Disney Is Giving PewDiePie His Own Network

The most popular star on YouTube is getting his own network.

With the backing of Disney-owned Maker Studios, Felix Kjellberg, best known as PewDiePie, will create his own multichannel network called Revelmode. Just like Howard Stern did 12 years ago when he left terrestrial radio for his own satellite network, Kjellberg becomes the first YouTube star to get his own network.

"We're thrilled to be doubling down with Felix," said Courtney Holt, evp and head of Maker Studios. "He is an amazing talent, a great partner and the pulse of millennial pop culture. We firmly believe in his vision for Revelmode and his chosen creators—we can't wait to see the possibilities ahead."

Revelmode features lesser-known creators who align with Kjellberg's sensibilities, namely gaming and pop culture. The first program from Revelmode will be an animated series featuring the entire roster of creators as characters. Together, Revelmode creators will have more than 100 million followers across YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. They include:

• CinnamonToastKen (Ken Morrison) – Indie and horror gamer known for cameos in PewDiePie content.
• CutiePieMarzia (Marzia Bisognin) – Italian fashion and beauty expert and video game aficionado.
• Dodger (Brooke Lawson) – Upbeat gamer known for her weekly nerd culture news shows and wide range of game content.
• EmmaBlackery (Emma Blackery) – Quirky British vlogger, singer, comedian and gamer.
• JackSepticEye (Sean McLoughlin) – Video game commentator known for his comedic "let's play" and vlog content.
• Jelly (Jelle van Vucht) – YouTuber known for his comedic vlogs and video game commentary.
• Kwebbelkop (Jordi van den Bussche) – Comedy and gaming extraordinaire based in the Netherlands.
• Markiplier (Mark Fischbach) – Actor, comedian, video game commentator and philanthropist, specializing in "let's play" content, most commonly survival horror and action games.

Maker says the venture will also focus on game development, commercial partnerships, merchandise and philanthropic programs. For example, Revelmode's stars will drive their fan bases to raise funds for social causes such as Save the Children and Charity: Water, Kjellberg's first major philanthropic collaborator.

"Revelmode is a shift in how talent can approach a digital company and work together for a common good," said Kjellberg. "Together we will focus on creating—from one-off videos to original series to gamey games to animatoons [sic], music, clothes, charity drives and more—really anything that's awesome in the eyes of the fans."