Baby Shark becomes Youtube's No. 1 video with 7 bn views

South Korean edtech startup SmartStudy’s video Pinkfong Baby Shark Dance has claimed the No. 1 position as the most-watched video on Youtube. It is the first time for a Korean content video to win the title.

Pinkfong is an educational brand created by SmartStudy. According to the company, the kid's song and dance video exceeded 7 billion views around 1:20 p.m. on Nov. 2, overtaking Despacito, a music video by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi, who has held the record since 2017.

Pinkfong Baby Shark video was first released on Pinkfong’s Youtube channel in June 2016 as an updated version of the previous video in 2015.

The song's addictive lyrics and catchy tune accompanied with easy-to-follow dance moves have made it a megahit for children. This is the first time that a children’s video has become the most-watched video in Youtube’s history.

Sources: Courtesy of Pinkfong! Kids' Songs & Stories channel on Youtube

Riding on the video's global success, SmartStudy has expanded its business using Baby Shark and Pinkfong brand's intellectual property. The company has created around 5,000 videos featuring content for children, as well as 125 mobile content apps with over 2.5 billion downloads. Pinkfong's Youtube channel has around 66 million subscribers.

In addition to online services, SmartStudy has also rolled out offline programs including pop-up stores, children’s musicals and character-themed products.

Write to Han-jong Choi at onebell@hankyung.com
Danbee Lee edited this article.