The Reigning King of YouTube Has a New Way to Keep Track of Your Favorite Creators
The top YouTuber in the U.S., MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) has co-founded a revolutionary analytics platform called ViewStats. Now available in beta, ViewStats goes beyond basic information and utilizes the YouTube API to reveal comprehensive stats about channels that creators and fans alike can access.
MrBeast’s success as one of the highest-earning creators of all time was not by chance. Known for his attention to detail, he even A/B tested his video thumbnails to see which performed better – those with an open mouth or a closed one (apparently, closed mouth thumbnails come out on top). So, when he deems certain metrics as crucial for an analytics platform, you know they hold weight.
Founded together with fellow creator Chucky Appleby, ViewStats sets itself apart with its star power. While celebrity-backed startups can be hit or miss, in this case, the star power should not be underestimated. I personally witnessed the frenzy surrounding MrBeast’s panel at VidCon, where he shared his insights on understanding the YouTube algorithm. The seats filled up quickly and many were turned away at the door, to the point where VidCon could have allocated him a room twice the size and still had an overflow line – every type of creator wanted to hear what the algorithm king had to say.
Appleby announced the beta release of ViewStats with great excitement on Twitter:
Very excited to announce @viewstats is in beta –
https://viewstats.com/beta is a website and Chrome extension that gives you channel & video data on millions of YouTube channels with features like:
- Thumbnail A/B tests
- Long vs Shorts views
- Estimated 1/10 Rankings
Similar to Socialblade, ViewStats provides basic information such as subscriber numbers, estimated monthly ad revenue, and video views, highlighting how these figures have changed over a specific time period. The platform also offers a Chrome extension. Appleby revealed that they plan to introduce additional tools in the future, including thumbnail analytics. It’s not yet clear how ViewStats will generate revenue, but Socialblade does so by restricting access to more advanced analytics behind a paywall.
According to TubeFilter, ViewStats operates as a separate entity from MrBeast, LLC. Both MrBeast and Appleby, who serves as CEO, have personally invested in the venture.
