PGA Professional Rick Shiels, who last year became the most subscribed golf YouTube channel in the world, has this week reached another milestone, becoming the first golf-focussed YouTube channel to surpass the one million subscriber barrier.
Shiels, who launched his ‘Rick Shiels Golf’ YouTube channel in 2011, has seen unprecedented growth over recent months, gaining over 275,000 subscribers since the start of 2020, as his content has continued to resonate with audiences around the world.
Shiels said: “Our focus is always on creating content that will add value to our viewers, whether that be through them learning something new, improving their game, being entertained or a combination of all three. We don’t set out to specifically grow subscribers, but as we neared the one million milestone it had become a huge goal for me and the team. To be the first golf-focussed channel to receive the gold YouTube plaque is incredible!”
Alongside his growing YouTube audience, the reach of Rick Shiels Media has also grown across other social platforms, as audiences continue to seek authentic voices for their golf news and entertainment. Sheils’ diverse portfolio of content, which is centred around his independence and impartiality, ranges from club reviews, coaching tips, golf interest stories and entertaining challenges, and achieves over 210 million impressions and 24 million views each month.
To mark the milestone, Shiels has announced that he will be launching a junior development initiative, which will support his fellow PGA Professionals and junior coaching programmes, launching in Spring 2021.
Shiels continued: “I have had some of my most rewarding coaching experiences running junior camps and bringing new players into the game, and I’m hopeful that I can use the platform that I now have to spread that message even wider. Despite recent events and limitations on social events, we have some really positive discussions that are on-going, and we are really looking forward to formally launching the initiative in 2021.”