A London-based news agency now has the biggest video news channel in the world on Youtube with more than 1m subscribers.
Barcroft Media has rapidly expanded in recent years by focusing on often bizarre video news stories which have global appeal. It describes its focus as "the amazing side of life".
According to analysis by Socialblade it is now the most popular Youtube channel in the news category.
As well as providing video news to websites and broadcasters, publishing direct to its own Barcroft TV Youtube channel has become a major part of the agency’s business.
Its biggest market for Youtube viewers is the US, which accounts for 31 per cent of its subscribers. It employs around 60 staff based mainly in the UK.
Barcroft TV claims to have exceeded 1bn video views over the last year across the Rightster network, AOL On, MSN, oNet in Poland, Yahoo Screen, YouKu in China, and Yahoo’s GyaO! in Japan and Youtube.
Its most popular videos include:
- ‘Caught on Camera; Snake Devours Crocodile After 5 Hour Battle’ (41m views)
- ‘Professional Twerker; Jessica Vanessa’ (14m views)
- ‘Florida Woman Keeps Bengal Tigers in her Garden’, (8m views).
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