Magnus Midtbø (34) has become a household name for several Norwegians, including after his participation in the NRK program “Masters’ Master” and TV 2’s “Forræder”.
However, the Bergen native was a familiar face out in the wider world long before the 12th season of “Master of Masters” rolled across Norwegian TV screens in 2021.
Around the same time as he put his highly successful competitive climbing career on hold in 2017, he began publishing regular videos on own YouTube channel.
The multiple Norwegian champion currently has the website’s most popular climbing channel according to the statistics page Socialblade.
On Friday 27 January, he was named this year’s influencer in sports and exercise at the Vixen Awards.
This is the secret
The recipe for video success consists of a lot of passion and a good dose of effort, we are to believe the climbing profile itself.
TRAITOR FINALIST: The climbing profile went all the way to the final in the first season of Traitor on TV 2. Photo: Ole-Martin Sandness
– It’s the same thing that made me good at climbing, that I love to keep doing it. It’s just about doing it a lot and going into it wholeheartedly. In the same way that I became obsessed with climbing, I became obsessed with making YouTube videos, says Midtbø to TV 2.
With close to 1.6 million followers, he has Norway’s 20th largest YouTube channel. He also has 450,000 followers on Instagram.
The 34-year-old believes that the ability to be himself in front of the camera is part of the reason why he has become so popular.
– It’s about being as honest and genuine as possible. I think a lot of people, myself included, think that everything should be polished all the time. But there is a reason why big companies are now using mobiles to film commercials for millions.
Received severe criticism from the climbing community
At the time of writing, close to 1.6 million subscribe to Midtbø’s channel.
Climbing is still a central part of the video portfolio, although he also explores other themes. Among other things, a video Midtbø has recorded together with the Norwegian Armed Forces has received 6.5 million views in just over a year and a half.
– Often it is not the climbing videos that are seen by most people, he explains.
– From the beginning, the goal has been to make videos that people who don’t do climbing can also be interested in.
However, not everyone has been impressed by the change of scene for the former climbing champion.
When Midtbø changed his style in order to attract a wider audience, he received strong support from several people in the climbing community.
– It is a very difficult balance. I was called a “sell-out” when I started making videos that were not aimed at the core of the climbing community, says the man with 12 royal trophies.
Midtbø had a final shock in Forræder
Was tricked: – One ugg feeling
The YouTube star says that it is easier to ignore the negative criticism now that the channel is floating, but that it was not as easy when there was a shortage of both money and followers.
– It is much easier now, when I have succeeded. But in the beginning it was tough.
Considered quitting
It is not a matter of course that Midtbø would become climbing’s big YouTube king.
The Bergen resident has no formal media training, and spent a long time figuring out that he could actually make a living from the climbing videos.
– I had probably made 100 videos before I realized that I could start making money from this. 100 videos of 20 minutes each, it’s a lot of work before you realize that something can come of this.
The climbing profile says that self-belief was important to get through the canal’s narrow birth.
At the same time, he acknowledges that he was not very high on his hat when he told others about the YouTube channel in its infancy.
– It’s very embarrassing when things don’t go so well and there are few viewers, says Midtbø.
– I didn’t talk too much about the channel at the start and downplayed how much time I actually spent on it. I didn’t want to seem like an idiot for spending a lot of time on this, but I didn’t really do anything other than just edit videos.
The athletic Westerner reveals that he was close to shutting down the Youtube venture on several occasions.
– I considered it several times. But now I’m very glad I didn’t.
Delivers “very comfortably” by Youtube
With more than 240 million views on Youtube, Midtbø can count himself happy that he did not shelve the video project when the prospects were dark.
The Bergen resident says that it is the money from YouTube that “pays his bills”, and that his presence on social media has given him a “very comfortable” living situation.
The video career has also given the 34-year-old the opportunity to invest in climbing centers in several Norwegian cities.
In addition, the success has apparently caused several people in the climbing community to turn their backs on the man who was previously characterized as a “sell-out”.
– Now I see that people understand more about what I do. The best climbers in the world want to be in my videos, so now everything is going very well.
