7 brands with killer YouTube channels

1. NBA (National Basketball Association)

Subscribers: 20.1 million

Best YouTube series: NBA Classic Games – over 500 classic NBA games including an old Christmas day matchup between Shaq and Kobe.

It doesn’t take much for NBA fans to watch play highlights, but the official NBA channel has them in droves. Everything from ‘Plays of the Night’, to ‘Duels’ and ‘Bloopers’ drench their channel with as much basketball as your dribbling heart desires.

2. Apple

Subscribers: 16.9 million

Best YouTube series: ‘Experiments shot on iPhone’ – shows the creative possibilities available on an iPhone with a little technology and a lot of imagination.

Apple’s YouTube channel runs the gamut from product highlights, brand ethos, user creative projects to Apple Music videos. Apple fans can spend all day immersing themselves in all things Apple in addition to following creative works by other users. A genius move on Apple’s part is including clips from their Apple TV+ series to entice users to subscribe.

3. Red Bull

Subscribers: 11.2 million

Best YouTube series: ‘Red Bull Backyards’ – extreme sport athletes taking viewers into their own backyards.

Red Bull is doing something very, very right, having amassed over 11 million subscribers to their main YouTube channel. But what’s most impressive is their lateral move to high-energy sports that cater to their energetic followers and energy drink users. They also offer live musical performances as well as Oracle Red Bull Racing, a channel dedicated to their Formula 1 racing team. All activities their followers love to see, do, and experience.

4. Barbie (Mattel)

Subscribers: 11.2 million

Best YouTube series: ‘Barbie Dream Team’ – compilation of user Barbie videos from across the internet.

Mattel has captured the essence of Barbie’s appeal by making her channel an entertainment smorgasbord of activities for youngsters. In a clever shot of marketing, Mattel has developed individual video series’ on several of their more popular products that target new Barbie users, up to older children with ‘My First Barbie’ and ‘Skipper and the Big Babysitting Adventure’. They’ve even compiled a Barbie Dream Team of child influencers who demonstrate Barbie products for viewers.

5. NFL (National Football League)

Subscribers: 11 million

Best YouTube series: ‘The NFL’s most interesting jobs with Steve Smith’ – Steve Smith takes fans behind the scenes of the National Football League with often hilarious takes on the people who make the league run.

What the NFL is doing right with their YouTube channel is everything. They not only bring fans behind the scenes with practices and interviews, but they manage to put personalities to the players and allow fans a chance to see the people behind the helmets. To add yet another layer, they incorporate gaming and football with their NFL Tuesday Night Gaming channel that lets players and gamers go head to head.

6. Google

Subscribers: 10.9 million

Best YouTube series: ‘How small businesses grow with Google’

Google has its act together, of course. Their YouTube channel takes users from the top Google searches of the year all the way to tips and tricks for using Google products. They even take viewers behind the scenes in a Hacking Google series. In their #WeArePlay series they cleverly promote Google Play by highlighting developers around the world who use Google Play to create new apps and games.

7. Chewy

Subscribers: 74,700

Best YouTube series: ‘A day in the life’ – a fascinating series taking viewers behind the scenes of the people providing care for animals.

Despite having only 74,700 subscribers, Chewy has taken care of its audience by providing tutorials, pet recipes, grooming, training, advice and How Tos for all things pet related. They even have a Vet Q&A series where veterinarians answer viewers’ questions. All and all a very comprehensive channel that caters to its viewers’ fur baby needs.

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