After revamping its app in March with so-called ‘Auto-Advance Stories’, in which clips now play in an unceasing sequence, Snapchat is reportedly considering adding an algorithm into the mix. While the decision to move from a chronological display to an algorithmic one based on users’ projected preferences has been a common eventuality for major social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, it is one that is often met with much user consternation.
Snapchat is currently developing an algorithm that would curate the order in which users see Stories from the publishers and brands that they follow, according to Digiday. Development started at the beginning of this year, the outlet reports, though it is unknown when such a change might go into effect.
In addition to friends and family members, users can also follow the accounts of their favorite publishers and brands on Snapchat, and it is precisely these professional accounts that the algorithm would impact, according to Digiday. At the same time, Snapchat is rumored to be considering offering promoted account ads, which would let brands pay for visibility within users’ feeds.
It is unclear what kind of impact any of these changes would have on Snapchat’s Discover page, where content created by a select group of publishers like Comedy Central, The Wall Street Journal, and Refinery29is offered up daily. Snapchat says it has 10 billion video views every day and 100 million daily active Snapchatters — the majority of whom are between the ages of 13 and 34.
News of impending algorithms are often met with overwhelming panic by a platform’s user base, which usually subsides rather quickly. Most recently, right before Instagram’s algorithm was slated to go live in March, the #TurnMeOn hashtag was born, whereby creators begged their followers to switch on notifications so that future posts wouldn’t get lost in the fray. It also spawned a petition on Change.org that garnered more than 300,000 signatures.
If YouTube has given rise to a new breed of celebrity in which the line between content creation and reality tends to blur, over time, that dynamic can become a toxic strain on real-life relationships.
After establishing one of YouTube’s most beloved prank channels in 2009, PrankvsPrank co-creators and longtime couple Jeana Smith and Jesse Wellens — who also operate an immensely popular daily vlogging channel called BFvsGF— have announced that they are taking a break.
In what they call one of the hardest videos they’ve ever had to film, the couple say that although vlogging might’ve made it appear like their lives were perfect, they’ve had issues for quite some time. “When it gets to a point where it starts to feel like a job, and you’re not doing things because you love the person, you’re doing them for a vlog, that puts a huge burden on the relationship,” says Wellens, 33. As a result, the couple is going to stop daily vlogging for the foreseeable future, and they are also going to take a break from their flagship channel and one another. “I know a lot of you guys are going to be mad at us,” Wellens says. “At this point I don’t care, I just need to be sane.”
However, they are both still passionate about YouTube and will continue making videos down the road — even together — though with projects that are less intertwined with their personal lives. Their PrankvsPrank and BFvsGF channels count roughly 10 million and 9 million subscribers respectively, and have also given rise to the YouTube Red series Prank Academy.
“If you do care at all about BFvsGF, Jesse and Jeana, if you love us, just give us support in whatever comes,” says Smith, 33. “That’s all I can ask.” And if she could give advice to any couple starting out on YouTube, Smith has this to offer: “Don’t make daily videos. It’s not healthy, it’s not good for your relationship.”
[Editor’s Note: Tubefilter Charts is a new weekly rankings column from Tubefilter with data provided by OpenSlate. It’s exactly what it sounds like; a top number ranking of YouTube channels based on statistics collected within a given timeframe. You can check out all of our Tubefilter Charts – with new installments every week – right here.]
Scroll down for the Tubefilter Chart.
It’s another installment of the Top 100 Most Subscribed YouTube Channels Worldwide and there’s a new face in the #1 spot.
Chart Toppers
Justin Bieber is still adding to his massive YouTube subscriber base an incredible clip, but it’s not longer the fastest rate among other channels on the platform. The Bieb’s added more than 744,000 new subscribers to his channel in the 30 days of April, which was good enough for the #4 spot on the chart. Replacing him at #1 is Fernanfloo. The 22-year-old El Salvadorian gamer’s channel jumped up 41% in its subscriber acquisition rate to add over 1.04 million new subscribers on the month.
In a distant second place is What’s Inside?. The YouTube channel that’s a video version of your elementary-school curiosity closed out the month with more than 846,000 new subscribers. In a not-close-at-all third place is Rihanna. The only video library of the 28-year-old Barbadian pop star is still doing some good “Work” on the charts, having amassed more than 751,000 subscribers during the month.
And rounding out the Top 5 is LeafyIsHere. The top US-based gaming channel on the chart was up 57% in its subscriber acquisition rate to top out at over 721,000 new subscribers in the month.
Top Gainers
The honor of one of our our Top Gainers this month goes to The Backyard Scientist.
In a month where a number of channels had incredible increases in sub counts (check out What’s Inside? and Mark Rober on the chart as shining examples), we’re shouting out The Backyard Scientist because of its numbers and the fact this is the channel’s first appearance on any chart.
The self-proclaimed “mad scientist” from Florida who likes to make videos “from exploding arrows, to making instruments, molten aluminum to science/chemistry experiments” had a fantastic month on YouTube thanks to a collaboration with the aforementioned Mark Rober, a high speed camera, and Oobleck. Backyard Scientist and Rober subject the non-Newtonian substance to a series of tests and capture it all at a LOT of frames per second. The resulting video quickly amassed an eight-figure view count and singlehandedly helped The Backyard Scientist channel to a 323% month-over-month increase in subscribers, more than 570,00 new subscribers in the month, and the #10 spot on the worldwide chart.
Channel Distribution
The Top 100 Most Subscribed YouTube channels in the month amassed in aggregate a total of 37,300,893 new subscribers. Here’s a look at the distribution of a few of those channels broken down by the most-represented YouTube Multi-Channel Networks on the chart:
Maker Studios: 16 channels in the Top 100 Most Subscribed, with PewDiePie at #8.
VEVO: 11 channelsin the Top 100 Most Subscribed, with Rihanna at #3.
BroadbandTV: 8 channels in the Top 100, with Fernanfloo at #1.
Studio71: 6 channels in the Top 100, with The Backyard Scientist at #10.
Fullscreen: 5 channels in the Top 100, with whinderssonnunes at #7.
Machinima: 3 channels in the Top 100, with JuegaGerman at #6.
Divimove, XMediaDigital: 2 channels each in the Top 100, with Divimove’s elrubiusOMG at #11 and XMediaDigital’s Get Movies at #47.
And here’s a look into the distribution of the this month’s Top 100 by country of origin:
The United States: 39 channels in the Top 100.
Brazil: 12 channels each in the Top 100.
Great Britain: 11 channels in the Top 100.
Spain: 7 channels in the Top 100.
Canada, Netherlands: 4 channels each in the Top 100.
Chile, India, Russia: 3 channels each in the Top 100.
Ukraine: 2 channels in the Top 100.
Argentina, Australia, Colombia, El Salvador, Ireland, Kuwait, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Sweden:1 channel each in the Top 100.
OpenSlate is a video content analytics platform that tracks more than 800,000 YouTube video channels and measures their ability to attract, engage and influence an audience. By providing one consistent measure of quality – the SlateScore™ – OpenSlate helps marketers, producers and agencies hone their online video marketing strategy.
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.
This installment of YouTube Millionaires is brought to you by Epoxy.
Tyler Pappas‘ trajectory to YouTube stardom can perhaps be traced back to a preadolescent affinity for a Japanese manga series about gaming. It was by way of Yu-Gi-Oh that the now-24-year-old first found himself to be a part of an online community and came up with the name that would eventually become the banner under which he’d amass an amazing YouTube audience. Logdotzip was conceived way back in 2006, but Pappas didn’t start posting videos to the channel until 2007. In the year’s since, he’s upped his game, embarking on an ambitious two-videos-per-day schedule with uploads showcasing a range of programming rarely seen in the gaming community.
Logdotzip recently passed one million YouTube subscribers. We caught up with him to talk about the milestone and his video-making career.
Tubefilter: How does it feel to have one million subscribers? What do you have to say to the channel’s fans?
Tyler Pappas: It feels surreal, it feels amazing. It feels like an out of reach dream of mine that finally came true. This is something I thought about almost ten years ago when I first made my YouTube channel, and this dream was only realized because one million other people, for one reason or another, decided it was a good idea to allow me a chunk of their spare time. I am forever in debt to all my subscribers and viewers, my life trajectory has changed completely because of you all. You guys are the best thing in my life.
TF: Where does your username come from?
TP: Oh man, this one has some serious backstory! When I was 10 or 11 I wanted to join an online Yu-Gi-Oh forum, and the forum owner’s username was LordObelisk, after the Yu-Gi-Oh card “Obelisk The Tormentor.” Obelisk was one of three “God Cards” of the show and card game. I thought his name was so cool, so I made my username LordOfGods, and I kept it for a while. I soon realized that there was no way for people to know I was talking about Yu-Gi-Oh, so I shortened LordofGods to LoG so that people wouldn’t be offended. FINALLY, there was a trend to add “.zip” to the end of your forum display name, so my name became LoG.zip, which is now “Logdotzip”. THE ONLY CAPITAL IS THE L!
TF:What makes your channel special, particularly when compared to all the other gaming channels on YouTube?
TP: I think the fact that there can be an appeal for my across various different ages. I have a very wide spread when it comes to the age of my viewers. Apart from my very first handful of videos, my online content features zero swearing and no suggestive material, which makes it extremely accessible and easy for a parent to feel comfortable with their child watching. YouTube is the new TV and a voluntary content filter can be very key. However, I would not say that means my videos are only for younger children. I believe it’s entirely possible to be fun, engaging, and entertaining without having to resort to swearing or mature themes. Accessibility is key.
TF: Are there video types that you feel have worked particularly well for you? Have any of them underperformed?
TP: Two types of videos of mine stand out above the others, the first type being my roleplay / machinima videos, and the other type are my “infotainment” style videos, where I teach or inform the viewer about things that would actually interest them. Those videos usually require a higher production time, so they do not go live as often as my simple gameplay videos, which you could say are the bread and butter of my channel.
Player-vs-Player videos are not my strong point. I can kill computer mobs all day, but when it comes to real people in Minecraft, get me out!
TF: You also make a LOT of different kinds of Minecraft videos. Why the diversity?
TP: I always want my video’s theme to be the undertone of the video. I try to make myself the reason someone comes and stays, and ideally, the reason they come back. My videos are personality driven, where the video’s content isn’t the full focus. I think it’s super important to have a connection with your subscribers where they like YOU, and not just what you bring to their subscription feed.
That said, the fact that I have so many different types of Minecraft videos, allows me to reach enthusiasts from all different areas of interest in the Minecraft community. The game is so sandbox-like in nature with what you can do with it that it’s important to be seen in as many of those niche places as you can.
(Side note for the newbies: There are endless sub-types of Minecraft videos, whether it’s parkour, puzzle, roleplay, adventure, survival, news, redstone, list-based, machinima, etc.)
TF:What is your favorite thing about the gaming community on YouTube?
TP: That it even exists!
I grew up on SNES, Nintendo 64, and PlayStation 2. As far as 10 year old me knew, the gaming community consisted of whoever was home from school and could come over to play Super Smash Bros. I got my first home computer when I was 12, and oh man, all these online strategy guide websites, cheat code websites, video game communities, ONLINE GAMES. Ugh. It was like my life had just begun. Now it’s turned into arguably the biggest community on YouTube, possibly the internet, comprised of people from all different races, ages, genders, and walks of life, all with the common interest of just having a good time playing games!
TF: How do you decide when to do make personal vlogs? How do you find that balance between those vids and gaming vids?
TP: I do vlogs sporadically, often times I’ll do them if I’m out on some adventure I feel is worth filming and sharing, usually when I go to conventions. I would say I have a vlog for every 30 non-vlogs I create. Minecraft is made so that you control your own unique character across all the worlds you play in, and my character is what I prefer my viewers to identify with on screen. Nevermind the man behind the curtains!
I will be launching a second channel shortly, that will feature more mature-themed, non-Minecraft gameplay (among other things!), and I feel like that will be my best opportunity to introduce my actual self into videos more consistently, when that character aspect is taken out of the equation.
TF: If you weren’t making videos, what would you be doing?
TP: I would probably be pursue some sort of voice acting career. I love the idea of being able to create a personality, and then become them. It’s fun to get into character and play with different accents, dialects, and vocal cues. What I love most about voice acting is that it detaches your body from your voice and allows that character aspect to come back. There are so many things you can do in cartoons and animations that you can’t feasibly do in real life. An anvil dropping on your head, riding a firework into space, or one day I’m voicing an earthworm, the next day, a toaster! It’s awesome!!
TF: What’s next for the channel? Any fun plans?
TP: Despite what I said above, the plans for the channel are to downsize and consolidate. Currently, I do two videos almost every single day, and where I’d like to be, is one video a day, but highly produced, and thought out. My best work comes in my edited, semi- or non-gameplay style videos, and the viewership on those specific videos reflects that as well. I’ve recently hired an editor to help assist me with content production, and I work closely with lots of contractors who are experts in their crafts. As I and my brand grow, I need to free up some time to pursue other ventures, such as my upcoming second channel, merchandise prospects, and other projects that I’m not at liberty to discuss! 😉
This installment of YouTube Millionaires is brought to you by Epoxy, the premier company that helps multi-platform creators and digital networks distribute videos, engage with fans, measure success, and grow their communities across the social web. Check out Epoxy’s new Sharing Studio, a place for quickly creating and distributing native social content from your YouTube channels.
YouTube will release a virtual reality mobile app later this year specifically engineered to work with Daydream — Google’s forthcoming mobile virtual reality platform comprising both software and hardware elements that is slated to arrive in the fall.
“For more than a year, we’ve been adding support for new video and audio formats on YouTube like 360-degree video, VR video and spatial audio,” writes senior product manager Kurt Wilms in a company blog post. “These were the first steps on our way toward a truly immersive video experience.”
The upcoming app will feature familiar elements, including voice search, discovery, and playlists, according to Wilms. And while all of YouTube’s content will be accessible, the company is currently working with publishers like the NBA, BuzzFeed, and Tastemade “to experiment with new formats that offer a wide range of virtual experiences.”
YouTube is also partnering with camera makers like GoPro to help make VR production equipment more accessible to creators. Beginning today, YouTube will offer its Jump program — consisting of a 16-camera rig and software that captures high-resolution 360-degree videos in 3D — to makers at its production Spaces in Los Angeles and New York. Jump will roll out to other Spaces across the globe “soon,” YouTube said.
“We’re just beginning to understand what a truly immersive VR experience can bring to fans of YouTube,” writes Wilms, “but we’re looking forward to making that future a (virtual) reality.”
The upcoming app is part of Google’s larger Daydream VR initiative, which it announced at its I/O developer conference yesterday. Daydream will be baked into the upcoming version of Android, now known as Android N, and will only work with a new class of phones that will be made with special sensors and screens. Google is also releasing a headset and remote control with motion-sensing capabilities in the fall that will enable users to navigate the new operating system.
Citing an explosive digital marketplace and an expanding production pipeline, New Form Digital — the indie studio backed by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, and Discovery Communications — has announced three new hires within its executive ranks.
First, Jodi Flicker, a former marketing consultant for Warner Bros., has been named VP and head of marketing for New Form Digital, where she will oversee all brand and consumer marketing initiatives. Prior to her work with Warner Bros., Flicker served as VP of marketing and audience development at CBS Interactive.
Additionally, Jessica Kantor will oversee all legal initiatives as the company’s new general counsel. Kantor most recently served as vice president of business and legal affairs at Legendary, while the studio’s development slate included Godzilla, Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak, and the upcoming Warcraftfilm.
Finally, Sarah Malkin has been named VP and head of programming. In the newly created role, Malkin will oversee development, production, and distribution of content. Previously, she held a number of positions at Maker Studios, including VP of programming, general manager of life and style, and head of branded entertainment.
The new appointments mark supercharged growth at New Form Digital since its founding in 2014, the company says. New Form has now produced 30 scripted pilots, sold 19 total series, and partnered with 10 different distributors. The team has quadrupled in size since its launch, according to the company, and recently relocated to a new headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif.
“We are building an incredible business that has grown tremendously over the past two years and we are scaling our leadership team to match and sustain that business growth,” said chief creative officer Kathleen Grace in a statement. “Our journey has just begun and I am very excited about what’s to come with our new leadership team in place.”
Supergravity, which is known for producing, marketing and distributing feature films headlined by digital stars — including Kian Lawley’s The Chosen — has announced its foray into the talent management business with the formation of a new firm called Red Sun Entertainment. Red Sun will be focused on digitally-native creators, and will be led by founding partner Evan Weiss, alongside Supergravity co-founders Max Benator and Marc Hustvedt — who is also a Tubefilter co-founder.
Weiss joins Red Sun from Studio71, where he formerly served as EVP and head of talent. At Studio71 (formerly Collective Digital Studio), Weiss packaged and produced one of the earliest YouTuber feature films, Fred: The Movie, starring Lucas Cruikshank. Cruikshank will join Weiss at Red Sun, as will other bold-faced channels including entertainment news platform HollywireTV, as well as comedy creators Elliott Morgan, Steve Zaragoza, and Jesse Ridgeway (who goes by the online moniker McJuggerNuggetts).
Red Sun will help its clients within the spheres of digital and traditional entertainment, it says. The firm will also represent radio personalities Big Boy, Jason Ellis, and Chuey Martinez. And, behind the camera, it will work with Modern Family executive producer Chuck Tatham, Billboard Music Awards director Gary Halvorson, and others.
“I had a great run with Studio71 and its predecessors and learned the digital and social media business from the inside,” Weiss said in a statement. “My passion has always been talent advocacy and I love the new breed of creators making their way on digital platforms.”
Prior to his work with Studio71 — where he pioneered deals with mainstream broadcasters like Jimmy Fallon, Meredith Veira, and Harry Connick, Jr. who were looking to maximize their presence on YouTube — Weiss served as a partner at Handprint Television, head of TV packaging for UTA, and VP of business affairs and production finance for Walt Disney Television.
“More than ever, talent is at the center of the creative process today,” Hustvedt said in a statement, “and when teamed with this kind of modern approach to talent management, you have the opportunity to develop wildly successful careers for the long-term.” Added Benator: “Whether it’s traditional TV, film, or a digital platform, Evan has a deep understanding of the business at hand and can expertly guide our partners and clients to success.”
Astronauts Wanted, which collaborates with digital stars to create premium programming, has announced the appointment of two top executives to its leadership team.
Kim Rosen, formerly the VP of feature film and digital development at Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci’s Secret Hideout Productions, has been named VP of development at Astronauts Wanted, where she will oversee original series and films, and report to chief creative strategist Nick Shore. At the same time, Christine Murphy has been named SVP of branded entertainment. She was previously SVP of the creative lab at Studio71, and will report to Shore as well as Astronauts Wanted’s COO Amina Canter.
“These senior appointments bolster the creative studio’s push into premium scripted content across new formats, genres, and transmedia storytelling,” the company said in a press release. “It also speaks to Astronaut’s strategy of fusing digital-native and traditional talent to create unique, original IP.”
In her former role, Rosen helped develop blockbuster titles like Star Trek, Now You See Me, and Transformers 2, and also started Secret Hideout’s digital division. Murphy, a 15-year digital veteran, spearheaded integrated content campaigns for major brands at Studio71. Both will be based at Astronauts Wanted’s Los Angeles offices.
Astronauts Wanted was founded as a joint venture in 2013 between Judy McGrath, former chairperson/CEO of MTV Networks, and Sony Music Entertainment. The studio’s titles include A Trip To Unicorn Island, TAWK, Hey USA, @Summerbreak, and Socio. Earlier this month, the company unveiled a shiny new development slate featuring Kian Lawley and JC Caylen, Timothy DeLaGhetto, Kingsley, Alexa Losey, and Hannah Witton.
VidCon is getting its very own beauty “salon” at this year’s event, with a new content slate for fans focused on lifestyle creators. In addition to global fashion and makeup trends, programming will underscore notions of entrepreneurship, self-esteem, and confidence — and, for the first time, panels will take place outside of the Anaheim Convention Center at the Anaheim Marriott hotel “to showcase this sophisticated sector,” VidCon said.
Highlights will include: Man Crush — Not Just Monday, a panel featuring male beauty gurus Patrick Starrr, Bretman Rock, and MannyMua; Beauty Crossing Boundaries, featuring international creators Bubzbeauty, Mariale Marrero, Estée Lalonde, and Fleur De Force; and The Color of Beauty, featuring creators of different ethnicities, sizes, and sexual orientations, such as MissRemiAshten, Dulce Candy, and Teala Dunn.
All 20 of the beauty panels are being produced by industry veteran Chrystina Train, a marketing consultant and the former VP of communications for StyleHaul. In addition to high-profile YouTube stars like Rock, Starr, MyLifeAsEva, and Adelaine Morin — all of whom will be making their VidCon debuts –the beauty salon will be moderated by execs from Kin Community, PopSugar, People, Refinery29, and MTV.
“I’m excited that VidCon is recognizing beauty and fashion experts’ influence in the space by creating dedicated events for our community to learn from and share with each other,” the creator Dulce Candy said in a statement.
Beauty isn’t the only category on which VidCon plans to hone its focus this year. Last month, the event announced that an entire hall within the Anaheim Convention Center — as well as two stages sponsored by Snickers — will be transformed into a so-called “gaming hall” to spotlight the immensely popular category.
Google was expected to debut some virtual reality-related news at its I/O developer conference this afternoon, and the search giant did just that in the form of Daydream— a new virtual reality platform that will be built into the next generation of Android, (temporarily titled Android N), as well as plans for a new hardware system to succeed its infamous Cardboard boxes.
New smartphones that will be able to harness Daydream will be available this fall, according to The Verge, and will be made by the likes of Samsung, HTC, LG, Xiaomi, Huawei, ZTE, Asus, and Alcate. In addition to VR versions of its own apps, including a new YouTube app (more on that below) — as well as upcoming apps created by HBO and the NBA — Daydream will also comprise a new hardware system, including a smartphone-compatible headset and a small remote control with motion-sensing capabilities.
While Cardboard was compatible with most devices, the forthcoming Daydream headset must be used in conjunction with the forthcoming phones, which will have special screens and sensors. However, Google will be enabling hardware companies to build their own Daydream devices — as it did with Cardboard — and it will be releasing a reference design for developers in the fall. The remote control, which is the key differentiator between Daydream and existing VR headsets, like the Samsung Gear VR, could enable users to navigate a “VR app menu like a laser pointer,” according to The Verge.
In the wake of these developments, YouTube is also launching a dedicated app for virtual reality videos, according to Fortune, that will be compatible with Cardboard as well as Daydream devices. Voice search will be a default feature, for instance, given that phones will be strapped to users’ heads, and the app will also suggest VR content based on prior viewership.
Camp seems to be the defacto destination for the YouTube set as of late. Following the news that bold-faced stars like Tyler Oakley and Bethany Mota will serve as “camp counselors” at a new seven-day meetup conceived by live events company Mills Entertainment, another camp has just been announced whose aim is to churn out young YouTube stars.
2bcamp, to be hosted this summer in Madrid, is the creation of 2btube, a new media company specializing in Spanish-speaking creators, and Enforcex, a creator of international summer camps. Aimed at young people aged 11 to 18, the two-week experience will teach aspiring YouTubers how to create channels, generate quality content, grow audiences, promote videos, and collaborate. Lessons will be helmed by 2btube’s staff, which the company says has been honing its expertise “for the past 6 months.”
The program also teaches attendees — who must come equipped with a camera and a laptop — how to use management platforms, how to conceive and design their personal branding, and how to light and edit their videos.
Students can choose to either board at the facility, at Spain’s University Francisco de Vitoria, or attend during the day and spend evenings and weekends at home. In addition to the YouTube tips, students will also be able to hone their English language skills and participate in other team-building activities that aim to help develop empathy and conflict resolution, according to the company — both of which it says are key qualities in operating a successful YouTube channel. By the end of the event, all of the various groups within the camp will have live YouTube channels.
“Many parents have told us that their children want to be YouTubers,” said 2btube’s executive chairman Bastian Manintveld in a statement. “Being a successful YouTuber requires passion, commitment and responsibility — all values we want to instill in a fun and international environment.”
Netflix has released a new service, at Fast.com, which lets users know how fast their Internet download speeds are at any given moment. While comparable sites like Speedtest.net already exist, Fast.com is ad-free just like the Netflix service, writes the company’s VP of content delivery architecture, David Fullagar, “with a streamlined design that is quick and easy to understand.”
Fast.com measures mobile and broadband speeds in megabits per second in any country on earth and is available to non-Netflix subscribers as well, the company said. Netflix suggests that users need 3 mbps to watch content in standard definition, 5 mbps for HD quality, and 25 mbps for its Ultra HD shows.
One reason Netflix launched the service is to help ensure that Internet service providers — upon whom Netflix greatly relies — are delivering the streaming speeds that they promise to consumers. “If results from Fast.com and other speed tests often show less speed than you have paid for,” the company writes, “you can ask your ISP about the results.”
Netflix, whose popularity accounts for huge swaths of Internet usage, has launched several efforts enabling consumers to stack up service providers in the past. For several years, the company has operated an ISP Speed Index, which provides “a measure of prime time Netflix performance on particular ISPs around the globe.” And earlier this month, it launched new mobile tools that aim to help users streaming on their cellular networks to receive good video quality while using less data.
