels.
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