Kareem Rahma on ‘SubwayTakes’ Earning First-Ever Emmy Nomination: ‘A Milestone for the Entire Creator Community’
YouTube is the new television and the future of media. So much so that awards voters are now making room for creator-led shows on their ballots.
In July, Kareem Rahma’s viral YouTube hit “SubwayTakes” was recognized in the outstanding short form comedy, drama or variety series category. Since 2023, Rahma’s show, with over 760 episodes and over 633 million views on YouTube, has taken place on the New York City subway, where he prompts regular folks and A-list talent to share a “take” while speaking into mics held up by a MetroCard.
“Every conversation on this show starts with people willing to trust us, and every episode is carried by a crew and group of collaborators we’re lucky to work with,“ Rahma tells Variety about his Emmy nomination. “That an original, independent show built online through YouTube, without a traditional streamer, is being recognized alongside television’s best is a milestone for the entire creator community — one we hope opens the door even wider in the years to come.”
That could become a reality soon as YouTube’s massive reach and usage are far bigger than any TV network. YouTube reached over 244 million people 18+ across all devices in the U.S. (representing 91% of the total population) in November 2025. In addition, YouTube has been the No. 1 streaming service in watch time each month for the last three years.
Rahma has great admiration for the way YouTube has revolutionized the TV landscape. “I don’t have to worry about global rights. I don’t have to worry about if my family abroad can watch it … because of rights issues. It’s just there,” he recently told Variety. “YouTube is TV as far as I’m concerned.”
The biggest A-list actors and entertainers are promoting projects on YouTube shows, with some studios’ PR teams seeking interviews with creators, like Rahma. Though legacy media and prestige stops have not disappeared, press in 2026 is ever-changing. Creator-led conversations on YouTube are outperforming many traditional press junket and red carpet interviews. “SubwayTakes” has become a press stop that drives conversation and captures audiences.
But Rahma’s loyal fans and followers know that the host doesn’t just entertain with high-profile Hollywood types. He also spotlights janitors, taxi drivers, massage therapists and indie comics. “In an entertainment landscape filled with wall-to-wall celebrities, there was an opening to make the everyday person a celebrity,” the Cairo-born, Minnesota-raised star recently told Variety.
Because “SubwayTakes” is filmed on a running, live subway train, the public also feels comfortable weighing in. “Having people from the train jump in and talk to us … always makes the show better. It goes back to the original thesis that everyone has something to say and everyone is interesting if you give them a platform,” Rahma shared.
“I figured maybe there’s an opportunity to give everyone the talk show treatment. So it’s always been a talk show,“ he continued. “Why the show has resonated so much is that it feels real. Because it is real. We don’t block anything, people walk through all the time. People chime in. People talk to us while we’re shooting. It’s shot in front of a live audience. Sometimes that audience is going to work. Sometimes the audience is picking up their kids from school, but they’re watching. In a landscape and an entertainment landscape where everything feels kind of fake or high gloss, this is super real, yet still high production value. We still use professional cinema cameras, professional sound equipment, and have a professional process when it comes to booking, post-production, pre-production, all of that stuff.
“I call it the most sophisticated show about the stupidest topics … it should be fun, yet sophisticated. I don’t want to be a journalist. I want to be an entertainer. I just want to entertain. That’s my only goal in life: to entertain.”
In July, Kareem Rahma’s viral YouTube hit “SubwayTakes” was recognized in the outstanding short form comedy, drama or variety series category. Since 2023, Rahma’s show, with over 760 episodes and over 633 million views on YouTube, has taken place on the New York City subway, where he prompts regular folks and A-list talent to share a “take” while speaking into mics held up by a MetroCard.
“Every conversation on this show starts with people willing to trust us, and every episode is carried by a crew and group of collaborators we’re lucky to work with,“ Rahma tells Variety about his Emmy nomination. “That an original, independent show built online through YouTube, without a traditional streamer, is being recognized alongside television’s best is a milestone for the entire creator community — one we hope opens the door even wider in the years to come.”
That could become a reality soon as YouTube’s massive reach and usage are far bigger than any TV network. YouTube reached over 244 million people 18+ across all devices in the U.S. (representing 91% of the total population) in November 2025. In addition, YouTube has been the No. 1 streaming service in watch time each month for the last three years.
Rahma has great admiration for the way YouTube has revolutionized the TV landscape. “I don’t have to worry about global rights. I don’t have to worry about if my family abroad can watch it … because of rights issues. It’s just there,” he recently told Variety. “YouTube is TV as far as I’m concerned.”
The biggest A-list actors and entertainers are promoting projects on YouTube shows, with some studios’ PR teams seeking interviews with creators, like Rahma. Though legacy media and prestige stops have not disappeared, press in 2026 is ever-changing. Creator-led conversations on YouTube are outperforming many traditional press junket and red carpet interviews. “SubwayTakes” has become a press stop that drives conversation and captures audiences.
But Rahma’s loyal fans and followers know that the host doesn’t just entertain with high-profile Hollywood types. He also spotlights janitors, taxi drivers, massage therapists and indie comics. “In an entertainment landscape filled with wall-to-wall celebrities, there was an opening to make the everyday person a celebrity,” the Cairo-born, Minnesota-raised star recently told Variety.
Because “SubwayTakes” is filmed on a running, live subway train, the public also feels comfortable weighing in. “Having people from the train jump in and talk to us … always makes the show better. It goes back to the original thesis that everyone has something to say and everyone is interesting if you give them a platform,” Rahma shared.
“I figured maybe there’s an opportunity to give everyone the talk show treatment. So it’s always been a talk show,“ he continued. “Why the show has resonated so much is that it feels real. Because it is real. We don’t block anything, people walk through all the time. People chime in. People talk to us while we’re shooting. It’s shot in front of a live audience. Sometimes that audience is going to work. Sometimes the audience is picking up their kids from school, but they’re watching. In a landscape and an entertainment landscape where everything feels kind of fake or high gloss, this is super real, yet still high production value. We still use professional cinema cameras, professional sound equipment, and have a professional process when it comes to booking, post-production, pre-production, all of that stuff.
“I call it the most sophisticated show about the stupidest topics … it should be fun, yet sophisticated. I don’t want to be a journalist. I want to be an entertainer. I just want to entertain. That’s my only goal in life: to entertain.”