MrBeast’s YouTube shorts now have more views than his videos—here’s why it matters

MrBeast’s YouTube Shorts have now racked up more views than the long-form videos that made him famous. It marks a turning point not just for him, but for the way people watch content on YouTube.

Shorts pass a major milestone

According to data from MrBeast Statistics, Shorts on Jimmy Donaldson’s channel have crossed 47.3 billion views as of August 22. That puts them ahead of his long-form uploads, which sit at 46.6 billion.

It also means that more than half of his total watch count now comes from vertical clips that last less than a minute.

This shift is huge for the platform’s most popular creator. MrBeast built his empire on big-budget challenges, giveaways, and high-stakes stunts. But the numbers show that quick-hit content is what’s driving most of the traffic today.

Which Shorts are breaking records?

Some of his clips are pulling numbers that long-form videos can’t match. Four separate Shorts have cleared the billion-view mark.

His all-time most-watched video—a 2021 recreation of Squid Game—sits at 871 million. That’s a viral juggernaut by any standard, but still below the top-performing Shorts.

Then there’s the 1 Subscriber = 1 Penny Donated Short, which pulled in more than 68 million views in just one day. Data from MrBeast Insights says it’s one of the fastest-growing videos YouTube has ever seen.

Why it matters for creators

MrBeast isn’t the only one capitalizing on the format. Smaller creators are also leaning into Shorts, with some claiming they earn thousands each month from AI-generated clips that take only a few hours to make.

For those who can’t produce massive, big-budget stunts, Shorts offer a more accessible way to rack up views and ad revenue.

For MrBeast, the takeaway is clear. Shorts are no longer a side experiment on his channel—they’re the main driver of growth. And for YouTube, it’s proof that the future of the platform is just as much about quick swipes as it is about long sit-down videos.

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