If you ask a regular person to name some famous YouTube superstars, there’s a good chance that they won’t even know that there is such a thing as famous YouTube superstars. This hasn’t exactly been a problem for the site, since its current batch of stars can still rack up millions of views without being traditionally famous, but YouTube is still apparently a little bit jealous of those actual celebrities and the effortless way they can get attention without (allegedly) abusing their kids or taking pictures of themselves screaming for thumbnail images. So, according to Deadline, YouTube has just announced a slate of new, ad-supported original programs that feature a mixture of real celebrities and YouTube celebrities.
The new shows include Kevin Hart: What The Fit?, which sees Kevin Hart and his famous friends trying out intense and ridiculous workout trends, Ellen’s Show Me More Show, which is sort of a behind-the-scenes thing with Ellen Degeneres, and I Am: Demi Lovato, which is about the eponymous music star going on “yearlong personal journey” as she works on a new album. There will also be a live Katy Perry special apparently called Katy Perry Live Special in which she talks about the “experiences and emotions she poured into her all-new soul-baring music,” and the Ryan Seacrest-produced Best.Cover.Ever, which is a competition show where people submit their own cover songs to YouTube and try to win a chance to perform with a famous artist.
If you’re one of those people who likes YouTube stars more than regular stars, The Slow Mo Guys will have a show about doing things in slow-motion, and the hosts of Good Mythical Morning will be getting a new “long-form expansion” of their existing show. Basically, YouTube is going to be paying these people to make bigger and better versions of the things they already make.
The Deadline story doesn’t say when these shows will premiere.