Case studies

Case studies

From comedians to gamers to beauty vloggers, YouTubers have generally built their 

followings outside of the control of media giants, even if they are signing big deals with 

those companies. And there is power and independence in having that huge fan base.

To get a closer look into which stars rule YouTube, we looked at the SocialBlade rankings to 

see who had the most subscribers.

1. Epic Rap Battles (ERB) — 14.2 million subscribers

Epic Rap Battles of History is one of the most successful YouTube series of all time. What 

started as a live improv skit by two friends has become an online sensation. The premise is 

simple: Founders Peter Shukoff (NicePeter) and Lloyd Ahlquist (EpicLloyd) pick two 

figures from history or pop culture and imagine what it would be like if they faced off in a 

rap battle. The videos are highly entertaining, with characters as varied as Darth Vader, 

Adolf Hitler, Abraham Lincoln, and Chuck Norris verbally battling one another in full 

costume.

2. Jacksepticeye — 14.8 million subscribers

Seán William McLoughlin is a 27-year-old Irish game-based YouTube star who initially 

came to fame when PewDiePie mentioned him in a video in 2013. Jacksepticeye calls 

himself the "most energetic video-game commentator on YouTube" and has trademark 

bright green hair.

3. Fine Brother (FBE) — 15 million subscribers

Brooklyn natives Benny and Rafi Fine are two online producer/writer/directors who 

created the extremely successful React video series. In React's various iterations (Kids 

React, Teens React, Elders React, and YouTubers React), TheFineBros show viral videos to 

subjects and film their reactions. Many consider TheFineBros to be two of the first YouTube 

stars, but they now have a full-service production company that spans movies and TV as

well. In 2016, they were involved in a controversy over trying to copyright the "react" 

video form, which drew widespread backlash and led to a campaign to unsubscribe from 

the duo's channel.

4. Dude Perfect — 16.2 million subscribers

"Dude Perfect" is a channel from twins Cory and Coby Cotton and three other "best 

buddies" from Texas A&M, all former high school basketball players. They do sports tricks 

and comedy, some of which makes fun of sports stereotypes.

5. Markiplier — 16.8 million subscribers

Mark Fischbach, better known as Markiplier, is a YouTuber focused on gaming. He has an 

energetic style that involves a bit of swearing and a lot of emotion. Fischbach has ambitions 

beyond YouTube, as well.

"I want to push myself into music and acting — more traditional media stuff," he told 

Variety last year. "If someone wants to make a movie and have me in it, I want to make sure 

I have the skill set to do it properly."

6. Yuya — 17.8 million subscribers

Yuya is a 23-year-old Mexican beauty vlogger. She posts makeup, hair, and other beauty 

tutorials, and even has a secondary channel where she talks about her day-to-day life 

outside of her tutorials. Many of the videos on her secondary channel star her brother 

Sergio. Yuya's beauty-tutorial channel has brought her so much fame that she's been 

featured in Vogue and on Mexican television.