YouTube network Maker Studios and its biggest star, Felix “PewDiePie” Kjellberg — who currently stands at 41 million subscribers, by the way — today announced the formation of Revelmode, a new video network helmed by the iconoclastic Swedish star.
In its first video, which you can see above, Kjellberg talks up the venture as “me and a bunch of really awesome YouTubers coming together, as a group, to do awesome things.”
“I have been with a network throughout my entire history on YouTube… it’s been a rollercoaster,” Kjellberg said. “I think networks can be something very positive for everyone involved.”
He promised that, at the start, it’ll be a select group of broadcasters — which also includes popular YouTubers such as Markiplier (11 million subscriptions) and JackSepticEye (8 million subscribers) among others. “I hope in the future that you can be involved as well,” Kjellberg said.
The startup is backed by Disney-owned YouTube network Maker Studios, who PewDiePie has long been signed with. This “means we got all the resources to make this as awesome as possible,” in Kjellberg’s words. Disney acquired Maker in 2014 for $500 million, plus earn-outs that could push the deal’s ultimate value to $900 million.
The new studio will work on “premium content, game development, philanthropic programs, commercial partnerships and merchandise,” Re/code reports; it likens the deal to corporate-owned, artist-run record labels, which seems to make a lot of sense.