Around 40% of PewDiePie's audience uses AdBlock

YouTube's biggest earner, PewDiePie, has spoken out against blocking ads and revealed that around 40 percent of the people watching his videos are using ad block.

In a response to YouTube Red, many YouTubers with large audiences, as well as regular users, have spoken out against the new subscription model. The site's biggest star, however, believes Red is a natural result of users blocking ads.

In a new blog post, PewDiePie revealed that around 40 percent of those watching his videos use some sort of ad block. That number used to be 15-20 percent earlier in his career, according to him.

Although he smartly avoids blaming ad block users directly, PewDiePie says blocking ads has consequences, and it's a big reason why YouTube introduced Red. "Using Adblock doesn't mean you’re clever and above the system," he said.

Red costs $10 per month and gives users the ability to save videos offline on mobile, background play for music, and of course offers an ad-free experience. One of the ways YouTube is using to bring subscribers is produce original content, with its banner show starring PewDiePie.

Whether or not you care about PewDiePie's content, the fact remains that the ad-supported model is on its way out. YouTube Red, and other similar subscription services, are just one way for the web to move away from its complete reliance on ads and stay alive.