Currently, public sub counts are abbreviated in most but not all places across YouTube. In August, we’ll make this more consistent by always showing abbreviated sub counts publicly. Creators: You’ll still see your full sub count in Studio! Learn more → http://yt.be/help/abbrev-count …pic.twitter.com/pmaKk4EU4k
If that were true then why mess with the API? That is not a place you publically report numbers. Be consistent on your own spots but leave the API alone!