K-pop supergroup BLACKPINK has made history by becoming the first artist — and the first Official Artist Channel — to surpass 100 million subscribers on YouTube, solidifying their status as a global digital powerhouse.

BLACKPINK And Selena Gomez
IBTimes US

The milestone was reached at approximately 7:31 p.m. KST on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, according to YG Entertainment and YouTube's official announcements. The group's channel, launched on June 28, 2016, achieved the feat in just nine years and eight months, outpacing all other musicians and musical acts on the platform.

To commemorate the achievement, YouTube presented BLACKPINK with a custom Red Diamond Creator Award, a special honor created for this unprecedented subscriber count. The platform highlighted the group's massive reach in a blog post, noting that BLACKPINK earned over 3.3 billion views in the past 12 months alone, with top countries including Korea (277 million+ views), India (223 million+), Indonesia (218 million+), Mexico (182 million+), the United States (180 million+) and Brazil (168 million+).

The channel boasts nine videos in YouTube's 1 Billion Views Club, led by hits like "DDU-DU DDU-DU" (over 2.5 billion views), "How You Like That," "Kill This Love" and others. In total, BLACKPINK's content has amassed more than 41.1 billion cumulative views across roughly 50 videos that each exceed 100 million views. Guinness World Records previously recognized them as the most-viewed band on YouTube, a title they continue to hold.

BLACKPINK's official Instagram account celebrated the moment with multiple posts, including one declaring "BLACKPINK HITS 100 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS ON YOUTUBE" alongside hashtags like #BLACKPINK, #블랙핑크, #100MILLION and #YOUTUBE. Fans, known as BLINKs, flooded the comments with congratulations, with many calling it a "huge flex" and praising the quartet — Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa — for paving the way in global K-pop dominance.

The achievement arrives at a pivotal time for the group. BLACKPINK is preparing for their third mini album, "DEADLINE," set for release on Feb. 27, 2026, marking their first full-group comeback in several years following individual solo activities and the members' focus on personal projects. The timing has fueled excitement among fans, who see the subscriber surge as momentum heading into new music.

YouTube emphasized BLACKPINK's role in the platform's creator ecosystem, noting the milestone as a first for any Official Artist Channel — a designation for verified artist pages that aggregate music videos, live performances and behind-the-scenes content. No other musical act, including top Western artists like Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber, or fellow K-pop groups like BTS (which trails significantly in subscriber counts on official channels), has reached this threshold.

The group's global appeal stems from their boundary-pushing music blending hip-hop, EDM and pop, charismatic performances and strategic social media engagement. BLACKPINK's YouTube success mirrors their broader dominance: record-breaking concert tours like the "Born Pink World Tour," massive streaming numbers on platforms like Spotify and YouTube Music, and individual member successes — with Lisa, Jennie, Rosé and Jisoo each amassing billions of streams and views on solo tracks.

Industry analysts view the 100 million milestone as a testament to K-pop's evolution into a dominant force in global entertainment. BLACKPINK's channel has consistently ranked as the most-subscribed among music artists, holding the top spot in various 2026 rankings with a wide lead over competitors. Their content strategy — high-production music videos, dance practices, reality series like "BLACKPINK Diaries" and fan interactions — has kept engagement high even during hiatus periods.

Fan reactions poured in across social media. On Reddit's r/BlackPink, users hailed it as "the first artist in the world to achieve this feat," while Instagram and Threads posts echoed pride in the group's influence. BLINKs worldwide credited collective support, with comments like "100 millions of BLINK ❤️" and "We did it!"

YG Entertainment expressed gratitude to fans in statements, underscoring how BLINKs' loyalty propelled the record. The agency highlighted the group's journey from debut in 2016 to global icons, with YouTube serving as a key platform for connecting with audiences.

As BLACKPINK gears up for "DEADLINE" and potential world tour announcements, this subscriber record reinforces their unparalleled digital footprint. It also sets a new benchmark for artists in the streaming era, where fan communities drive unprecedented growth.

With the Red Diamond Award in hand and 100 million strong, BLACKPINK's channel continues to grow, proving their reign in the digital space shows no signs of slowing.