By authoring memoirs, novels, and how-to guides that their fans see as must-own items, YouTube stars have played a major role in the resurgent popularity of physical books. Now, the BBC is betting that the same magic will work on DVDs, too. The British broadcaster has enlisted YouTube stars Joe Sugg, Caspar Lee, Pixiwoo, Louise Pentland, and Joe Wicks for a quartet of direct-to-DVD projects that are expected to arrive in time for the holidays.
According to the UK’s Telegraph, the YouTuber-led project will make up 40% of the BBC’s new commissions in the fourth quarter of 2016. The broadcaster is already galvanized by the success of Joe and Caspar Hit The Road, a 2015 tour documentary starring Sugg and Lee. That film reportedly sold more than 120,000 copies.
At first glance, paradigm-shifting new media stars may not seem like logical saviors of the declining home video industry, but their massive presence in the book publishing arena has shown the degree to which their fans crave media that goes beyond the digital world. Part of the appeal of “influencer books” is their status as tangible pieces of their stars’ creative output, and the ability to physically possess those pieces is important to diehard followers.
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The BBC understands this concept. “We’re seeing in books there’s huge opportunities for those people to say I’m a fan of that show, what else can I get my hands on?” BBC World Consumer Products head of sales Rhidian Bragg told the Telegraph. “What tangible product can I purchase to almost demonstrate my loyalty as a fan? They are committed to the content they enjoy.”
Many of the stars involved in the BBC’s DVD initiative already have experience with physical media. Pentland ended up on the UK bestsellers list after publishing her memoir Life with a Sprinkle of Glitter in July 2015, and Wicks’ first book also became a sales success after its January 2015 release.
