YouTube Unveils First Country-Specific ‘Spotlight’ Channel In Canada

YouTube has announced its first country-specific Spotlight Channel — the platform’s third total Spotlight Channel — that will highlight trending creators and content across Canada.

YouTube Spotlight Canada will showcase emerging digital stars in both French and English. And every month, the channel will roll out playlists with specific themes. The inaugural edition serves to celebrate Canada 150 — the country’s 150th anniversary — by highlighting indigenous musicians, notable moments in Canadian history (see below), and more.

The flagship YouTube Spotlight channel counts roughly 26 million subscribers, while a U.K. version, launched in 2012, boasts 2.3 million subscribers.

“Canada is the first country to have its own Spotlight channel dedicated solely to local creators,” said Marie Josée Lamothe, managing director of Quebec for Google Canada. “Canadians make up one of the world’s most vibrant communities on YouTube — watchtime in Canada has grown 30% over last year, and our Canadian YouTubers are exploding internationally.” Ninety percent of views on Canadian channels come from outside of the country, according to the company, which is a higher percentage than any other nation

YouTube will also launch its Creator On The Rise feature in Canada on August 2, in which the platform selects up-and-coming creators each week to feature within its Trending tab. YouTube launched On The Rise in the states back in January.

Popular Canada-born YouTube stars include LaurDIY, Superwoman, Gigi Gorgeous, Furious Pete, and Matthew Santoro. YouTube says that watch-time for Canadian channels has grown 185% in India over the past year, as well as 40% in the U.S., France, and Australia. Last year, YouTube says that there was a 65% increase in the number of Canadian channels that surpassed 100,000 subscribers.