20 million subscribers on YouTube and the era of the superfan

Storybakers:

Cristiano Ronaldo has made history again.

If he no longer writes it on the court, he writes it off it.

Because once again he confirms his status as a world star that cannot be overshadowed even by Lionel Messi.

Messi is accompanied by collective and individual titles.

He is accompanied by his football talent.

He is accompanied by the formation of an exemplary family free of scandals.

He is accompanied by the support and idolatry of one of the most football-loving countries in the world.

As a footballer, in the eyes of the titles he has won, Messi is unquestionably more than Cristiano.

But for today’s sports and entertainment industry, Cristiano is, without a doubt, much more than Messi.

Because he has managed to ensure that the aspiration surrounding him is not limited to his footballing virtues.

It has also made me want to look like him, to dress like him, to be able to live like him and to compete like him.

Cristiano is, in a certain way, the combination of the media machinery represented by David Beckham with the footballing talent of Maradona, Pelé and Messi himself.

It has the best of both worlds.

And it has also exploded in the right era.

In which the worship of the individual is above the worship of the team.

Today no one doubts that Cristiano is much more than Al Nassr as a brand.

No one doubts that Messi is more than Inter Miami.

And the data at the macro level also confirm this.

41% of fans aged 25-34 say they are more interested in individual athletes than teams.

In comparison, that’s twice as many as the same question for fans aged 55 to 64.

The trend will continue to consolidate until further notice: the younger the fans, the more likely they are to fall in love with the individual rather than with corporate brands, even if it is a football team.

This concept is known as Fluid Fandom or fluid fanaticism.

Temporary followers who express or show interest in a team only while one or more athletes of interest converge on it.

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most powerful personal brands in the world.

She is the person with the most followers in the world on Instagram, with 636 million followers.

He has patented a visual and sound celebration that is identifiable to the world.

The jump to conclude with the arms at the sides and the chest raised.

The Siiiiiiiuuu scream that became a meme and also the way his team found to invite people to subscribe.

CR7 is synonymous with Cristiano.

CR is also synonymous with Cristiano.

His brand is much more powerful than Messi’s on a commercial level.

It has more identity winks that have transcended time.

Messi is remembered for his Qué miras bobo (What are you looking at, you fool) which was a trend of the moment rather than a lasting symbol of his brand.

LM may be Messi’s for some, but not for all.

The most viral thing about Messi is, paradoxically, that meme in which everything is marked as a penalty for Argentina or as a penalty for Messi.

It’s only been a day and Cristiano already has more than 20.4 million subscribers on his YouTube channel.

He set a world record on YouTube by becoming the fastest creator to reach one million subscribers.

He achieved it in less than 90 minutes.

For comparison, Lio Messi’s channel has 2.4 million subscribers.

Cristiano is the perfect athlete for the era of fluid fanaticism.

For the age of the superfan, how YouTube categorizes followers who become content creators around the brands and creators they love.

These superfans are more active around Cristiano Ronaldo than Lionel Messi.

Messi does not have, for example, an IShowSpeed ​​who has ended up becoming an unofficial ambassador for Cristiano.

Nor does he have a streamer like DJ Mariio who has ended up “taking over” Cristiano’s celebration to liven up the stadiums and venues where he performs.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival on YouTube will be more than just an anecdote with world records included.

Until now, athletes have concentrated their efforts on platforms where the short format prevails.

On Instagram primarily; some more on TikTok.

Athletes, because of their media clout, have also taken advantage of this power to sign large contracts as analysts in established media outlets or even with streaming platforms to create documentaries about them.

But Cristiano’s situation is set to be different.

Because it would mean having Cristiano Ronaldo with guests and himself talking to his followers through a long format.

Already in her video with Georgina Rodríguez she anticipates that she would be the first of many guests.

That UR Cristiano is serious.

Aspirational as he is, Cristiano will set a precedent for more and more athletes to create a YouTube channel for themselves in any form.

It makes sense that they would.

It is by far the social platform that offers the greatest guarantees of monetization.

And it is also the new television.

YouTube has just made history in the Nielsen rankings by becoming the first streaming platform to surpass 10% of total viewing in the United States.

Its content catalog is the most powerful in the world.

It features original content from creators.

There are media outlets that are increasingly giving priority to YouTube.

He has personal brands building their own media empires.

It increasingly features sports broadcasts such as those of the NFL with the Sunday Ticket or as it did with Paris 2024 through its alliance with Claro Sports.

And now it has the most popular footballer on the planet.

YouTube is, without a doubt, the platform to be on.

Cristiano Ronaldo knows it.

And from him many will join.