YouTube star Jenna Marbles will host a weekly pop-music show on SiriusXM, under a deal between Google’s YouTube and the satellite radio service.
“The YouTube 15” will run on the SiriusXM Hits 1 channel and will feature the top emerging and breakout songs based on YouTube data of the previous week selected by SiriusXM. The show will air Fridays at 6 p.m. Eastern, starting July 11, and replay throughout the weekend.
SiriusXM picked Marbles, a quirky, funny YouTube independent creator based in L.A., to “fully capture the voice of the YouTube community.” The 27-year-old comedienne, whose real name is Jenna Mourey, has 13.4 million subscribers on her YouTube channel and her videos have been viewed more than 1.5 billion times.
“I’m incredibly excited to be working in a new medium with SiriusXM,” Marbles said in a statement. “I think we are going to make a really cool show, and I’m honored that they picked me to do it.”
The satellite-radio provider’s Hits 1 is a top-40 format channel with pop, R&B, rock and hip-hop hits. “YouTube 15” will feature such artists as Katy Perry, Maroon 5, One Direction, Jason Derulo, Imagine Dragons along with emerging artists.
Separately, YouTube is gearing up to launch a music-subscription service later this summer. The service has said it has signed agreements with 95% of the record companies it does business with, including major labels Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group. For the remaining indie holdouts, YouTube has threatened to pull down content if they don’t sign on to the subscription service.
SiriusXM’s programming is available in vehicles from every major car maker in the U.S., as well as through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App for smartphones and other connected devices as well as on the web. The “YouTube 15” countdown also will be featured as video playlists youtube.com/siriusxm.
“Our nationwide audience tunes to SiriusXM Hits 1 as the home of the best pop music and the first place to play new artists and new music,” said Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM’s president and chief content officer. “With ‘The YouTube 15,’ we will take that promise of music discovery even further, delivering songs emerging from YouTube directly into the car and also through the SiriusXM app for smartphones and tablets.”
Added YouTube director of music partnerships Vivien Lewit: “YouTube is fundamentally about connecting fans with their favorite creators and artists, anytime on any device you’re using. That’s why we’re working on ‘The YouTube 15’ with our friends at SiriusXM, who share our goal of supporting great new music from today’s well-known artists and emerging stars.”
Sirius XM has 25.8 million subscribers. Service plans start at $9.99 per month for the Mostly Music package with 80-plus channels.
