DreamWorks Animation-owned AwesomenessTV has acquired rival YouTube youth network Big Frame for US$15m.

The deal almost doubles the multi-platform media company’s subscriber base on YouTube, taking it from 41 million to 80 million, and also gives it access to Big Frame’s huge pool of young content creators.

“With AwesomenessTV committed to aggressive growth, the acquisition of Big Frame enables us to bring on expertise in talent development as well as a great group of YouTube stars,” said AwesomenessTV’s chief operating officer Brett Bouttier.

Particularly popular with fans of the beauty, fashion, fitness and music genres, Big Frame has amassed more than 300 talent-run channels since 2011. AwesomenessTV and Big Frame combined are now expected to attract close to a billion views on YouTube a month.

The transaction is subject to various conditions and is expected to close this month.

The AwesomenessTV multi-channel network provides a space for creators to upload content and contains more than 80,000 channels on YouTube.

Nickelodeon in the US has to date greenlit two live-action series in collaboration with AwesomenessTV, bringing its user-generated content to linear television.

AwesomenessTV was acquired by ^[1] DreamWorks Animation last year in a deal that could eventually be worth up to US$117m.

Brian Robbins, AwesomenessTV’s founder and CEO, has previously said ^[2] that the firm is set to expand into multiple markets in other languages this year, potentially in Brazil and the UK.