Youtube star PewDiePie was PAID to promote computer games, investigators find
Web celeb slammed for taking cash to produce videos about a major Warner Brothers title
YOUTUBE star PewDiePie is at the centre of a "pay-to-play" scandal today after it was revealed that he took cash to produce a video about a game called Shadow of Mordor.
The Swede was the only web celeb to be named during a Federal Trade Commission probe which found Warner Brothers paid "online influencers including the wildly popular PewDiePie thousands of dollars to post positive gameplay videos on YouTube and social media".
Although many adults have not heard of him, PewdiePie is one the most popular "Youtubers" in the world and commands an audience of 45 million.
He was one of several people who were handed sums of money stretching up to tens of thousands of dollars to promote the game to their huge number of followers.
In a statement, the Federal Trade Commission said 30 sponsored Warner Bros. videos were put on Youtube and watched more than 5.5million times, with PewDiePie's receiving 3.7million views.
“Consumers have the right to know if reviewers are providing their own opinions or paid sales pitches,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
“Companies like Warner Brothers need to be straight with consumers in their online ad campaigns.”
Vloggers were offered money to shoot films about the game, as long as their productions included a "strong call to action".
Although Youtubers were required to declare the fact their content had been sponsored, the FTC said a text box stating this information was often hidden from view.
Warner Bros. has now been "barred from failing to make such disclosures in the future and cannot misrepresent that sponsored content, including gameplay videos, are the objective, independent opinions of video game enthusiasts or influencers".
The vlogger, whose real name is Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, has mocked the FTC in an angry and foul-mouthed statement about "the scandal" which has been watched more than three million times.
"Huge thanks for the shout out," he raged.
"If you ever meet me in person, please refer to me as 'the wildly popular PewDiePie'."
He continued: "A lot of Youtubers were involved in this sponsorship, but since I'm the biggest Youtuber, my name is the only one that pops up."
The Swedish star, who is rumoured to have earned more than £9million last year, presented evidence which proved he had declared a video about Shadow of Mordor was sponsored by Warner Bros.
He admitted he could have "disclosed it better" by making the statement more obvious, but pointed out he wasn't actually reviewing the game.
PewDiePie is known for making films which show him playing computer games, rather than actually reviewing them, although he did say he "had a lot of fun" playing the Lord of the Rings-inspired title during his original video in 2014.
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The star turned the air blue with a rant against the websites which had covered the FTC investigation and exclaimed: "I don't f***** need you.
"I have an audience and can talk to them. You're literally insignificant."
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