‘Like’ it and they will come. That seems to have been the ethos behind the launch of Cristiano Ronaldo’s official YouTube channel – one that, immediately broke the record for the most subscribers gained in an hour.
The Al Nassr striker’s channel, which launched on Wednesday (August 21), took just 90 minutes to reach a million subscribers. At the time of writing this (Thursday, August 22), it currently has 14 million subscribers.
This is a remarkable number in such a short time, but considering the Portugese footballer has spent his entire career collecting silverware and setting/breaking records at a canter, it is hardly surprising.
In fact, it probably didn’t hurt that five-time Ballon d’or winner announced the launch of his channel on Instagram – where he has 636 million(!) followers, making him the most followed account on the platform – with the post:
The channel, called UR Cristiano, has already posted 18 videos, many of which have already clocked up more than a million views and include football chat, the former Real Madrid star’s views on sporting icons and family life in Saudi Arabia.
In a sign of things to come for the commercial appeal of the YouTube venture, one video shows Cristiano Ronaldo and his wife Georgina Rodriguez showcasing major tourism attractions in Saudi Arabia.
A video titled “This is how I felt when I discovered paradise … The Red Sea Project, Saudi” the sport and social media icon shares exclusive footage of the emerging development on Saudi’s western coast.
In the video, Cristiano Ronaldo said: “In my life I travel all over the world. I want to talk about Red Sea. I can’t go anywhere on the planet where nobody recognises me. This is impossible.
“If I have to mention one romantic place to be with my whole family I would say we enjoy so much it is Red Sea and I would recommend all the world to visit that amazing, amazing place.”