▲ K-pop girl group BLACKPINK is seen in this photo provided by YouTube. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
▲ The Red Diamond Creator Award presented to BLACKPINK by YouTube, provided by the company on Feb. 21, 2026 (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) BLACKPINK-YouTube subscribers

(LEAD) BLACKPINK becomes first artist to reach 100 mln subscribers on YouTube

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 2, 6-10; ADDS photo)

SEOUL, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- K-pop girl group BLACKPINK has hit 100 million subscribers on YouTube, making it the first official artist channel to hit the milestone.

According to the global video sharing platform and YG Entertainment, the group's label, on Saturday, BLACKPINK reached the milestone at around 7 p.m. the previous day, roughly nine years and eight months after launching its channel in June 2016. The channel currently hosts 648 videos.

To celebrate such an achievement, YouTube said it presented BLACKPINK with a custom Red Diamond Creator Award.

"The dynamic female powerhouse that is BLACKPINK has earned international acclaim on YouTube with their mega hit songs and fierce performances," YouTube said on its official blog.

"The group has continuously raised the bar on YouTube, pioneering new ways to connect with their fans," it added.

In July 2020, the K-pop quartet became the first non-English-language artist to enter the top five for YouTube subscribers. It subsequently overtook global pop stars, including Ariana Grande, Eminem, Ed Sheeran, Marshmello, and Justin Bieber, to claim the No. 1 spot worldwide in September 2021, a position it continues to hold.

BLACKPINK has placed nine videos, including "Ddu-du Ddu-du" and "Kill This Love," in YouTube's "Billion Views Club." It also claims three of the 10 most-viewed music videos within 24 hours of release.

According to YG, BLACKPINK has 50 videos with more than 100 million views, while total channel views have surpassed 41.1 billion. The group is recognized by Guinness World Records as the most-viewed band on YouTube.

The channel drew more than 3.3 billion views over the past year, driven by rising interest ahead of the release of its third EP, "Deadline", due out next Friday. Since uploading a video announcing the new release on Jan. 15, the channel has gained roughly 10,000 new subscribers per day.

"On a platform that shapes global music trends, subscriber numbers are an indicator of a loyal fandom," YG said in a statement, adding that BLACKPINK's fan base continues to expand despite already being among the world's biggest acts.

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