Next TV Firetalk at VidCon: YouTube Star Lilly Singh ‘Shocked About How the Internet Works’

Anaheim, Calif. -- Amid a crowd of fans at VidCon Saturday and following a recently wrapped 30-show, two-month live world stage tour, online star Lilly Singh aka YouTube’s Superwoman said while she would love to get into TV and film, she won’t do it at the expense of YouTube.

“I still want to keep making videos,” Singh told B&C during a Next TV-themed segment on the Firetalk Live stage at VidCon. “I still want to maintain this community because this is the community that got me all my opportunities. YouTube for sure will continue, TV and film, and I’d love to continue live performances.”

The special connection digital talent have with fans and the reach that they are capable of via the web was as clear as ever across the three days of VidCon in Anaheim last week.

Throughout Saturday morning, the final day of the event, fans could still be heard screaming every few minutes as they encountered their favorite online personalities. Execs buzzed about how the digital world on display is now firmly a destination, not just the stepping stone it was once viewed as for entertainment careers.

Even for a star like Singh, who has millions of subscribers to her channels, the power of being a digital talent can be, in her words, “shocking.”

“I was shocked how the Internet works,” Singh said about what she was surprised at about her tour. “I know that sounds weird, but even as a YouTuber I feel weird sometimes going to somewhere like Hong Kong I’ve never been before and seeing a sold-out stadium of people. I’m like, ‘The Internet works? You know who I am?’ It’s shocking to me, shocking.”

Next TV unveiled a discount code from the Firetalk stage at VidCon for attendees of the upcoming Next TV Summit & Expo New York on Oct. 21 . Use the code FIRETALK for 10% off registration.

Video of the Next TV chat with Lilly Singh on the Firetalk stage follows.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dyFkqg8rTU[/embed]

Grego also sat down at VidCon with Vin di Bona Prods.’ executive VP Lisa Black and content creators Sam Macaroni and Dimitri Simakis as well as Collective Digital Studio talent manager Joe Hodorowicz.

Watch the videos below:

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T819TRCQ8ek[/embed][embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qFQHKUkUPE[/embed]

Jessika Walsten

Jessika is an analyst for TVREV and Fabric Media. She previously served in various roles at Broadcasting + Cable, Multichannel News and NextTV, working with the brands since 2013. A graduate of USC Annenberg, Jessika has edited and reported on a variety of subjects in the media and entertainment space, including profiles on industry leaders and breaking news.