Rick Shiels has become the first golf creator in history to surpass one billion YouTube views, marking a landmark moment not only for his channel, but for golf media as a whole.
The achievement comes 13 years after the PGA Professional uploaded his first golf videos to YouTube with a simple ambition: help golfers improve and make the game more accessible.
Today, that passion project has grown into Rick Shiels Media, a global golf media business reaching millions of golfers every month through YouTube, podcasting and social media.
The flagship Rick Shiels channel alone has now surpassed one billion views, becoming the first creator led golf channel ever to achieve the milestone. Across its wider network of channels, Rick Shiels Media has generated more than 1.1 billion YouTube views, attracted more than 3.7 million subscribers and amassed over 150 million hours of watch time.
What began with a camera on a driving range has evolved into the world’s largest creator led golf media platform, followed by more than 7.3 million people across YouTube and social media and reaching audiences in every major golfing market worldwide.
When Shiels uploaded his first golf lesson video to YouTube in 2012, golf content on the platform was still in its infancy. The landscape was dominated by television highlights, traditional coaching clips and content produced by governing bodies and broadcasters. Few could have predicted that YouTube would go on to become one of the most influential platforms in golf, changing how fans consume the sport and how golfers learn the game.
Over the last 13 years his content has evolved from instructional lessons into equipment reviews, course vlogs, travel series, challenges, documentaries, podcasts and collaborations with some of the biggest names in golf and sport.
Today, viewers from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia make up the majority of the channel’s audience, reflecting the growing international reach of both golf and digital media. Across the Rick Shiels Media network, audiences have spent more than 150 million hours watching content. That equates to more than 16,000 years of viewing time.
Since launching in 2012, Shiels has published 2,577 videos on his flagship channel, covering coaching, equipment reviews, challenges, course play, travel, major championships and interviews with some of the most recognisable names in golf.
Throughout that period, golf content on YouTube has grown from a niche category into one of the platform’s most influential sports communities, helping introduce new audiences to the game and giving golfers new ways to learn, engage and be entertained.
On reaching this landmark milestone, Shiels said: “When I uploaded my first video in 2012, I never imagined we’d one day be talking about one billion views. What started as a way to help a few golfers improve their game has become something much bigger than I could ever have imagined.
“People often ask what the secret has been. The truth is we’ve just turned up, every week, for thirteen years and tried to make content golfers genuinely want to watch.
“One billion views is an incredible milestone, but what means the most to me is what sits behind that number. For more than a decade we’ve had the privilege of entertaining, educating and connecting with golfers all over the world. Every single view represents someone choosing to spend a little bit of their time with us and I’ll never take that for granted.
“Golf has given me a career, a business, friendships and opportunities I could never have dreamed of. If our content has helped people discover the game, enjoy it more, improve their golf or simply spend time with friends and family, that’s something I’m incredibly proud of. This milestone belongs to everyone who’s watched a video, left a comment, subscribed to the channel or supported us along the way. Without that support, none of this happens.”
The billion-view milestone also reflects the growth of a business that has expanded far beyond a single YouTube channel. Today, Rick Shiels Media employs a team of 12 and operates a growing portfolio of content brands, including H.I.T Golf and The Rick Shiels Golf Show podcast.