LOS ANGELES — Last Friday, on December 15 around 1:30 p.m. PST, only six years after its founding, PragerU crossed the 1 billion views mark across all digital platforms for its five-minute, online video courses. More noteworthy, 60% of those views come from individuals 35 and younger and the organization now averages between 2-3 million views every day. Year-over-year viewership has nearly tripled in 2017 and many of PragerU’s videos, even those produced and released in prior years, have gone viral in 2017:
- Was the Civil War About Slavery? – Col. Ty Seidule – 26.5 Million Views
- War On Boys – Christina Sommers – 16.5 Million Views
- The Inconvenient Truth About the Democratic Party – Carol Swain – 13.6 Million Views
- Why I Left the Left – Dave Rubin – 12.1 Million Views
- How the States Can Save America – Jim DeMint – 10.5 Million Views
“PragerU has eclipsed 1 billion views much faster than anyone predicted, and viewership is rapidly accelerating,” says Marissa Streit, CEO of PragerU. “It’s just another indication that our content is resonating with millions and millions of people. It’s a testament to the power of America’s founding ideas, the compelling topics presented by our world-class speakers, and our amazing team who makes it all happen.”
A 2017 online survey conducted by PragerU revealed that 70% of respondents changed their minds on at least one issue after watching a PragerU video; 86% use or reference PragerU videos when engaging in political discussions; and 16% said PragerU influenced or changed the way they voted in the 2016 presidential election.
“I started PragerU to tell young people the truth about America’s founding ideas,” says the founder of PragerU, Dennis Prager. “These principles helped make the United States the most prosperous, free and influential nation in human history. Unfortunately these values are under constant assault from the media, our educational institutions and the ‘illiberal’ left. We want the next generation of Americans, and all those around the world who love and cherish freedom, to have the intellectual ammunition necessary to advocate for these ideas and preserve all that is truly exceptional about our nation.”
PragerU’s meteoric rise has not been without its challenges. In October, PragerU filed a lawsuit against Google – owner of YouTube, the world’s largest video platform and the second most used search engine (behind Google) – for demonetizing and restricting access to 15% of the organization’s video library. Currently, 39 of PragerU’s videos remain restricted from the very audience it hopes to reach – young people. Many parents, schools, and public libraries use YouTube’s restricted mode to keep objectionable and inappropriate adult and sexually explicit content from their children. It is clear that PragerU videos have been restricted, not because they are explicit or inappropriate for children in any way, but rather because they promote conservative values.
Companies like Google/YouTube, Facebook and Twitter have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years as they have grown to near monopolies with respect to the publication and dissemination of information online. The lawsuit has placed PragerU at the center of a heated, national debate about free speech on the internet and carries with it profound implications for both the future of the First Amendment and political debate in America.
MEDIA NOTE: PragerU Founder Dennis Prager and CEO Marissa Streit are available for comment. To request an interview, please contact: MediaInquiries@theKcompany.co
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PragerU, founded by Dennis Prager in 2011, is a not-for-profit organization that helps millions understand the values that shaped America and provides millions of Americans and people around the world with the intellectual ammunition they need to advocate for limited government, individual responsibility and economic freedom. In 2016 alone, PragerU’s videos received over 250 million views, a figure that will eclipse 625 million in 2017. PragerU is a resource for all who value liberty. It is a threat to all those who do not.
Website | www.PragerU.com
