While YouTube vies to catch the attention of mainstream viewers, mainstream media is trying to cash in on savvy YouTube creators and their audiences. For many years the people who watched television talk shows were not the same people who watched content online. Lilly Singh is showing how that might be changing.
Better known in the online community as ||Superwoman||, Lilly Singh has received several awards that prove her popularity (MTV Fandom, Teen Choice and People’s Choice to name a few). She has published a New York Times Bestseller book and created her own feature film. She’s listed by Forbes as one of the top ten highest-paid YouTube stars. Her track record is solid. Her ability to engage an audience is undeniable. She’s completely self-made. It makes perfect sense that NBC would make her a host and also an Executive Producer.
As far as internet-to-television crossovers go, Lilly Singh is making a pretty big splash.
The execs are probably holding their breath to see how many of her 14.8 million followers are willing to tune in for A Little Late with Lilly Singh. It debuts on September 16, 2019. The new show will follow the basic layout of late-night talk shows with a rotation of celebrity guests, musical performances and sketch comedy. Hopefully, her history as a vlogger and generally ridiculous unleashed internet personality will bring something refreshing.
After 8 years of making content for her YouTube channel, Singh admits that it’s basically a machine. It demands creators to continue churning out new content or else quickly become irrelevant. In late 2018, she announced to her fans that she was taking a mental health hiatus to recover from the effects of such intensive work. She recognizes that it was difficult to make time for herself.
It’s a fairly familiar storyline. A lot of YouTubers had very different life plans and dabbled in creating videos as either a coping mechanism or a casual hobby. They accidentally discovered a passion or opportunity and it became a career. Unfortunately, the burnout that Singh experienced is also common. However, the number of online creators who have gone on to discover mainstream fame is finally growing.
Bieber wasn’t the only YouTube sensation to make it big.
Anna Akana created a name for herself as a hilarious vlogger. She is also in the credits for no less than 82 roles in mainstream and online shows and movies. She is joined by Flula Borg, Hannah Hart, Zoella, Jefferey Starr and others who can be found in movies, talk shows and retail consumerism.
Creators and mainstream media constantly seek ways to engage each other’s audiences.
Meanwhile, YouTube Red paved a road for original shows starring creators who were seeking to go legit in bigger production circles. There you’ll find Liza Koshy, Michael David Stevens, PewDePie and many others for your entertainment or education. If you’re looking for Lilly Singh, though, she’ll be on NBC.
Creators and mainstream media constantly seek ways to engage each other’s audiences. As they develop new connections and resources, we will see an influx of online community talent appearing in TV shows. Crossovers are a great tool. The music industry has been doing it for decades. It’s no surprise to finally see it happening for vloggers and creators. To consider other ways that mainstream media practices could be good for YouTube channels, go here: How Old Media Practices Might Work on YouTube