YouTube Canada unveiled a slate of nine Canadian Creator Shows this week at its YouTube Features showcase in Toronto, headlined by new projects from Tessa Virtue, Matty Matheson, Sarah Nurse, and Susur Lee.
YouTube Features was hosted by Primetime Emmy-nominated comedian Kareem Rahma, host of the hit show SubwayTakes, that’s grown a following of more than 1.1 million subscribers and 800 million views. Among the event’s surprise announcements was that Rahma is bringing the show to Toronto’s TTC next month, as he was joined on stage by Mike Myers, his first famous Canadian guest.
The streamer also unveiled plans for a new podcast series, hosted by five-time Olympic figure skater Tessa Virtue. Virtuoso will see the athlete explore unique interpretations of excellence, sitting down with athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, scientists, leaders, and creators to explore the experiences, decisions, and relationships that have shaped them.
YouTube’s slate of programming also includes Matty’s Farm, from Matty Matheson and Super Athletic Film Co., described as a heartfelt series set in rural Ontario that sees the chef and restaurateur turn a farm dream into a reality.
Hockey star Sarah Nurse will be featured in Sarah’s Side Quests, a series that sees the athlete spend her offseason learning new skills – from playing basketball with top WNBA players to designing new looks with fashion designers, and cooking game-day meals with viral chefs.
Other offerings include a trends-focused food show from chef and restaurateur Susur Lee and his son Jet Bent-Lee; a reality series from Canadian comedy creator Jeenie Weenie; Season 3 of Dream Apartment Makeover with Alexandra Gater; dark comedy Becky and Miranda from Julie Nolke (Run the Burbs), which she’ll star in alongside Nicole Power (Kim’s Convenience); and Hardly Workin,’ a reality series inspired by The Simple Life and reimagined for Gen Z, featuring the Greek-Canadian Kalogeras Sisters, who boast a following of 8M+ subscribers and 1.5B+ views.
“YouTube creators are making the must-see programming that is shaping culture and redefining entertainment,” said Nicole Bell, Head of YouTube Canada. “With this new slate, we’re proud to invest in homegrown creative entrepreneurs, giving Canada’s most compelling storytellers the opportunity to bring their biggest ideas to life and connect directly with the audiences who love them.”
“We’re seeing a new generation of Canadian storytellers and established cultural figures choose YouTube because it gives them complete ownership of their vision,” added Bell. “On YouTube, you get to greenlight your show, and we provide the largest creative canvas for you to create and connect directly with fans both at home and around the world. These Creator Shows are just the beginning of what’s possible when creators have the freedom to build on their own terms.”
According to Numeris data supplied by the streamer, YouTube has been the most-watched streaming platform in Canada for the last three quarters.
YouTube also shared new features coming to the Canadian market, including Creator Partnerships Boost, which enables brands to promote Creator videos as ads in their AI-powered ad campaigns; and Buy with Google Pay, allowing viewers to complete purchases directly on their connected TVs, which is set to arrive in Canada by Q4.
