Smithsonian Channel YouTube channel thumbnail

Subscribers 4.3M

Videos 3.3K

Views 1.4B

Channels Like Smithsonian Channel

Smithsonian Channel covers history, science, nature, and discovery through awe-inspiring documentaries and entertaining storytelling. Video topics range from LGBTQ+ history and factory processes to nature observations and knowledge-based segments, indicating long-form documentaries and explanatory content with occasional series like Knowledge Knockout. The channel publishes new videos regularly, with an average of about 41.1K views per video and an overall catalog of 3,300 videos, indicating diverse uploads and a steady content cadence.

Similar Channels

We found 41 YouTube channels similar to Smithsonian Channel

#1

BBC Earth Science

85% relevance

Subscribers 1.8M

Videos 1.5K

Views 287.7M

Appearances 20

SERP 100%

Similarity 75%

science documentaries space telescope discoveries earth science documentaries

High overlap in searches for science documentaries and earth/space topics (100% search alignment) with content focused on science documentaries and earth science; 85% overall match indicating strong audience and topic similarity but potential stylistic differences from Smithsonian Channel.

#2

TED-Ed view on YouTube ▶

82% relevance

Subscribers 22.4M

Videos 2.3K

Views 4.5B

Appearances 17

SERP 98%

Similarity 72%

natural history biological strange facts insects behavior

Great overlap on natural history and biological topics (queries like natural history, insects behavior) with a very high search match; however, TED-Ed's short-form, educational animation style diverges from Smithsonian Channel's documentary presentation (82% overall match with 98% search, 72% content).

National Geographic YouTube channel thumbnail

#3

National Geographic view on YouTube ▶

79% relevance

Subscribers 25.9M

Videos 11K

Views 6.9B

Appearances 19

SERP 85%

Similarity 74%

history documentaries air and space exploration natural history

Strong alignment on history, air/space exploration, and natural history (high search for those queries) and substantial content similarity, reflecting a shared focus on science and exploration, yielding a 79% overall match.

#4

BBC Earth view on YouTube ▶

78% relevance

Subscribers 14.3M

Videos 3.3K

Views 5.5B

Appearances 14

SERP 79%

Similarity 78%

natural history wildlife behavior insects behavior

Shared emphasis on natural history and wildlife behavior as well as insects behavior (high search overlap) with solid content alignment, resulting in an 78% overall match.

#5

CrashCourse view on YouTube ▶

69% relevance

Subscribers 16.9M

Videos 1.6K

Views 2.2B

Appearances 9

SERP 69%

Similarity 69%

air and space exploration wildlife behavior stonewall LGBTQ history

Overlap on topics like air and space exploration and wildlife behavior (moderate search alignment) but broader scope including history and LGBTQ topics; content style differs, giving a 69% overall match.

#6

NOVA PBS Official

64% relevance

Subscribers 1.4M

Videos 1.4K

Views 247.1M

Appearances 5

SERP 43%

Similarity 78%

science documentaries quantum physics simplified

Competes on science documentaries and accessible science topics (strong search overlap) but diverges in presentation style and depth (quantum physics simplified), yielding a 64% overall match.

Content Landscape

Discovered competitors include BBC Earth Science (85% match) and TED-Ed (82% match) as the closest rivals. BBC Earth Science overlaps on science documentaries and earth science content, while TED-Ed shares themes in natural history, biological facts, and insect behavior. National Geographic (79% match) and BBC Earth (78% match) also compete through history documentaries, natural history, and wildlife topics. Top competitors by match percentage are BBC Earth Science (85%), TED-Ed (82%), and National Geographic (79%). Smithsonian Channel has 4.3M subscribers, whereas competitors like TED-Ed (22.4M) and National Geographic (25.9M) are larger, with BBC Earth (14.3M) and BBC Earth Science (1.8M) varying in size. Shared queries include history documentaries, natural history, science and space exploration, wildlife behavior, and insects behavior.

Video Highlights

Didn't Make the Cut

35 additional channels that were close

Rank	Relevance	Channel	Similarity	Subscribers	SERP	Appearances
#7	62%	Free High-Quality Documentaries ▶	77%	1.5M	41%	4
#8	62%	Natural History Museum ▶	76%	255K	41%	8
#9	61%	WIRED ▶	71%	12.8M	48%	5
#10	61%	Professor Dave Explains ▶	72%	4.2M	46%	8
#11	60%	Get.factual ▶	71%	818K	43%	3
#12	58%	Natural World Facts ▶	74%	1.0M	34%	5
#13	57%	Real Science	74%	2.1M	31%	6
#14	57%	PBS Eons	76%	3.2M	29%	3
#15	56%	Science Channel ▶	81%	5.3M	19%	4
#16	56%	HISTORY ▶	74%	15.2M	28%	3
#17	54%	Timeline - World History Documentaries ▶	63%	5.8M	42%	4
#18	52%	SLICE Full Doc ▶	75%	479K	17%	3
#19	52%	Nat Geo Animals	77%	6.3M	14%	4
#20	52%	Astrum Earth ▶	75%	324K	16%	1
#21	51%	Amoeba Sisters ▶	70%	2.8M	24%	3
#22	51%	Reactions ▶	72%	785K	20%	1
#23	51%	Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art	72%	3.9K	20%	1
#24	51%	Next Generation Science	72%	251K	19%	2
#25	51%	BBC Studios	75%	3.9M	14%	3
#26	50%	Science with Mr. Harris	73%	4.8K	16%	1
#27	50%	Claw Wildlife	74%	26.7K	13%	1
#28	49%	Verge Science	72%	1.1M	13%	1
#29	49%	The Infographics Show ▶	68%	15.4M	20%	1
#30	48%	exo-SCIENCE	70%	125K	16%	1
#31	48%	DW Documentary ▶	70%	6.4M	14%	2
#32	48%	Animations Xplaned	69%	62.7K	16%	1
#33	48%	CBC News Saskatchewan	66%	44.2K	20%	1
#34	48%	Science ABC	68%	528K	18%	2
#35	47%	Institute of Human Anatomy ▶	66%	8.7M	19%	2
#36	47%	EarthPen	68%	91.6K	16%	1
#37	47%	FuseSchool - Global Education ▶	65%	915K	20%	1
#38	47%	Bugs and Biology	67%	40.7K	16%	1
#39	44%	AnimalWised	63%	636K	16%	1
#40	44%	Washington and Lee University	63%	11.6K	16%	1
#41	44%	Aero Guide	62%	4.9K	16%	1

Search Queries Used

history documentaries air and space exploration natural history science documentaries biological strange facts wildlife behavior marine biology insects behavior albatross mating new zealand wildlife cheese production science yeast fermentation beer brewing science stonewall LGBTQ history archive history research ancient civilizations overview orbital mechanics basics marine ecosystem dynamics animal migration patterns geologic time scale botanical extraordinarily adaptations oceanic exploration history archaeology field methods bioluminescent organisms facts space telescope discoveries climate change effects on wildlife mythology vs science history quantum physics simplified aerodynamics in aviation earth science documentaries deep sea explorations insect sensory biology photosynthesis mechanisms explained volcano eruption science meteor impact evidence

Frequently Asked Questions

Which YouTube channels are most similar to Smithsonian Channel?

BBC Earth Science — 85% match, 1.8M subscribers; TED-Ed — 82% match, 22.4M subscribers; National Geographic — 79% match, 25.9M subscribers. All are science-focused channels sharing documentary-style content and educational videos similar to Smithsonian Channel.

What type of content does Smithsonian Channel make?

Smithsonian Channel creates documentary and educational content across history, science, animals, space, ships, airplanes, and discovery topics, as suggested by keywords and recent videos. They upload infrequently, with an average of about 0.2 uploads per week and an average of 41.1K views per video.

How do we determine which channels are similar to Smithsonian Channel?

We analyze Smithsonian Channel's recent videos, generate topic-relevant search queries, check YouTube search results, and compare the meaning of each channel's content to measure similarity. The result is a ranked list sorted by SERP overlap, semantic similarity, and search appearances.

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