Welcome to YouTube Millionaires, where we profile channels that have recently crossed the one million subscriber mark. There are channels crossing this threshold every week, and each has a story to tell about YouTube success. Read previous installments of YouTube Millionaires here.
ClevverTV has spent the past six years carving out a space as one of YouTube’s strongest authorities on pop culture and celebrity commentary. More than 9,000 videos after its launch, ClevverTV has now passed one million subscribers, and thanks to its network of associated channels, it commands a large influence on YouTube. We talked to ClevverTV executive producers Dana Ward and Joslyn Davis about their continued online video success.
Tubefilter: How does it feel to have one million subscribers? What do you have to say to ClevverTV fans?
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ClevverTV: It feels incredible to have reached this milestone! When we were getting close, we were constantly refreshing our channel page so that we could celebrate the exact moment we hit one million subscribers… and so we high fived and shouted “We did it!” It’s something that our entire team has been dedicated to accomplishing for several years, and it was truly a group effort that we can all celebrate together.
We are so thankful to the ClevverTV viewers for watching video after video and helping us surpass 1.3 billion video views. Our fans are so passionate about our positive, fun spin on entertainment news and have been rallying for us to reach the one million mark. Some of our subscribers have been with us since day one and share, tweet, and post support of our ClevverTV videos on a daily basis. This success is as much thanks to them as anyone else involved. We have some seriously dedicated fans — and it’s those super fans that have really helped us become the largest entertainment news network on YouTube. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
TF: How would you describe the typical ClevverTV viewer, and how do you cater content to that core group?
CTV: The ClevverTV viewer is an optimistic, fun person who loves pop culture. They want to be in the know on all things celebrity and entertainment. They’re cool, hip and super friendly – in fact, our viewers have become a part of the Clevver community, not only interacting with us, but with each other about the latest happenings in Hollywood. It’s pretty awesome to see our ClevverTV network extend beyond our YouTube channel. We love our viewers and it’s important for them to know that – so we regularly favorite and respond to Twitter posts from fans because we’re all on “Team Clevver” together.
TF: How does ClevverTV stand out from other YouTube channels oriented around pop culture?
CTV: ClevverTV launched in March 2008, which, in the digital space, seems like a lifetime. We’ve really helped develop the short-form style that works specifically for the platform. We also pride ourselves on our dedication to positivity. We strive to bring our viewers all the big Hollywood stories, but with a positive spin. It’s been encouraging and interesting to see that there is in fact a strong desire for entertainment and entertainment news that is not snarky, salacious or negative.
We are also dedicated to keeping our audience involved in the content. Whether by having them submit comments for Fashion Faceoff or Clevver Breakdown, submit interview questions for their favorite celebrity, or by simply responding to what they want Clevver to cover, we always listen to what the audience wants and we take inspiration from their feedback.
TF: It seems like ClevverTV has developed a bigger focus on spotlighting the YouTube community since its launch. Why would you say this is?
CTV: YouTube is all about collaboration, and as the channel evolves, we are thinking outside of the traditional entertainment news sphere. We love to spotlight the other content creators on YouTube – and our doors are always open to fellow YouTubers. For example, we’ve seen a lot of success in our Off The Charts acoustic performance series featuring YouTube’s top musicians as well as our annual VidCon interviews.
We’ll also be launching a new show with Kingsley which we are really excited about. ClevverTV is becoming less of a strictly news destination and more of an entertainment/pop culture destination.
TF: On a similar note, what factors influenced the decision to showcase a number of individual web series rather than the “news desk” format that characterized ClevverTV’s early years?
CTV: The move towards showcasing individual, on-going series has really been about producing premium content that covers a variety of topics within the entertainment landscape. Consistency is key when it comes to programming, and our community appreciates knowing when to expect a certain type of content.
We explore a variety of formats – for example, viewers can learn the latest dance moves from Justin Bieber’s new music video along with our team of professionals with Clevver Breakdown, or they can participate in a bracket-style Fashion Faceoff series. The content is diverse, but it’s all pop-culture centric. Our dedication to entertainment news remains stronger than ever and all of our news coverage appears on ClevverNews, ClevverMovies, and ClevverMusic.
TF: How does the ClevverTV team choose which movie trailers and clips to feature on the channel?
CTV: Content-wise, after more than six years of producing shows for our (now more than 1 million!) subscribers as well as daily interaction with fans across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and other social media platforms, we really understand and connect with our viewers. We know the movies and TV shows that they love to watch, so we do selectively choose the most fitting trailers and clips for our viewers. The Twilight & Harry Potter franchises were both a huge hit with ClevverTV fans, and all things The Hunger Games, Pretty Little Liars and The Vampire Diaries are now on the hot list for our channel as well.
From a programming perspective, we try to be strategic about how and where we post. Typically the only trailers and movie clips that appear on ClevverTV now are exclusives to the channel that we can cross promote across the network of Clevver channels and sometimes across other DEFY Media properties.
TF: Has the content on ClevverTV changed in any perceptible way since Alloy Digital’s merger with Break Media?
CTV: The Alloy Digital merger with Break Media has been a very exciting time for all involved properties. As a larger company, DEFY Media has so many resources at hand, and ultimately we’re really bringing together the best of both worlds in different parts of the digital space. Simply stated, we have added value in a variety of ways, including experienced leadership, more resources, added promotional opportunities, extended talent and collaboration opportunities, and there’s no denying the powerhouse number of views our owned-and-operated properties continue to rack up on a daily basis.
This is an exciting time to be in digital… and specifically to be at DEFY Media.
TF: There are now a number of channels under the Clevver banner. What, if anything, would you say unites the network’s various offerings?
CTV: We have an amazing Clevver network that allows us to promote content from a specific channel to the varied audiences of our other properties. It’s an excellent strategy for the company as a whole, but also great for publicists (from talent, studios, labels etc.) who love being able to capitalize on our promotional ability. Clevver has so many active verticals beyond ClevverTV, which is beneficial to viewers and advertisers.
TF: What’s next for ClevverTV? Any fun plans?
CTV: We have some really cool new series in the works featuring some standout YouTube talents like Kingsley, but I’m pretty sure that’s all we can say! So just join the 1 million ClevverTV subscribers so you can stay posted to our new programming. More to come!
On Deck (channels that will soon reach one million subscribers): Meghan Rosette, ZexyZek, Lilith Moon
