Ryan Kaji, YouTube's highest-paid star, meets fans and previews film at Bentonville Film Festival

BENTONVILLE – Ryan's World jumped from the computer screen into real life in Bentonville on Friday, much to the delight of some area youth.

Ryan Kaji, the 12-year-old star of the YouTube channel Ryan's World, which has over 37 million subscribers, appeared at the Momentary for a meet and greet with fans.

The Bentonville Film Festival website stated that fans could share their love of all things Ryan as the festival offered them a unique opportunity to interact with Ryan at the free event.

On Thursday, the Bentonville Film Festival previewed the upcoming feature film on Ryan's channel titled “Ryan's World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure” at the Geena Davis Outdoor Theater.

Ryan's parents started the channel in 2015. In 2017, Ryan became the youngest person to make Forbes' top earners list at age 6. At this point, his videos mostly consisted of his parents filming him testing out various toys.

As Ryan has grown, the type of content the family produces has changed. The channel description currently reads: “Ryan loves lots of fun things like role-playing, science experiments, music videos, skits, competitions, crafts, and more.”

FANS ARE TOGETHER

Patti Boger surprised her 8-year-old son, Stetson, by taking him to the event to see his favorite YouTuber. She said that as a mom, she appreciates how enriching the content can be for kids by giving them fun ways to play in real life.

“I like that it gives him the opportunity to let his creativity run free, because he also attaches great importance to art.”

She added that she likes that Ryan's family is so experimental. Stetson is very independent and he loves experimenting, baking and art, Boger said. That gives him ideas for the kind of plays he wants to do.

Stetson has been a fan of the channel for years and watches Ryan's videos “every day.” Stetson said he and his mom have used Ryan's World videos to do fun things, like making homemade ice cream together.

“It was a bus,” he added.

Translation: This means it was a success.

Ashley Clark brought her 6-year-old son, Landon, to the event. She said he has been watching Ryan's World content for the past three years and was excited to meet the Kaji family. Landon said it was a great experience.

“Just the things they do, the different activities, he seems to enjoy everything,” Clark said. “It's definitely family-friendly too, so that's another plus.”

Quincy Ward, whose 9-year-old son is a fan of the channel, brought his family to Thursday's preview. He had similar sentiments, saying he liked how the channel creates “good, clean content” that is appropriate for children. He added that his children have been watching Ryan's videos for five years and his son even has bedsheets of “Red Titan,” a character from Ryan's fictional world.

The growth continues

YouTube shows that Ryan's World has had over 57 billion total views since the channel was created.

A partnership with children's entertainment company Pocket.Watch brought Ryan's brand and merchandise to companies like Nickolodeon, Amazon, Target and Walmart, according to a 2019 Business Insider article. Forbes reported that Ryan earned nearly $30 million in revenue in 2020, making him the highest-paid YouTube star in the world.

The Kaji family's business activities made controversial headlines in 2019 when The New York Times reported that the Federal Trade Commission had received a complaint from the watchdog group Truth in Advertising, which said the Kajis were deceiving children through sponsored videos that often look and feel like organic content.

According to Time Magazine, YouTube's parent company Google eventually paid the FTC $170 million in compensation as part of a larger Children's Online Privacy Protection Act case. As a result, YouTube had to tighten its advertising rules for content aimed at children.

Through partnerships with various companies and several TV shows on Nickolodeon and Amazon, the Kaji family's income remained stable in the following years. Ryan's World content also remained popular, with several videos receiving over 1 million views last month.

Fans can see Ryan on the big screen when Ryan's World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure hits theaters on August 16.

YouTube star Ryan Kaji (center) smiles with his family on Friday as he takes a photo with his fan Willow Woolsey (4) (left) of Rogers at the Momentary in Bentonville. The 12-year-old YouTube star held a meet and greet with his family at the Toy Corner at the Momentary as part of the Bentonville Film Festival. Visit nwaonline.com/photos for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)

YouTube star Ryan Kaji (center) smiles with his family on Friday as he takes a photo with fans Anthony Silva, 7, (left) and Katherine Silva, 9, (right) at the Momentary in Bentonville. The 12-year-old YouTube star held a meet and greet with his family at the Toy Corner at the Momentary as part of the Bentonville Film Festival. Visit nwaonline.com/photos for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)

Fans line up to meet Ryan Kaji at the Momentary in Bentonville on Friday. The 12-year-old YouTube star hosted a meet and greet with his family at the Toy Corner at The Momentary as part of the Bentonville Film Festival. Visit nwaonline.com/photos for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)

YouTube star Ryan Kaji smiles as he meets fans at the Momentary in Bentonville on Friday. The 12-year-old YouTube star hosted a meet and greet at the Toy Corner at the Momentary with his family as part of the Bentonville Film Festival. Visit nwaonline.com/photos for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)

Ryan Kaji and his family talk to fans before a preview of the upcoming film “Ryan's World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure” at the Bentonville Film Festival on Thursday. Kaji's YouTube channel has over 37 million subscribers. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Michael Main)

Ryan Kaji and his family greet fans at the Bentonville Film Festival on Friday, June 14, 2024. Kaji is the star of the YouTube channel Ryan's World, which has over 37 million subscribers. (Michael Main/NWA Democrat-Gazette)

Fans wait in line at the Bentonville Film Festival to meet 12-year-old YouTube star Ryan Kaji on Friday, June 14, 2024. Kaji's channel, Ryan's World, has over 37 million subscribers. (Michael Main/NWA Democrat-Gazette)