At 39, Ronaldo may be keen to take his 637 million Instagram followers to YouTube to expand his personal brand and influence off the pitch.
It’s no secret that Ronaldo is the most followed person on Instagram. In 2018, he had 144 million followers on the platform. Now, that number has grown to 637 million. That’s a 341% increase in followers over the past six years. According to George Mylonas, social strategist at M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, this could be a record for Instagram.
On August 21, Ronaldo launched his personal YouTube channel. Within 90 minutes of launching, the player reached 1 million subscribers and was awarded the Golden Play Button. Currently, he has more than 36 million subscribers and broke many other records.
But many people may also ask: Why YouTube? Why did Ronaldo create a channel at this time?
Feeling Unparalleled
According to Mylonas, first of all, YouTube is one of the big social networks that Ronaldo has never participated in before. For a celebrity, there are countless opportunities to promote products/brands on this platform.
“The great CR7 is 39 years old, in the final years of his football career. YouTube will be a brand and media channel that will last long after his football career,” Mylonas told LBBOnline .
People are living in the age of social media where long-form/episodic content is still very popular. Understanding that audiences always want a piece of their private life, CR7 has a great opportunity to provide the public with their favorite content.
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| Ronaldo broke a series of records within a few days of creating a YouTube channel. |
Theoretically, Ronaldo could reach over 900 million people with one post (if his team posts on Instagram, X, Facebook, and now YouTube).
“From a social perspective, we know how powerful that is. It feels unparalleled. A social media force that has the potential to reach and influence people beyond the sports world,” Mylonas explains.
Open to the world
Ronaldo has built a personal brand that represents hard work, excellence and luxury. When he joined YouTube, the superstar used a “open to the world” strategy by showcasing his workouts, family moments with Georgina and third-party endorsements.
“It all creates a genuine connection with his followers, even if this personality seems far removed from the daily lives of normal followers,” Mylonas commented.
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| Ronaldo and Georgina share about family life and their other half on YouTube channel. |
M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment has worked with Ronaldo over the years through his personal CR7 brands and has seen his social media presence grow over time. YouTube is seen as a creative outlet that will help the football star showcase his “playful personality and the many facets of his off-field lifestyle, truly representing him in a more intimate, authentic way”.
“Ronaldo doesn’t sit back and expect his followers to empathize with his life. That’s impossible. He has built a genuine image of a self-made athlete who has led an incredibly successful life. And he has done it with hard work. YouTube will only grow this legacy. In short, Cristiano Ronaldo will become bigger as a brand, will increase his income, and will build a bright future for his family and future generations,” Mylonas said.
Time
The current state of YouTube suggests Ronaldo arrived at just the right time. Creators are starting to join Premier League clubs, and soccer channels like Celine Dept and AG Soccer Team are racking up enough views to break into the top 50 most-watched channels on YouTube.
Sports stars like Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Bryson DeChambeau have also garnered millions of views on YouTube by combining their unique perspectives with strategic approaches inspired by the platform’s top content creators.
Ronaldo’s involvement is a big reminder that long-form content is back in vogue, Mylonas says. YouTube is a space for brands to tell longer stories, invite their audiences to participate in that story, and welcome new subscribers.
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| Many people think that Ronaldo will quickly replace MrBeast to become the “king of YouTube”. |
“Second, it reminds brands that social media is a jungle. And in this jungle, brands often get stuck in a never-ending cycle of trying too hard, desperately seeking the attention of consumers, and that’s not always a good thing.”
According to Tubefilter , a site focused on the digital media industry, Ronaldo is keen to bring his 637 million Instagram followers to YouTube. Whether or not this transition will be successful remains to be seen. But the channel’s current growth rate suggests that the desire is not entirely unreasonable.
If Ronaldo’s 637 million Instagram followers do indeed follow him to YouTube, the soccer superstar will surpass MrBeast – the world’s most subscribed YouTuber – to become the “king of YouTube” and could usher in a new era for the platform.