[Editor’s Note: Tubefilter Charts is a weekly rankings column from Tubefilter with data provided by GospelStats. It’s exactly what it sounds like; a top number ranking of YouTube channels based on statistics collected within a given time frame. Check out all of our Tubefilter Charts with new installments every week right here.]
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There’s a new #1 channel in the Global Sub Top 50 chart. By adopting the bright color palette and upbeat tone that drives so many Eastern European YouTube channels, BRUNO became the most-subscribed channel of the week. The Ukrainian creator added 1.1 million new subs during the third week of April.
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Alejo Igoa and MrBeast followed next as the only other channels to get at least one million new subs during the week that was. To crack the Global Sub Top 50, channels needed to add at least 300,000 new subscribers during our most recent measurement period.
You can use a movie release schedule to predict the next big characters on Shorts.
Anyone who believes that film is dead has not been paying attention to YouTube Shorts. The biggest films of the moment don’t just make millions at the box office — they also show up in some of the most-watched short-form videos in the world.
We saw this phenomenon on full display last year, when KPop Demon Hunters was both the hottest movie of the moment and the most common topic among channels in our Top 50 charts. A few months later, a new Sonic the Hedgehog movie made the gaming world’s favorite speedster into a popular dress-up choice.
Flash forward to April 2026, and the big hit at the multiplex is a literal blockbuster: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The sequel to a popular 2023 video game adaptation has already made more than $700 million at the box office, certifying that Nintendo’s most iconic franchise is also dominant across other media.
Mario’s recent return has helped him 1UP the competition on YouTube Shorts. Some creators, like Peru’s Arista Viva, are adding the mustachioed hero to videos that have nothing to do with video games, movies, or plumbing. That strategy is working like a charm. Arista Viva just jumped up to 11th place in the Global Sub Top 50 thanks to a weekly uptick of about 500,000 new subscribers. Now that’s what I call a Mega Mushroom.
“Random franchise character” is set up to be the next big trend on YouTube Shorts. Creators like Arista Viva are realizing that shoehorning in as many memes as possible — whether they relate to drawing, pets, or movies — is the easiest path to millions of Shorts views.
Major studios are playing along, too. They’re bringing their characters to digital platforms in a way that encourages short-form mashups from independent creators. If so-called “kidslop” is a viable movie marketing tactic, why wouldn’t film distributors take advantage of it?
Some creators are already getting ahead of the next big movie-inspired trends. The trailer for the upcoming Street Fighter reboot has been all over the internet this week, and sketch comedians have dusted off the costumes they need to buy into the film’s promotional cycle.
Consider Akira, a Japanese creator who reached 20th place in this week’s Global Sub Top 50. Though Akira’s videos are all over the place tonally, he often features a Ken costume in his most viral clips. Looks like someone’s ready for the Street Fighter reboot.
Data via Gospel Stats
Perhaps, by the time Street Fighter actually returns to theaters, Akira’s trip in the Global Sub Top 50 will be a distant memory. There’s no guarantee that any particular movie will stick in the zeitgeist the way KPop Demon Hunters did.
Some franchises, however, are likely candidates for short-form memery. If you like Mortal Kombat, Marvel movies, or Homer’s The Odyssey, consider some additions to your YouTube Shorts repertoire, because 2026’s biggest tentpoles are likely to have a widespread impact.
Channel Distribution
Here’s a breakdown of the Top 50 Most Viewed channels this week in terms of their countries of origin:
- India: 11
- United States: 8
- Brazil: 4
- Argentina and Mexico: 3
- Peru, Russia, and Ukraine: 2
- Belgium, Canada, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Spain, Taiwan, and United Arab Emirates: 1
This week, 42 channels in the Top 50 are primarily active on YouTube Shorts.
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