How Do ‘YouTubers React’ To TV’s Growing Presence On YouTube?

In case you haven’t noticed, late night TV is becoming hugely popular on YouTube, with the likes of Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and John Oliver attracting millions of subscribers and billions of views. What does YouTube’s native community think about this influx of traditional media talent? That is the question The Fine Bros asked their guests on the latest episode of YouTubers React.

The 12 participating YouTube stars watched two videos from The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon: Fallon’s “Lip Sync Battle” with Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart, and his Saved By The Bell reunion video. Many of this episodes participants are in the 25-29 age range and were therefore more tickled by the latter video, which stirred up feelings of nostalgia.

The more interesting part of the video comes the YouTube stars state their feelings about the rise of TV content on YouTube. Most agree this trend is a good thing for the site’s creative community, since it brings more people to the platform. At the same time, they think it is wrong for people to brand someone like Jimmy Fallon as an online video trailblazer when YouTubers have been doing similar videos for years.

Ultimately, there is a place for both traditional and new media stars on YouTube, and most of the creators would like to bring these groups together. “I think there’s a place for [Jimmy Fallon] on YouTube,” says “Game Theorist” Matthew Patrick, who is one of the most knowledgeable people in the YouTube industry, “but do I also think there’s a place for creative, digital-first creators who found their start here? Yes. And I think homepage placement should be shared among both of us.”