When Cristiano Ronaldo finally decided to make a YouTube channel on July 8, 2024, the response was staggering.
It became the fastest YouTube channel to reach 1 million subscribers, reaching the milestone in less than two hours.
However, to the giants of YouTube like James Donaldson — known as "MrBeast" — Ronaldo's current total of more than 65 million subscribers and counting looks like the amateur leagues. MrBeast boasts more than 330 million subscribers, more than any other channel on the platform.
It took nobody by surprise when MrBeast's first collaboration with the Portuguese soccer superstar went viral on Thursday. According to Donaldson, more is on the way.
Donaldson, 26, has crossed over into the sports world before. In 2023, he signed a two-day contract with the NFL franchise Tampa Bay Buccaneers worth $10 million as a stunt for one of his famous YouTube videos.
@bucsnfl #MrBeast was *literally* a Buccaneer for 48 hours! #nfl #buccaneers
♬ original sound - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It didn't take long for MrBeast to venture into the world's most popular sport once Ronaldo made it to YouTube. MrBeast may have a bigger YouTube channel, but CR7 has the most Instagram followers on the planet with more than 640 million. For both parties, there was plenty of untapped potential if they were to make a video together.
On Thursday, they did just that, as MrBeast sat down with Ronaldo for a podcast-style video on Ronaldo's YouTube channel. It generated more than 1.7 million in the first hour.
Ronaldo asked the No. 1 YouTuber if he thought his record for subscribers was in danger, but MrBeast barely broke a sweat. "This record is for you," Ronaldo went on to concede.
Their 13-minute video collaboration gained plenty of attention on social media, but it may have only been an appetizer for more content to come.
MrBeast told Cristiano Ronaldo he should do a video with IShowSpeed. pic.twitter.com/wjIikA5fom
— Complex Pop Culture (@ComplexPop) November 21, 2024
In the comments of the video on Ronaldo's channel, MrBeast revealed that they already filmed a second video. He announced that it will stream on his channel, which has an audience of approximately 250 million more subscribers, on Nov. 30.
"Thanks so much for having me! Ronaldo and I also filmed my biggest video ever dropping November 30th on my channel," he wrote. "it will blow your minds."
He added that Ronaldo also has another video dropping that day on his own channel, creating an opportunity to really break the internet.
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