The first time Oblivion (577,000 TikTok followers), posted about her workplace, she was nervous Staples wouldn’t be thrilled one of its employees was making content on the clock. That fear crept in again in late February when she posted “Serving KUNT by the Keurig.” 

“I thought that would be the line,” Oblivion, who asked to be referred to by her TikTok handle, told me. Instead, the office supply store responded with a viral gif of Anthony Mackie dancing.

Oblivion and Staples’ partnership has become one of the buzziest brand stories of the year. It’s also the best arguments to date about why it’s a smart move for brands to fully trust creators rather than giving them a sterile list of bullet points to read. Known as the Staples Baddie, Oblivion gained attention earlier this year for her funny takes and earnest passion for everything you can do at Staples. Did you know you can make a custom mug at Staples? Take a passport photo? Create a direct mail campaign based on demographics? Oblivion knows. And thanks to her endlessly iconic delivery, now TikTok knows it too.

“Staples really did a really great job of not censoring me and letting me just do my thing,” Oblivion said. “We supported each other. We didn’t try to correct each other. We let each other be humans. I feel like that’s something that’s especially lacking in the corporate influencer space.”

@blivxx

We got you covered

♬ original sound – oblivion

It’s an approach that’s worked. Staples has seen “measurable increases in store traffic” and “meaningful lifts” in the categories Oblivion has highlighted, according to the New York Times. Now she has an employee badge, is part of an advisory board and has been at the head of the table at corporate meetings.

For years, creators have complained that strict guidelines on brand partnerships harm creativity and make campaigns less effective. Oblivion’s success proves that brands are starting to listen. Back in December, Romeo (1.6 million TikTok followers) pitched a theme song for Dr. Pepper that went viral. They’ve since made jingles for both Hyundai and Vita Coco, songs that have prompted other creators to make their own remixes and music videos using the audio. Clothing company Garage has taken this idea a step further by actively encouraging its sales associates to post on the job.

As for Oblivion, her love of Staples’ custom-made items may have opened the door to fame, but she has big plans for her future. She’s already had a partnership with Lyft and, as the offers come in, wants to try her hand at acting, modeling and voice acting work.

“The hardest part about this is I want to do it all,” she said. “Truly the world, it’s my oyster, and I can’t figure out which angle to shuck it from.”

Now onto the rest.

Kayla Cobb

Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com

P.S. We have some big news at TheWrap. Today is our first-ever Creators x Hollywood Summit, an invite-only Los Angeles gathering of the top creators, entertainment leaders and brand partners who are shaping the future of storytelling and the new entertainment economy. So watch this space for some interesting panels and articles. 

The event is presented in partnership with global creator agency Whalar and The Lighthouse, both part of the Whalar Group, and sponsored by City National Bank, Fox Entertainment, Lionsgate, Loeb & Loeb LLP and WEBTOON. 

What’s New

MrBeast’s livestream peaked at 1.1 million viewers

You know that if MrBeast (475 million YouTube subscribers) is involved, it’s going to be big. The creator’s latest jaw-dropping stunt was a three-hour livestream that involved 50 of the top streamers and $1.5 million in giveaway cash. Creators like Pokimane, Ludwig and Fanum all competed for the chance to win $1 million to give to their followers. And people were watching. Viewership for the stream peaked at 1.1 million viewers, a number so high that the chat, poll and clipping functions on the YouTube livestream struggled to keep up.

This now ranks as MrBeast’s most-watched livestream after his 100 million subscriber special in 2022.

More than 200 organizations and experts call on YouTube to ban AI slop from its kids platform

More than 200 organizations and experts, including the American Federation of Teachers and the American Counseling Association, signed an open letter last week calling for YouTube to remove AI slop from its children’s platform. The term “AI slop” refers to the wave of mass-produced, AI-generated videos that have been flooding YouTube lately. Many of these videos seem specifically designed to engage children. 

That’s not the only parental complaint that’s been made against YouTube. Australia accused YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok of not doing enough to enforce the country’s social media ban. If you need a refresher, users under the age of 16 are no longer able to use social media platforms. There may be a court case from Australia if things don’t change.

AnimationEpic celebrated its 15-year anniversary in Regal theaters

The animated YouTube channel AnimationEpic (900,000 YouTube subscribers) celebrated its 15-year anniversary in a big way — by debuting three episodes in theaters. The nationwide theatrical event took place across more than 40 Regal Cinemas theaters. A one-night event isn’t going to save the theatrical industry. But, after the success of Markiplier’s “Iron Lung” and ahead of Kane Parsons’ “Backrooms,” this continues the trend of creators moving to the big screen.

Platform Updates

YouTube will roll out “Coachella TV” this weekend, a 24/7 dedicated livestream

Coachella is almost upon us, which is basically the influencer Super Bowl. And YouTube is prepared for the influx of attention. In addition to livestreaming all seven stages simultaneously, the platform is also launching“Coachella TV,” a 24/7 interactive music viewing channel that will show both archival performances and festival highlights. Yep, YouTube has basically remade MTV. Sorry Paramount.

Creators can launch, host and monetize podcasts directly from beehiv

Beehiv, the creator-focused platform that brings together newsletters, websites and tools, has officially entered its podcast era. Creators will now be able to publish a new episode of a podcast, share it with their subscribers and track its performance and growth all without leaving beehiv. Considering the fact that podcasts have become a major audience growth tool, it’s a good move from the platform.

Instagram Plus may let you anonymously watch Stories

Last week, it was confirmed that Meta has been testing a premium subscription called Instagram Plus. The offering will let subscribers watch a Story — a photo or video that disappears after 24 hours — without the original poster knowing they watched it. It will also let subscribers see how many people watch their Stories, extend a Story beyond 24 hours and let them create unlimited audience lists for their Stories. Right now, Instagram users can only post Stories to their Close Friends list. Insta creeping is about to get a little more expensive.

Movers and Shakers

Khaby Lame will  an ambassador for the 2026 Youth Olympics

The most popular TikToker around Khaby Lame (161 million TikTok followers) will be an ambassador for the 2026 Youth Olympics, which will take place in his  home country of Senegal. He will be the Dakar 2026 ambassador.

John Chungus is getting his own interview show

Five months ago, John Chungus — a cheery older man in a bowtie — went viral for encouraging the internet to go out and touch grass. That turned out to be an Anthony Po stunt, the creator who’s a master at orchestrating viral events out of thin air. But John Chungus will live on. The character will star as the host of “The John Chungus Show,” an interview show produced by Anthpo’s studio, Pufferfish. And based on his announcement video, it sure seems like Olivia Rodrigo will be his first guest.

Gianmarco’s “The Downside” joins Vox Media Podcast Network

Gianmarco Soresi’s weekly comedy podcast “The Downside” is coming to the Vox Media Podcast Network. Co-hosted by Russell Daniels, the podcast was previously with Headgum, but Vox will take over  sales, marketing and distribution for the podcast. It’s a move that continues Vox’s investment in creator-led podcasts.

Vox isn’t the only media company turning to creators. Last week marked the launch of “Let’s Talk Numbers,”a new show from The Washington Post that’s hosted by JC Rodriguez (597,000 TikTok followers).

Who to Watch

@huskistaken What’s going on… Full reaction vid @Mostly Human Media ♬ original sound – Husk

Husk

When Husk (369,000 TikTok followers) first started asking ChatGPT questions, it started as a bit about how much a person could annoy an AI assistant. Yet despite his worst intentions, Husk has intentionally become one of the greatest AI critics around. He has single-handedly shown that ChatGPT confidently lies about its ability to tell time and translate languages. His videos have become so popular and influential, they were even shown to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman(For the record, when Husk showed Chat the video of Altman saying the AI model isn’t able to keep track of time, Chat confidently disagreed with Altman Really heartwarming stuff). When the AI uprising comes, Husk will almost certainly be the first to go. But until then, his boots-on-the-ground reporting has become must-watch entertainment.

Bonus Content

• How Instagram’s ‘PG-13’ Branding for Teens Unraveled (via The New York Times)
• Inside the Multibillion-Dollar Business of Child Influencers (excerpt via The Rolling Stone)
• Adam W Is Taking Creator Strategy Off Screen And Into The Real World (via Forbes)

Want more? Explore WrapPRO now.

This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.

The post Creatorverse: More Relaxed Brand Standards Can Lead to Big Rewards appeared first on TheWrap.

Last week was one for the history books. A day after a New Mexico jury ordered Meta — the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp — to pay $375 million in damages, a Los Angeles jury ordered Meta and YouTube parent company Google to pay $6 million with Meta paying the brunt of the damages. Both cases revolved around whether the social media platforms were as safe for children as these companies claimed. And both times juries ruled against the tech giants.

As I’ve covered before, these types of cases have unfolded internationally, but those two trials mark a tide shift in the U.S. Many experts TheWrap spoke to agreed that social media platforms will likely implement major design changes in the months to come to make them safer for kids (and to avoid further legal action). There are also several more child safety cases in the pipeline. 

So what do these bellwether cases mean for creators?

First of all, there’s no indication that brands will stop investing in the creator economy anytime soon. Earlier this year, CreatorIQ found that the average annual investment in influencer marketing increased 171% in 2025, and IAB previously found that ad spend in the creator economy increased about four times faster than ad spending in the media industry. 

But what it does mean is that the gap between brand-safe creators and their more controversial peers is going to widen. Expect creators with younger audiences who post about toxic body image standards to take a hit. Same goes for people who make AI slop for kids. 

Melika Hashemi, a digital marketing director working with WPP, told Vogue that an increased focus on children’s safety “creates a segue to weed out the good influencers from the bad, and it opens the door for the good influencers to stand out.”

In some ways, the wheat has already started to separate from the chaff partially thanks to Hollywood. Safe creators like Dhar Mann, Ms. Rachel and Mark Rober are the ones getting headline-grabbing deals with companies like Tubi or Netflix. But every creator will likely be impacted by the upcoming social media crackdown. Even if you’re making content explicitly for adults, kids are always watching things they shouldn’t. Trust me, a woman who started watching Adult Swim when she was 12. 

If you’re on the network and studio side, it’s about to get easier for you to figure out which creators are mass audience friendly. An increase in safety concerns means big business for companies like Creator IQ and Viral Nation, which offer products analyzing creator channels for potential partnerships. And if a creator, start accurately labeling your child friendly content now and brace yourself for some platform changes. This is one cultural war where you don’t want to be on the wrong side.

Now onto the rest.

Kayla Cobb

Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com

P.S. We have some big news at TheWrap. Next week will mark our first-ever Creators x Hollywood Summit, an invite-only Los Angeles gathering of the top creators, entertainment leaders and brand partners who are shaping the future of storytelling and the new entertainment economy. So watch this space for some interesting panels and articles. 

The event is presented in partnership with global creator agency Whalar and The Lighthouse, both part of the Whalar Group, and sponsored by City National Bank, Fox Entertainment, Lionsgate, Loeb & Loeb LLP and WEBTOON. 

What’s New

“Jeopardy!” launched its first-ever YouTube edition with creators

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? “Jeopardy!” premiered its first YouTube edition yesterday with drag queen Monét X Change (1.3 million Instagram followers), singer Rebecca Black (1.6 million YouTube subscribers) and Dropout comedian Brennan Lee Mulligan (828,000 Instagram followers) as its first three contestants. The trio played for a charity prize and were given catered clues. 

“We have taken the brave move of replacing people who are actually good with Jeopardy with people who are good at YouTube,” host Ken Jennings joked. It’s a big experiment for Sony Pictures TV and YouTube, and TheWrap’s Tess Patton has the behind-the-scenes look into how it all came together.

Alex Cooper announces a YouTube reality competition show with Dakota Mortensen, Anna Delvey and more

One of the biggest reality events of the season could premiere on YouTube next week. Alex Cooper’s (6.6 million Instagram followers) Unwell Productions announced “The 2026 Unwell Winter Games”on Monday, a four-episode reality competition series that stars several pop culture polarizing figures like fake German heiress Anna Delvey.

But the name that’s getting the most buzz is Dakota Mortensen, the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star who’s at the center of the Taylor Frankie Paul domestic violence scandal. If you need a refresher, Paul was set to be “The Bachelorette” until videos emerged of Paul attacking Mortensen. ABC quickly scrapped the season. Though it was certainly pretaped, Cooper’s show will be one of Mortensen’s first TV appearances since the scandal broke.

YouTube remains the primary platform for creators

According to a reader poll from The Publish Press, Colin and Samir’s (1.6 million YouTube subscribers) creator-focused newsletter, 67% of creators consider YouTube to be their primary platform. That was followed by Instagram at 15%. The poll also found that 53% of respondents reported making less than $100,000 per year. It’s a limited sample size, but considering that Colin and Samir’s audience is highly plugged into the world of creator trends, it’s interesting. 

Platform Updates

The MLB is reviving “This Week in Baseball” on X with Kait Maniscalco

Starting on Friday, the MLB will be bringing back its “This Week in Baseball” franchise on X. A new episode from the new shortform baseball series will premiere on Major League Baseball’s X account every Friday at noon ET. The series comes from MLB Studios and will be hosted by baseball-loving creator Kait Maniscalco (335,000 TikTok followers).

TikTok creators will be able to send Cameos to fans

TikTok and Cameo teamed up on Tuesday. As part of this new partnership, TikTok creators will be able to offer their fans personalized Cameo videos without leaving the app. As part of the news, Cameo revealed that TikTok creators are one of the fastest-growing talent segments for the celebrity-focused personalized video company.

Roughly one-third of music fans on Instagram are superfans

If you’re a major music fan, chances are high you’re on Instagram. That’s what a new study from Luminate and Meta found. The study defined a “superfan” as any consumer who engages with an artist in at least five different ways (examples include attending an artist’s concert or tipping an artist on Patreon). Of Instagram’s users who are music fans, nearly one-third (32%) qualified as superfans. Additionally, 58% of all music superfans use Instagram to engage with content about artists or music, and 38% of Gen Z or younger users qualify as superfans.

Awards Darlings

David Dobrik, Rachel Levin, Ella Moncrief and more win at the first-ever Snappy Awards

Snapchat dubbed the winners of its first-ever Snappy Awards on Tuesday. There were 22 winners altogether, but some of the big ones to highlight include Creator of the Year winner David Dobrik (25 million TikTok followers), Best Storyteller winner Rachel Levin (1.9 million SnapChat followers), Breakout Creator winner Ashton Hall (17.9 million Instagram followers) and One To Watch winner Ella Moncrief (1.3 million SnapChat followers).

The Clios launch creator awards

The Clios — the esteemed advertising awards organization — announced a creator-focused award last week. The Clio Creators programis a partnership with YouTube and Influential that will accept submissions across Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube and other emerging content creation platforms. The program will accept entries for both its Creator and Brand tracks.

Webbys 2026 host Josh Johnson scored a nomination

“The Daily Show” correspondent and occasional host Josh Johnson (2.6 million TikTok followers) was already set to host the 2026 Webby Awards. But as of this morning, he’s also a nominee in the Comedy category. Keith Lee, Katie Feeney, Chloe Ting and Steven Bartlett also scored nominations to name a few of the big name noms.

Movers and Shakers

A24 drops the creepy first trailer for Kane Parsons’ “Backrooms”

Prepare to be spooked this May. A24 released the first trailer for Kane Parsons’ “Backrooms,” a horror movie based on Parsons’ (2.9 million YouTube followers) viral webseries of the same name (Fun fact: that webseries is based on an old creepypasta). And it looks just as unsettling as Parsons’ videos.

CAA adds Rebecca Rusheen as an agent in its creators division

CAA has added creator economy powerhouse Rebecca Rusheen as an agent in its creators division. Rusheen started her career at Abrams, which later became A3 Artists, and moved to the Gersh Agency in 2024 when Gersh acquired the digital and non-scripted divisions of A3. She’s worked with major multi-hyphenate creators like Reece Feldman (2.8 million TikTok followers), who made headlines last year for premiering his short at Cannes Film Festival.

Gaming creator Alanah Pearce launches a production company, and Cas van de Pol is working on a game and TV pilot

Alanah Pearce (868,000 YouTube subscribers) launched her own indie production company last week. Charred Pictures will focus on involving game developers in film and TV adaptations. Its first projects include two movies based on video game IP and an original indie film from Pearce that has wrapped.

Speaking of gaming and creators, animation creator Cas van de Pol (8.6 million YouTube subscribers) is working on a video game and TV pilot.

Who to Watch

Pooja Tripathi

Have you ever walked into a hipster coffee shop and immediately felt judged? That’s kind of the whole premise of Pooja Tripathi’s (242,000 Instagram followers) “Brooklyn Coffee Shop.” Each episode of the shortform comedy follows a different and distinct weirdo who appears in Thyme (Tripathi) and Cale’s (Darryl Gene Daughtry Jr.) coffee shop and is not served any coffee. It’s a savage social critique that counts Kumail Nanjiani and Delaney Rowe among its celebrity guest stars.

Bonus Content

• The Manosphere Turns on Trump (via The Atlantic)
• The Rise of a Spanish-Language News Influence (via The New Yorker)
• The Substack Writers Who Need to Keep Their Day Jobs (via The Cut)

Want more? Explore WrapPRO now.

This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.

The post Creatorverse: Meta and Google’s Child Safety Cases Will Impact Creators appeared first on TheWrap.

It’s a recurring trend that we all know too well by now: another creator with millions of followers partners with a Hollywood studio to make the show or movie of their dreams. But increasingly, the opposite is starting to happen. Major Hollywood players are moving into the creator economy.

Last Thursday, Kenya Barris, the creator of shows like ABC’s “Black-ish” and Netflix’s “#blackAF,” was named vice chair of Offscript Worldwide’s REVOLT Labs. The new division will be part of REVOLT, the multimedia platform dedicated to the biggest names in hip hop and current events. In his new role, Barris will lead REVOLT Labs’ creator strategy, helping creators turn their original ideas into scaled shows, movies and live experiences. 

“REVOLT already had the foundation,” Barris said in a press release. “My role is to help build the bridge from where creators start to where their ideas can ultimately go.”

This is a big get for both REVOLT and the creator economy as a whole. Back in 2018, Barris was one of the showrunners who scored a massive Netflix deal (He later exited the $100 million deal). And he’s not the only Hollywood showrunner to jump from traditional TV.

As I covered last September, “The Owl House” creator Dana Terrace took her latest series to YouTube thanks to a partnership with Glitch Productions. “Knights of Guinevere” has already been greenlit for a full season. Phil Rosenthal, the creator of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” will be taking his Netflix show “Somebody Feed Phil” to YouTube in 2027 in a move meant to give Rosenthal and his producing partners more creative control over a show that’s been around for eight seasons. And Chris Hemsworth’s very first digital series, “Azza and Zoc Do Earth,” launched on YouTube in February and has already scored over 11 million views.

Even long-established shows and production companies have been taking YouTube more seriously. “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” is getting its first YouTube channel ever as Fred Rogers Productions plans to upload episodes and clips to the platform. Pixar premiered a new YouTube show — aptly titled “The Pixar Show” — earlier this month. And “Saturday Night Live” debuted its YouTube show “The Rundown” last week. 

Studios and networks experimenting with digital content is nothing new. The difference is the quality of “The Pixar Show” and “The Rundown.” These series don’t feel like afterthoughts; they feel like they were created with the same care these companies always infuse into their work (For the record, yes, Pixar’s lightbulb short did make me cry). 

A few years ago, these shows would have been exclusive to streamers and watched by tens of people. Now, people can easily watch them, allowing their fandom to expand beyond a single sketch, show or movie. It’s a strategy that feels like it’s right out of the creator playbook and further proof that cool things can happen when these worlds collide.

Now onto the rest.

Kayla Cobb

Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com

What’s New

Meta has to pay $375 million over children’s safety concerns, and Elon Musk was found liable of misleading Twitter shareholders

Now’s not a great time to be a tech billionaire. Yesterday, a New Mexico jury found Instagram and Facebook owner Meta liable for misleading consumers about the safety risks its platforms pose to children. Meta has been ordered to pay $375 million. Then today a LA jury found both Meta and YouTube owner Google liable for causing a woman mental health issues whens she was a minor.

The real blow from these trials is the precedent they will likely set. Several companies, including Meta and Google, are at the center of a flurry of trials claiming their platforms are harmful to children. This isn’t just a U.S.-based concern, by the way. New social media trials and laws have been increasingly popping up all over the world.

Mark Zuckerberg and Neal Mohan aren’t the only ones having a bad week. Last Friday, Elon Musk was found liable for intentionally misleading Twitter shareholders when he tweeted the acquisition deal was “temporarily on hold.” Those three words caused Twitter’s stock to drop 10%, and now Musk may have to pay up to $2.6 billion in damages. Ladies and gentleman, a bad tweet in action.

TikTok is testing a microdrama feed

TikTok’s microdrama experiments are just beginning. A new feed feature called TikTok Short Drama is being tested, according to a report from Business Insider. Right now, the offering is only available to a small group of users over the age of 18 in the U.S. and in a handful of other regions. This isn’t the first time TikTok has played around with microdramas. The company launched a dedicated microdrama app called PineDrama earlier this year. 

Spotify lays off 3% of its podcasting team as part of a company reorg

Spotify laid off 15 people across The Ringer and Spotify Studios, making up about 3% of its podcasting staff. These cuts are part of a company reorganization designed to lead to faster decision making. As part of these cuts, John Jastremski’s podcast “New York, New York” was canceled, and The Ringer’s special projects lead Andrew Gruttadaro and staff writer Miles Surrey were let go.

Speaking of podcasts, CNN’s Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper were mocked this week for trading their fancy studios for a low-tech podcasting setup. Here’s a hint CNN: People aren’t watching podcasts because they love oversized mics and big office chairs.

Missing the NewFronts?

Samsung TV Plus is launching a new Mark Rober show, and LG will premiere a “Chewed Up” FAST channel

The free ad-supported streamers (FAST) are still taking creators very seriously. At Samsung TV Plus’ NewFronts presentation in New York, the company announced an upcoming special from Mark Rober (74.4 million YouTube subscribers). The special will be an exclusive two-hour live event.

As for LG, the company announced “All Chewed Up,” a new FAST channel that will feature new episodes of the cooking and advice talk show “Chewed Up.” The podcast stars Clinton Kelly, Carla Hall and Michael Symon, and the channel will have more than 70 episodes of the series from the production company Simple Alien.

TikTok partners with Tubi and expands its branded creator opportunities

Last Thursday, Tubi and TikTok announced a new partnership designed to support creators developing original shows called the Creatorverse Incubator program. No, I’m not getting a check for that one.

I’ll be keeping an eye on the Creatorverse Incubator, but the Tubi partnership wasn’t a major talking point during TikTok’s NewFront presentation on Tuesday. Most of the company’s new offerings were advertising focused, but TikTok also unveiled Pulse Tastemakers, an option that lets brands align their ads with their selection of eligible creators.

YouTube is making it easier for creators to connect to brands

Ahead of its NewFront presentation on Monday, YouTube announced it will be incorporating YouTube Creator Partnerships directly into YouTube Studio. Those are a lot of buzzwords, but just know that it’s going to get a lot easier for brands to find YouTube creators they want to partner with, which means more creators are going to get paid. 

While we’re on the topic of cold hard cash, YouTube expanded the eligibility for its shopping affiliate program. Now all qualified creators who have 500 subscribers or more will be able to make money from shopping affiliate links on YouTube.

Movers and Shakers

Tianna Robillard signs with UTA

Tianna Robillard, the lifestyle creator with 2.3 million TikTok followers, has signed with UTA, TheWrap learned exclusively. Robillard is also the founder of her own live event production company TNO, or Tianna’s Night Out. UTA will work to secure her opportunities across unscripted television, brand collaborations and more.

Hannah Berner and Paige DeSorbo partner with Amy Poehler and Kay Cannon on a Netflix series

“Giggly Squad” cohosts Hannah Berner (2.9 million TikTok followers) and Paige DeSorbo (1.7 million Instagram followers) are getting their own show. The duo are partnering with Amy Poehler and Kay Cannon on a half-hour scripted Netflix comedy that will be co-written by and star Berner and DeSorbo.

Law & Crime launches its own streaming service

Law&Crime (7.5 million YouTube subscribers) is expanding beyond YouTube. The legal content network launches its own streaming service — Law&Crime+ — on Tuesday. The app will be available on all major streaming platforms including Roku, Google TV, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. Run by Dan Abrams, Law&Crime acquired Court TV last month.

@goldentrashbagg Did I meet my husband #fallinginlove #gabriellekennedy #comedy #dating #love ♬ original sound – Gabrielle Kennedy

Who to Watch

Gabrielle Kennedy

During this cold, endless winter, few people have brought me more joy than Gabrielle Kennedy, aka goldentrashbagg (690,000 TikTok followers). The comedian started the year strong by ruthlessly mocking Bushwick boys and introducing her don’t-pick-me girl. But she really stole my heart with her “Falling in Love” series, where she dramatically and painfully falls in front of random men in the hopes they’ll ask for her number. If you like silly and hyper-specific post-hipster Brooklyn comedy, Kennedy is your gal.

Bonus Content

• How ‘Last Meals’ Host Josh Scherer Channeled Food and Death Into 100 Episodes of a YouTube Talk Show | Exclusive (via TheWrap)
• The Veteran Podcasters Hanging Up Their Headphones (via Wall Street Journal)
• How Content Creator Killer Hoped a YouTube Alibi Would Help Him Avoid Justice (via BBC)

Want more? Explore WrapPRO now.

This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.

The post Creatorverse: More Hollywood Power Players Are Taking Cues From Creators appeared first on TheWrap.

It’s no secret that Hollywood contraction has been especially hard on the day-to-day workers that have long made this industry thrive. That struggling class is exactly who Toonstar, the tech-driven animation studio, wants to help.

“We’re trying to bring back the creative middle class, which we define by consistent year-round work,” Toonstar CEO John Attanasio told me. “We’re really focused on building this new generation of animation franchises. We believe a lot of them are going to be digital-first and creator-led projects.”  

Both Attanasio and Toonstar COO Luisa Huang started their animation careers in the studio system first meeting at Warner Bros. But the more they worked in Hollywood, the more they noticed how hard it was to create animation while platforms like YouTube were becoming more popular. It can take two or more years to bring an animated show to air, and when it premieres, it’s unknown how it will perform. By using a series of AI-powered tools and partnering with creators with proven concepts, Toonstar is taking some of the guesswork out of the process.

Rather than releasing seasons at a time, Toonstar releases new episodes in batches. The company then uses its analytics system to figure out which characters or storylines resonate with fans and which don’t. It’s a way of incorporating fan feedback that’s reminiscent of how television used to be made.

“Television used to be filmed in front of a live audience, and so there was immediate feedback,” Huang told me. “That’s sort of what’s happening in the creator ecosystem.”

So far, the process has worked. Toonstar’s biggest success story to date is “StEvEn & Parker,” a show from creator Parker James (8.5 million TikTok followers) that has 3.4 million YouTube subscribers and 10 billion lifetime views. “StEvEn & Parker” released its own graphic novel series last week in partnership with Penguin Random House. Toonstar is also working with creator and comedian Nigel Ng (11.2 million TikTok followers) on an animated “Uncle Roger” show.

“We’re up to 12 plus projects that we’re launching over the next year.  So I think in a couple years, it could be even double that,” Attanasio said.

And Toonstar is just part of the larger trend of creators moving to animation. Last week, the digital-first comedy collective Dropout announced its first animated series, titled “Toon Out.” MrBeast dropped his first animated series last year with “MrBeast Lab.” And Jordan and Salish Matter’s Netflix deal includes the option of the father-daughter duo to make animated content. For creators looking to expand their reach without creatively draining themselves, animated partnerships are becoming more enticing.

“The creator ecosystem is amazing, but one downside a lot of creators talk about is burnout,” Huang said. “What we’re bringing is an opportunity to still be creative, but now they can be away from the camera to do it.”

Now onto the rest.

Kayla Cobb

Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com

What’s New

Jake Shane was dragged for the Vanity Fair Oscars party

When it comes to awards shows, you want your host to keep things breezy and interesting while firmly keeping the spotlight on the talent. That’s not what Jake Shane (3.9 million TikTok followers) did at Vanity Fair’s Oscars party. The comedian and host of “Therapuss” is being criticized for his jokes about the child with health needs in “If I Had Legs I Would Kick You.” At one point, Kris Jenner even asked Shane how he got the job, which prompted Shane to say “I don’t know, honestly.”

You know who hasn’t been at the center of a myriad of think pieces and angry posts? Quen Blackwell (13.1 million TikTok followers) and Brittany Broski (7.5 million TikTok followers) — the two other creators who hosted the Vanity Fair event — and Oscars’ reporter Amelia Dimoldenberg (4.1 million TikTok followers). This is a learning moment. Adding creators into major film and TV events can be great only if said creator is a good fit for the job you need them to do. And Shane was not it.

Theo Von and David Spade are starring in a self-funded movie titled “Busboys”

Fresh off the success of Markiplier, another creator is looking to make a mark on the big screen. Podcaster Theo Von (8.8 million Instagram followers) and actor David Spade are starring together in a self-funded, independent film titled “Busboys.” The movie will premiere in Cinemark and Regal theaters on April 17. 

TikTok investors will pay $10 billion to the Trump administration

Investors in the U.S.-controlled version of TikTok will pay a $10 billion transaction fee to the Trump administration, the New York Times reported. The fee is for the administration’s role in making the deal happen. Roughly $2.5 billion of the sum was already paid to the Treasury when the deal closed in January, and the whole situation is making some people very uncomfortable.

Speaking of TikTok, the app’s parent company ByteDance is holding off on the global launch of Seedance 2.0, its latest AI video model. That’s partially due to concerns from several Hollywood groups that say the model violates copyright and intellectual property rights.

Platform Updates

Viewers think that creator-made content feels more original than traditional TV and movies

New research from Tubi and The Harris Poll found that viewers are really responding to creator-made content.Out of the 2,500 respondents surveyed, 67% agreed that digital creator content feels more original than most traditional TV and movies, and 63% said watching creator content feels no different than streaming a TV show. Over a third (37%) also said they want streamers to put existing creator content on their platforms with 36% saying they want creators to be cast in original programming. The report also found that over three-fourths of respondents want more programming from independent or smaller creators.

TikTok and iHeartMedia launch TikTok Radio

All the biggest hits on TikTok are coming to the radio. SXSW saw the launch of TikTok Radio, which is available for free on the iHeartRadio app and on 28 broadcast stations across the country. The station promises to spotlight the biggest music hits from the social media platform paired with content about creators, trends, music and culture. TikTok and iHeartMedia also unveiled their first slate of shows from the TikTok podcast network, which include “Suite 305 with Lele Pons” (33.2 million TikTok followers), Caroline Vazzana’s (1.1 million followers) “Caroline’s Closet” and Clifford Taylor IV’s (1.3 million followers) “The Clifford Show.”

Substack starts a recording studio, and Beehiiv invests more in podcasting

Two of the biggest names in the newsletter game are diving more into videos and podcasts. Last Thursday, Substack launched Substack Recording Studio, a desktop feature that lets users record a video of themselves or a conversation with up to two guests. Though the offering doesn’t let users edit the video before they publish, it does auto-generate clips and thumbnails — a major time saver for creators. As for Beehiiv, the newsletter hub will soon start supporting audio podcasts and plans to launch paywalled video and community features. Scalable broke the news at SXSW.

Movers and Shakers

Keith Lee is launching a weekly food podcast with Vox Media

TikTok’s king of food reviews Keith Lee (17.4 million followers) will be launching a weekly food review podcast with Vox Media that will launch this spring. The podcast will offer a behind-the-scenes look into Lee and his family as they go on food tours in different cities. This isn’t the first time Lee has partnered with an outside company to expand his content. Lee also created and hosted “The Reheat” with Microsoft, an underrated love-letter to the restaurant industry.

Lee isn’t the only creator with food-related news. MrBeast’s Feastables brand partnered with the “Super Mario Galaxy Movie” to make custom candy. This level of collaboration is typically reserved for top dogs like Hershey’s, so a creator-led company landing this deal is major news.

Haley Kalil moves to Netflix for her first hosting gig

Haley Kalil (16.8 million TikTok followers) is heading to Netflix with a new reality competition series called “Win The Mall.” The show, which will premiere this fall, is part shopping spree and part social strategy.

Phil Rosenthal takes his Netflix show to YouTube

We hear a lot about creators moving from YouTube to Netflix, but it doesn’t typically happen the other way around. Phil Rosenthal’s “Somebody Feed Phil” will be moving from the streamer to YouTube in 2027 as part of a non-exclusive deal. The move comes as the Emmy-winning creator of “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “Somebody Feed Phil” partners Banijay Americas and Banijay Rights aim to have more control over their IP.

@worsegirlfriend #greenscreen OSCARS 2026 #foryou ♬ original sound – Erin

Who to Watch

Worsegirlfriend

Once upon a time, awards shows were a chance to ruthlessly mock celebrity fashion choices for no real reason.If you’re missing the snark of Joan Rivers, check out Worsegirlfriend, aka Erin (871,000 TikTok followers). The comedian has carved out a very specific niche for herself, ripping into red carpet looks in minute-long chunks. Erin’s takedowns are brilliant in their specificity, ranging from “condo building in Manhattan” to “anthropomorphized accent pillows.” Her comedy is so smart, funny and distinct that it’s hard to imagine any celebrity staying mad at her for long.

Bonus Content

• “Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere” (Watch via Netflix)
• There’s Never Going to Be Another Alix Earle, Creator Experts Say (via Mashable)
• Facebook Launches a New Monetization Program to Attract Popular Creators from TikTok, YouTube (via TechCrunch)

Want more? Explore WrapPRO now.

This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.

The post Creatorverse: Animation Is the Next Horizon for Creator Expansion appeared first on TheWrap.

In 2025, only about 7,000 creators made what could be considered TV-length, episodic content. Those creators made up only 0.02% of all social video and yet they drove 148 billion views in the U.S. alone.

That’s what Spotter revealed during the company’s second-ever Spotter Showcase last Wednesday, an event designed to educate brands and the media about the evolution of what the company has dubbed Creator TV. These are shows from creators that primarily live on social media platforms. 

“We’re seeing the biggest growth in premium, TV-length programming built specifically for the living room,” Aaron DeBevoise, CEO of Spotter Inc., told me. “Creators are investing more into storytelling, production value and repeatable formats that audiences come back to week after week.”

DeBevoise noted that 76% of fans watch library content from creators like Kinigra Deon at least once a week. “That kind of repeat viewing is exactly what makes episodic programming so powerful,” he said.

There’s also been a major shift in how creators are making their content. “What used to be one person with a camera now has writers’ rooms, production teams and sophisticated post-production workflows,” Jared Carneson, head of social media at Adobe, told me, calling these operations “full-scale studios.” 

Creator-led companies are becoming more common as creators have started to think more in terms of seasons and franchises rather than one-off videos. To meet these demands, Adobe has invested in several creator-focused tools like AI model platform Adobe Firefly or the mobile version of Premiere. But Carneson has also seen an increase in collaborations between creators, brands and production teams. To help foster those collaborations, Adobe has partnered with creators on more in-person events, like Dhar Mann’s Creator Training Camp and Amelia Dimoldenberg’s Dimz Inc. Academy, the creator’s free summer program for teens interested in pursuing a career in digital media.

I even attended one of these in-person creator events last year when I went to Colin and Samir’s Press Publish in Brooklyn, which was also sponsored by Adobe. The duo will be hosting a LA version of the summit on May 28.

This isn’t just a growing viewership trend. This is a community-building trend.

“For brands, that means Creator TV is becoming a consistent, always-on environment that needs to be part of their media and marketing strategies,” DeBevoise said. 

Now onto the rest.

P.S. Did you notice we published late today? That’s because we were wrapping up loose ends from TheWrap’s inaugural Brand Integration Power Players Breakfast, which acknowledges the best and most innovative partnerships in the TV, movie and creator industries. Check out the list and our writeup of the event here.

Kayla Cobb

Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com

What’s New

SnapChat nominates over 100 creators for its first ever Snappy Awards

SnapChat is going big for its first-ever awards show, nominating over 100 creators for The Snappys. The categories include options like Best Storyteller and Top Beauty Creator. As for the top honorees, David Dobrik (6.5 million SnapChat followers), Khloe Kardashian (17 million followers), Landon McBroom (1.4 million followers), Catherine Paiz (7.6 million followers) and JoJo Siwa (1.6 million followers) are all up for Creator of the Year. DJ Khaled, who’s been a longtime SnapChat user with 13 million followers, is also getting a Lifetime Achievement award.

YouTube extends its AI likeness protection program to journalists and politicians

We’ve covered YouTube’s AI likeness detection program before, the platform’s way of letting influential people know if their likeness is being used on YouTube without their permission. Now government officials, journalists and political candidateswill be able to use it. After participants verify their identities on the platform, YouTube will let them know if anyone is using their AI likeness on the platform. They will then have the option of either letting the video be or flagging it for removal. YouTube is starting with a pilot program it plans to expand in the future.

Podcasters that sign with Netflix have seen their YouTube growth slow by 50%

Bloomberg found that video podcasts that exist exclusively on Netflix have seen their YouTube growth decline by as much as 50%. A big reason for this may be that podcasters who sign with Netflix can only post a limited number of clips to third-party platforms, like YouTube. It should also be noted that these Netflix deals often pay podcasters upfront rather than by performance, so it’s unclear how this shift impacts their bottom line. Still, it’s an interesting trend as Netflix has been aggressively making the case that YouTube is a major entertainment competitor.

By the Numbers

YouTube is the world’s largest media company, according to MoffettNathanson

YouTube has been dubbed the world’s largest media company thanks to a new report from  MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson. He found that YouTube’s $62 billion in revenue last year slightly surpassed Disney’s $60.9 billion in media assets. Clock that as another reason why Netflix sees YouTube as a threat.

More than 13,800 Spotify artists made $100,000 or more

Last year, over 13,800 Spotify artists made $100,000 or more from the platform — nearly 1,400 more than in 2024. That’s not the only interesting factoid from Spotify’s latest Loud & Clear report. The top 80 Spotify artists generated $10 million annually from Spotify, and more than a third of artists who made $10,000 or more in royalties either self-released their music or released it through independent distributors.

Roughly 60% of Gen Z say they trust TikTok less 

TikTok is still a massive platform among Gen Z, but a backlash is mounting. New data from The Harris Poll found 60% of Gen Z respondents say they trust TikTok less than they used to, and that nearly half of Gen Z creators said they were posting less on the platform. That said, TikTok still remains king for that generation with 37% of respondents saying they turn to TikTok first when looking for content about entertainment, pop culture and local experiences. That’s nearly double any other platform.

Oscar Bait

Oscars-related posts are up 54% on TikTok

Speaking of TikTok, there are 54% more posts using the hashtags #Oscars and #FilmTok this year compared to 2025. That will likely only increase as Hollywood’s big night gets closer.

Quen Blackwell, Brittany Broski and Jake Shane will host Vanity Fair’s Oscar Party red carpet

Vanity Fair is partnering with three big creators for its Oscar Party red carpet. Quen Blackwell (13.1 million TikTok followers), Brittany Broski (2.6 million YouTube followers) and Jake Shane (3.9 million TikTok followers) will host the red carpet at Vanity Fair’s Oscars after party. You can watch the livestream after Sunday’s big show on Vanity Fair’s website and YouTube page.

Movers and Shakers

Cole Bennett’s Lyrical Lemonade is the first partnership for Lighthouse Studios

The creator-focused agency Whalar Group launched Lighthouse Studios this week, the company’s entertainment studio designed to help creators build and scale their media companies and IP. Its first partnership will be with Lyrical Lemonade, Cole Bennett’s (24 million YouTube subscribers) music-focused media company that specializes in music videos, live events and merchandise. The goal of this partnership is to expand the programming of Lyrical Lemonade TV.

Jay Shetty’s deal with iHeartMedia ends, and the Paul brothers’ HBO Max show is cancelled

Jay Shetty (18.4 million Instagram followers), the creator behind the health and wellness-focused podcast “On Purpose,” is leaving iHeartMedia. The two previously signed a three-year deal, which is set to expire in July. But after they were unable to come to an agreement over a contract renewal, Shetty and iHeartMedia parted ways. 

Jake (29 million Instagram followers) and Logan Paul (27 million Instagram followers) also had a bit of a blow recently. “Paul American,” the duo’s HBO Max reality show that premiered last year, wasn’t picked up for a Season 2. This especially sucks for Logan Paul, who spent $4 million on his wedding thinking it would be a good season finale for “Paul American.” Whoops.

Fox Entertainment names Billy Parks to lead Fox Creator Studios

Fox is continuing its investment in creators. The entertainment arm of the company named Billy Parks, who was formerly an executive vice president at The Chernin Group, as the head of Fox Creator Studios. Between Tubi and its creator-focused studio, Fox has been one of the biggest traditional media players to partner with creators.

@benlapidus WE WILL GET ANSWERS… 3.4.26 #punk #metal #musicalcomedy ♬ PETSMART – Ben Lapidus

Who to Watch

Ben Lapidus

Is it Pet’s Mart or Pet Smart? That’s the question that’s been haunting Ben Lapidus (190,000 TikTok followers) and his fans since late February. So far his quest for the truth has led to several different punk music videos, an appearance on “Good Day L.A.” and a shockingly well-attended rally at the Sherman Oaks PetSmart. This is the kind of dumb fun that reeks of Anthony Po, but so far it’s been fun to watch. Also, Lapidus and his band’s PetSmart song is kind of a banger.

Bonus Content

• Roblox Is Minting Teen Millionaires (via Bloomberg)
• Louis Theroux on the Manosphere: ‘It’s Highly Profitable to Be a Dick on the Internet’ (via Wired)
• X Is Reinventing Its Creator Subscriptions. Here’s What to Know (via Mashable)

Want more? Explore WrapPRO now.

This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.

The post Creatorverse: Creator TV Drove 148 Billion Views Last Year appeared first on TheWrap.

When Christian Tom, Aisha Shah and Landon Morgado banded together to form their own media company last year, they had one goal in mind: to support creators who shared their values.

The trio behind the talent-first venture studio AND Media come from the worlds of technology and public policy. All three previously worked at the White House during the Biden administration, while Shah has experience with GoFundMe and Morgado worked for both TikTok and Instagram. 

Soon, the trio’s dreams of supporting the creators they want to see more of will be coming true. On March 4, AND Media and The Small Bow, Inc. will be relaunching “The Small Bow Podcast” as a video series on YouTube. A.J. Daulerio’s heartfelt show about recovery will debut new episodes weekly with clips released across social media. 

That will be followed in mid-March by the expansion of “The Moment LIVE,” Rebecca Sananes and Meredith Lynch’s news and culture show. The twice-weekly series from AND Media and Full Picture Productions will expand its live production capabilities and distribution under this partnership. 

Finally, AND Media will be bringing Hunter Prosper’s (6.6 million TikTok followers) viral “Stories from a Stranger” shortform series to YouTube with a new longform expansion. AND Media is just one example of how newer companies are rising to meet the needs of creators. Unlike many deals in the TV and film industry, there is no one-size-fits-all approach at AND Media. Instead, the company listens to the goals and needs of its clients and adjusts accordingly. 

“There are so many incredible ideas out there that are some of our personal favorite stuff, but it’s stuff that hasn’t necessarily been supported,” Shah told me. “We are so surprised by the real opportunity to invest in spaces like this.”

“Each deal is bespoke,” Morgado added. “With Hunter specifically, we are offering everything from production to support to marketing to publicity — everything that’s needed to make these longform shows.”

And this is just the beginning. “We are really trying to have all of our shows expand the capability for a creator that they maybe would not have been able to do alone,” Tom told me. “We have really ambitious plans for the spring and for the rest of the calendar year.”

Now onto the rest.

Kayla Cobb

Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com

What’s New

Mark Rober’s Netflix show will be an inventing competition show titled “Schooled!”

We finally know a bit more about Mark Rober’s (73 million YouTube subscribers) upcoming Netflix series. “Schooled!” will follow teams of young innovators as they face off against each other in a series of challenges. The series will be executive produced by Jimmy Kimmel, and casting is now open.

A MrBeast editor was banned from Kalshi due to insider trading

I think we all knew this would happen to Kalshi at some point, but MrBeast’s (469 million YouTube followers) involvement is a surprise. Last Wednesday, Kalshi announced that Beast editor Artem Kaptur had been banned from the platform for insider trading related to the YouTuber’s content. What’s odd is that Kalshi didn’t inform the Beast team about the investigation until Kalshi reported it to the press (Beast Industries has since launched its own investigation and Kaptur no longer seems to be employed by the company).

This incident has sparked a mini media blitz. Beast Industries CEO Jeff Housenbold assured CNBC the team put the necessary company measures in place and said that prediction markets are going to have to “self-police” and that these markets are “ripe for abuse.” Kalshi went on its own tour with CEO Tarek Mansour explaining to Wired how the website is not gambling (OK, buddy). The whole thing’s a mess, but it’s a mess everyone was kind of expecting. Expect more of these stories to come.

Fixated acquires another company — creator monetization company Elevate

After its $50 million investment at the end of last year, the creator talent management company Fixated is continuing its buying streak. The company is acquiring Elevate, a creator monetization company that specializes in direct-to-fan revenue models, TheWrap first reported. Earlier this year, Fixated bought the gaming-focused creator company Ellify, so the expansion vibes are strong right now.

Platform Updates

Tubi’s investment in creators is paying off

About 10% of Tubi viewers who open the app to watch creator-generated content will stay to watch Hollywood-produced shows or movies. Fox Corporation Executive Chairman and CEO Lachlan Murdoch shared that insight on Monday during the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference. Right now, Netflix and the Fox-owned Tubi are the two Hollywood giants leading the charge when it comes to investing in creators.

Twitch and X are cracking down, and Reddit gets a massive fine

Three mid-sized changes on three different platforms. Twitch changed its policy for streamers who break its rules. Before a temporary suspension meant the offending user would lose access to Twitch, but now the platform’s punishments will change depending on the severity of the rule violation. Speaking of suspensions, X is suspending creators from its revenue-sharing program for three months if they post unlabeled AI posts of an armed conflict.

Then there’s Reddit. The company was hit with a £14.5 million (roughly $19 million) fine from the U.K. after it unlawfully used the data of children under the age of 13 and potentially exposed them to inappropriate content.

Matt Friend will host The Snappys, Snapchat’s first creator awards show

Instagram has Rings, TikTok has the TikTok Awards, and now Snapchat has The Snappys. The awards show, which will take place March 31 at Snapchat’s Santa Monica headquarters, will honor creators in categories like Spotlight MVP, Best Storyteller and Breakout Creator of the Year. The event will be hosted by comedian Matt Friend (2.1 million Instagram followers) and will honor DJ Khaled with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Movers and Shakers

Dropout appeared on “The Rookie” 

Dropout, the viral and realtor-led comedy hub known for its show “Game Changer,” appeared on “The Rookie” Monday night. Vic Michaelis, Jacob Wysocki, Zac Oyama and Anna Garcia alongside CEO and host Sam Reich all appeared on the ABC show. The collaboration garnered some backlash from Dropout fans, but it seems like it came about organically as several “Rookie” writers are fans of the comedy platform. Considering the fact that “The Rookie” has a surprisingly young fanbase, it makes sense.

Chronicle Studios adds Bento Box heads to its team

Scott Greenberg and Brett Coker, who helped co-found Bento Box Entertainment, are moving to the creator-focused Chronicle Studios. If those names sound familiar, Bento Box Entertainment is best known for producing “Bob’s Burgers.” Greenberg is a co-founder of Chronicle, and Coker is the company’s head of franchise strategy. The studio plans to open up its platform to more than 10,000 YouTube channels by the end of the year.

Gaming creator Valkyrae announces Squeex scholarship at NYU

Gaming creator Valkyrae’s (4 million YouTube subscribers) latest video may have started with a college lecture, but it ended with a big surprise. Valkyrae announced the Squeex scholarship, which is designed to provide professional development funding to support students at New York University’s Game Center. Squeex (235,000 YouTube subscribers) was also there to present the honor.

Though this particular scholarship is specifically for students interested in the video game industry, it continues a trend of colleges and universities partnering more with creators. Syracuse in particular has really been leading this charge. The university opened the Center for the Creator Economy last year and announced an academic minor on the creator economy last month.

@michael.tchao

JAPANESE SPINACH GOMA-AE [RECIPE] Servings: 2 One of my favourite appetizers – goma-ae! Super easy and nutrient packed. The dressing can be made while the spinach cools down! Ingredients: – 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (into a paste, a blender is good to use) – 2 tbsp low sodium tamari or soy sauce (I’m using @sanjtamari) – 1 tbsp mirin – 1 tsp sugar (I subbed honey, but it imparts a different flavour) – 1 tsp salt Method: Dressing – add toasted sesame seeds into a mortar, and grind until halfway ground. – add tamari, mirin, money and mix well. optional: -can add all sauce ingredients in to a blender and mix well. Spinach: – add water and a tsp salt to a medium pot and boil – wash spinach well. Mature spinach can collect lots of dirt in between the leaves – when water is boiling, arrange the spinach so all stems are bunched together, and insert only the stalks into the boiling water. Hold it hear for about 1-2 minutes (thicker the stalks, longer) – after 1 minute, dunk the rest of the spinach leaves under water and cook for another 1-2 minutes. – strain and immediately add to ice water bath to cool down and stop the cooking process. – once cooled, squeeze out excess water, and cut the spinach into 1.5-2” chunks – add to a bowl, add sesame dressing mix well and can leave in fridge. Remove about 30 minutes before serving to warm up to room temp

♬ original sound – Michael Tchao

Who to Watch

Michael Tchao

If you’ve ever wondered about the optimal boiling time for a green bean or the best way to load a dishwasher, then Michael Tchao (73,700 TikTok followers) is for you. His content goes beyond what you would expect from a food creator, using science, demonstrations and experiments to explain how you can make the best possible food. He’s the perfect face for the next era of food-focused TV, and Food Network agrees. Tchao was named as one of the creators onFood Network’s 2026 Hot List,which celebrates rising culinary stars on TikTok.

Bonus Content

• Podcasts? TV Talk Shows? Netflix Just Hopes They’re Hits (via New York Times)
• A Former MrBeast Editor Is on a Mission to Make the Creator Economy Better for Women (via Business Insider)
• Everyone Speaks Incel Now (via Wired)

Want more? Explore WrapPRO now.

This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.

The post Creatorverse: AND Media Is Investing in the Content It Wants to See | Exclusive appeared first on TheWrap.

When Sean Klitzner first joined “Beast Games” Season 1, his goal was to try not to piss anyone off. A producer who had worked for Beast Industries from 2022 to 2025, Klitzner was tapped to be part of the Prime Video show during its early days. As the production was being helmed by a team of traditional Hollywood producers, Klitzner’s goal was to help bring the MrBeast (468 million YouTube subscribers) spin to this major streaming show.

“I walked in and was like, ‘This is not how we do things from the Beast brand standpoint,’” Klitzner told me. “Really, my position for Season 1 was tying those worlds together.”

By Season 2, Klitzner had left Beast Industries and fully embraced his role as a showrunner on “Beast Games.” That meant introducing more of the Beast method of production to a Hollywood show. Instead of producers and camera operators being siloed to their specific jobs, Klitzner encouraged collaboration across departments, asking people to share their opinions about shot compositions and telling anyone who was interested what the budget was. That hands-on approach is vital to Beast Industries as well as the creator economy as a whole.

At the same time, Klitzner took notes from the Hollywood professionals on his show, learning everything from the importance of letting contestants drive the story to the morale boost that comes from expanding craft services.

“It was eye-opening on both sides,” he said.

Klitzner’s experience is proof of what a great partnership between Hollywood and the creator industry can look like. “Beast Games,” which airs its Season 2 finale today and has already been renewed for Season 3, is the leveling up of MrBeast’s channel that the series has always promised to be. Yet the Prime Video original has become more than the sum of its parts, transitioning from just another reality show to a series that demands viewers ask themselves “What would you do for a life-changing amount of money?” Rather than relying on clean narratives, Season 2 rests in discomfort — the people who screw over dozens of new friends for cash or those who realize they aren’t as ambitious, strong or smart as they previously thought.

This collaboration is especially important as people like Klitzner understand exactly what Gen Z and Gen Alpha viewers want from their content. For networks and studios, appealing to that demographic has proven to be a challenge.

“There is a lot of confusion [between Hollywood and the creator space] at this moment in time,” Klitzner said. “The future is embracing, accepting and understanding that we’re really not that far off. It’s not a production difference. It really is a mindset difference for the next generation.”

Now onto the rest.

Kayla Cobb

Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com

What’s New

NBC adds Druski to “The Voice”

We’ve covered in-depth how NBC has invested in creators. Now the network is adding a major one to one of its biggest properties: “The Voice.” Druski (12.7 million TikTok followers), the comedian known for his viral partnerships with Kai Cenat (20.2 million Twitch followers) and Kevin Hart, will serve as the first-ever commentator for “The Battle of Champions” season of “The Voice.” Basically, think of Druski as a sideline reporter for the biggest music competition show around.

Roblox hit with a multi-million dollar child predator lawsuit in California

Roblox continues to be one the biggest gaming companies among younger gamers, and its woes keep compounding. The company was hit with a California lawsuit last week that claims the sandbox gaming platform created an inappropriate digital hub for children and permitted predators to exploit minors.

To the company’s credit, Roblox has been trying to solve its age problem. In early February, over 45% of Roblox’s 144 million global daily active users had already completed an age check on the platform. But now is a tough time to be in the middle of any age restriction conversation.

Cannes Lions will expand its creator program, and Substack partners with Polymarket

Over the years, creators have become a bigger part of Cannes Lions, the annual hub for marketers and brands. But this year, the festival’s creator program will be moving to the beach — prime event real estate that showcases the increasing importance of the creator ecosystem in the advertising marketplace. This year, Abode will also partner with the creator program.

Speaking of collabs, Substack this week partnered with the prediction market Polymarket. So now you can gamble through your favorite newsletters.

By the Numbers

Snap+ surpasses 25 million subscribers

Big news for Snapchat. The company predicted it will have an annualized revenue run rate of $1 billion, meaning that if its direct revenue continues at this monthly pace, it’s expected to generate $1 billion throughout the year. This growth is in large part due to the success of Snap+, the company’s global consumer subscription service, which now has over 25 million members. To put that into perspective, Snapchat in general averages 946 million monthly active users worldwide.

Raptive has paid out $4 billion to creators to date

Raptive, the company that helps turn creators into digital publishers by helping them create and monetize websites, has paid out $4 billion to creators since its launch. Raptive’s network of sites reached 224 million unique viewers according to ComScore as well as 1.3 billion social followers.

Dhar Mann was a win for the Super Bowl

Ahead of Super Bowl LX, Dhar Mann (26.8 million YouTube subscribers) was appointed as the NFL’s Chief Kindness Officer. That campaign proved to be a success. The campaign generated 33 million video views and 100 million social media impressions.

Movers and Shakers

Lil Dicky, Benny Blanco and Kristin Batalucco launch digital show, “Friends Keep Secrets”

Don’t call Lil Dicky’s, aka Dave Burd, new show a podcast. The rapper and former FX star and creator of “Dave” is launching “Friends Keep Secrets” alongside Benny Blanco and his wife Kristin Batalucco. The YouTube series is being described as a talk show rigged with a houseful of camera that will include major guests like Ed Sheeran, Gwyneth Paltrow and Paul Rudd. But knowing Lil Dicky, this talk show will be anything but predictable.

Former Hartbeat President Bryan Smiley launches creator company focused on Gen Z men

Bryan Smiley, the former president of Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat, launched his own digital media company focused on Gen Z men. Hard Carry Media will help build multi-platform brands and IP from creator brands that appeal to this demographic, and its first partnership is with Full Squad (2.4 million YouTube subscribers).

TheWrap also exclusively learned this week that iHeartMedia is partnering with Whalar Group on the first creator-led podcast from these two companies. Jill Wintersteen’s “The Spirit Daughter”is expected to be the first of many creator podcasts that will come from this collaboration.

Khaby Lame’s $975 million deal is in trouble

Earlier this year, TikTok’s biggest creator Khaby Lame (160 million TikTok followers) entered into an all-stock deal with the Hong Kong-based company Rich Sparkle Holdings. That deal involved using an avatar of Lame in brand partnerships and was reportedly worth $975 million. Now it’s likely worth a lot less. 

Rich Sparkle’s share price hit a high of $180 per share last month and has since dropped to $13.57 per share as of today. Lame will reportedly get 75 million new shares in Rich Sparkle as part of this deal, so it’s not like he’s struggling. There have been no formal filings indicating that this deal has closed, but I’ll be watching it.

Who to Watch

ClickForTaz

The 2026 Winter Olympics inspired some truly excellent moments, from Alysa Liu’s figure skating victory to penisgate. But the games also introduced me to one of my new favorite creators — ClickForTaz (1.6 million YouTube subscribers). Taz was invited to the Olympics as part of a partnership with YouTube and covered big events like the Men’s Snowboard Big Air Final and the Snowboard Parallel Giant Slalom. But the real joy of her channel is the sincere tone of her day-in-the-life content. Taz subverts the intensity of other lifestyle creators and demonstrates why authenticity is in right now. 

Bonus Content

• Chatbots Are the New Influencers Brands Must Woo (via New York Times)
• Inside Clavicular’s Thirsty Tour of New York City (via GQ)
• Kalshi Suspended a California Politician and a YouTuber for Insider Trading (via Wired)

Want more? Explore WrapPRO now.

This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.

The post Creatorverse: ‘Beast Games’ Is a Winning Collab Between Creators and Hollywood appeared first on TheWrap.

The Democratic party is making good on its promise to take creators more seriously. Last Wednesday, the Senate Democrats’ Strategic Communications Committee hosted a full-day event in D.C. with nearly 100 creators and independent journalists.

The goal was to better educate creators on the party’s priorities and help limit the spread of misinformation. It’s also part of a larger party effort to encourage more Senate Democrats to be active on social media. Several notable senators stopped by including Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren and Jon Ossoff. 

The Democrats aren’t the first group to fight against creator misinformation. News Creator Corps, an organization dedicated to teaching local creators journalistic skills, announced its second fellowship class this week after receiving 51% more applications than for its inaugural class. Similarly, Vox Media’s “Language, Please” project, which offers resources and style guides for journalists covering sensitive and complicated topics, added new tools for creators.

The difference is that Democrats really need creators to be on their side right now. 

It’s been well covered that the Republican courtship of rightwing podcasters and creators helped lead to Trump’s victory. Embarrassingly, Democrats even spent part of last year looking for their own “Joe Rogan.” Booker reiterated the left’s social media problem during last Wednesday’s event. 

“We weren’t showing up where the people were, and then we were getting upset that they weren’t aware of the issues that we were fighting for,” Booker told attendees, according to Scalable. 

But what may help seal the creator vote aren’t symposiums but actually listening to creator needs. As much criticism as Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill received, the “No Tax on Tips” provision lets creators who make less than $150,000 a year deduct up to $25,000. And Democratic California Representative Ro Khanna’s proposed Creator Bill of Rightsaddresses several major creator concerns such as affordable healthcare options, portable benefit systems and clear revenue-sharing terms between platforms and creators. 

This isn’t to say that creators can be bought. The creator economy is a vast and diverse one that provides income for 12% of the U.S. population; it’s impossible to confidently speak on the political alliances or needs of any group that large. But there is a gap between politicians wanting access to the younger audiences creators have and creators needing more financial stability and protection. The first party to bridge that divide would probably get a leg up.

Now onto the rest.

P.S. We have a programming update: Creatorverse has moved to Wednesdays. Same content, same snark, now one day earlier.

Kayla Cobb

Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com

What’s New

Over 200 creators took the court for the NBA’s All-Star Weekend

Creators were all over the place during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend, which took place in Los Angeles last weekend. Basketball creator Jesser (37.4 million YouTube subscribers) served as the host in the lead-up to the main games, and creators like Dude Perfect’s Sparky (61.8 million YouTube subscribers) and Cam Wilder (7.2 million TikTok followers) played in the PlayStation NBA Creator Cup, a series of 3v3 games. Altogether, over 200 creators assembled to host events and share behind-the-scenes content.

The NBA is far from the only major sports league that’s partnering with creators in a major way. The Super Bowl’s second annual Creator Flag Football Game from the NFL and YouTube scored 14 million views, more than double the viewership of last year’s game.

Meta, TikTok and Snap agree to teen safety ratings

Four of the biggest social media platforms around — the Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook alongside Snap and TikTok — are going to be judged on how well they protect the mental health of their teenage users. These independent assessments will come from  a coalition of advocacy organizations and will measure things like whether platforms mandate breaks or let users turn off endless scrolling. Each platform will be given a rating based on their performance. 

How social media platforms treat underage users has become a major issue. Teen safety is at the center of the ongoing lawsuit against Meta and YouTube, which will see Mark Zuckerberg taking the stand today (TikTok and Snap previously settled out of court). It’s even led to several countries age gating platforms.

Law&Crime Network buys Court TV

Law&Crime Network (7.4 million subscribers), the live court YouTube channel created and led by ABC News Chief Legal Analyst Dan Abrams, is purchasing Court TV from Scripps. Court TV isn’t really a thing anymore, but the network was a big deal in the ‘90s after it aired wall-to-wall footage of the O.J. Simpson trial. The deal is reportedly valued under $125 million, and ownership will  transfer to Jellysmack, the creator amplification company that’s the parent company of Law&Crime.

Behind the Scenes

Propagate Content secures $50 million from Ares Management to make more creator-led content

Propagate Content, the production company behind “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” secured a $50 million investment from Ares Management to make more creator-led content. “Mormon Wives” has been a big hit for Hulu. The reality series that centers on the Mormon influencer community of “MomTok” was the streamer’s most watched unscripted premiere of 2024.

Creator management firm Night raises $70 million from investors

Night, the creator management firm that counts Kai Cenat (20.2 million Twitch subscribers) among its clients, raised $70 million in a new round of financing. StepStone Group, Founders Fund, House Capital, K5 Global and PagsGroup are among the companies that invested in this round. Night plans to use the money to expand into music, sports, gaming, podcasting and live events.

Publicis Groupe invests in sports-focused creators with new division

Speaking of investing in sports, Publicis Groupe launched Influential Sports, a division designed to connect brands to sports fans using the creator marketplace. In case all the creators partnering with the NFL, NBA and Olympics didn’t give it away, sports is a hot segment for the creator economy right now.

Movers and Shakers

Amelia Dimoldenberg is coming to Amazon, and Olivia Ferney partners with Fifth Season

Amelia Dimoldenberg, the host of “Chicken Shop Date” (3.3 million YouTube subscribers), will develop and star in an upcoming rom-com from Amazon MGM Studios’ Orion Pictures. The project will follow a journalist whose life spirals after a celebrity interview turns into an unexpected romance. Should sound familiar to anyone still swooning over Dimoldenberg’s chemistry with Andrew Garfield. 

In other news, Olivia Ferney (966,000 Instagram followers), the luxury travel concierge known for catering to millionaires and billionaires, is getting her own scripted series. The project will come from Fifth Season, known for shows like “His & Hers” and “Severance.”

Dana Terrace’s “Knights of Guinevere” is greenlit for a full series at Glitch

We’ve covered “Knights of Guinevere” before, the animated series from “Owl House” creator Dana Terrace that premiered last year on Glitch. Now the production studio that often airs its series on YouTube has picked up Terrace’s pilot for a full series. “Knights of Guinevere” saw over 11.9 million views in its first week and had a cumulative watch time of over 2.9 million hours, marking one of Glitch’s strongest debuts. Also, it slaps. Congrats all around.

Dropout launches a 24/7 channel

It’s finally happened; a creator channel has invented TV. Dropout, the comedy streaming service that was formerly known as CollegeHumor, introduced a 24/7 feed of its content. “It’s just like regular TV except it’s all Dropout content and there’s no ads for food processors at 4 in the morning,” CEO Sam Reich joked. The channel will start with a marathon of “Dimension 20” and “Adventuring Academy.”

@davejorgenson

Social media sites exposed anti-ICE users at the government’s request. Some social medias sites are voluntarily complying with Homeland Security requests for data from users who have expressed anti-ICE sentiments. The Department of Homeland Security is expanding its efforts to identify Americans who oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement by sending tech companies legal requests for the names, email addresses, telephone numbers and other identifying data behind social media accounts that track or criticize the agency. In recent months, Google, Reddit, Discord and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, have received hundreds of administrative subpoenas from the Department of Homeland Security, according to four government officials and tech employees privy to the requests. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Google, Meta and Reddit complied with some of the requests, the government officials said. In the subpoenas, the department asked the companies for identifying details of accounts that do not have a real person’s name attached and that have criticized ICE or pointed to the locations of ICE agents. The New York Times saw two subpoenas that were sent to Meta over the last six months. Unlike arrest warrants, which require a judge’s approval, administrative subpoenas are issued by the Department of Homeland Security. They were only sparingly used in the past, primarily to uncover the people behind social media accounts engaged in serious crimes such as child trafficking, said tech employees familiar with the legal tool. But last year, the department ramped up its use of the subpoenas to unmask anonymous social media accounts. Caption from article by Sheera Frenkel and Mike Isaac, The New York Times.

♬ original sound – Dave Jorgenson

Who to Watch

Dave Jorgeson

Still mad about the mass layoffs and upheaval happening at the Washington Post? Now’s a good time to check back in on Dave Jorgeson (252 million TikTok followers) the former staffer who left the publication back in July to create his own independent news organization. Jorgeson is still hosting a masterclass in how to make engaging, entertaining and informative news content for the modern age.

Bonus Content

• Under the Mormon Influence How the Women of Utah Blogged and Posted Their Way Into American Hearts and Wallets (via The Cut)
• ByteDance Is Hollywood’s Latest AI Boogeyman | Analysis (via TheWrap)
• Much Ado About Nothing? TikTok’s U.S. Usership Steadies After Turbulent Start (via CNBC)

Want more? Explore WrapPRO now.

This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.

The post Creatorverse: A Political War Is Brewing Over Creators appeared first on TheWrap.

“Iron Lung,” the directorial debut of Mark Fischbach, aka Markiplier (38 million YouTube subscribers), was supposed to get a limited theatrical release. But one comment telling fans to reach out to their local theaters if they wanted to see “Iron Lung” changed everything. A movie that Fischbach believed would show in 50 theaters premiered in 3,000 and made $17.8 million in its opening weekend — more than “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” or “Mercy” — and set the record for the highest opening weekend for a self-distributed film

“The movie became a social movement, a lot like the ‘Stranger Things’ finale,” Brooks LeBoeuf, head of content at Regal, told my colleague Jeremy Fuster. “The fans did the work of what multimillion marketing budgets do, and we were the benefactor by getting on first.”

Fischbach acknowledged that his self-financed movie is “a very exceptional case.” Not everyone has 38 million followers. But he also sees the success of “Iron Lung” as proof there’s a route for independent cinema to return. Instead of feeling beholden to a studio’s bottom line, Fischbach knew exactly how much “Iron Lung” cost to make and how much he needed to break even. 

“If we reset our scales of what these things are — if you make something and it costs $200,000 and you made $500,000 and you do your split — you still got a profit,” Fischbach said. “YouTube is a lot like independent filmmaking, and I think that brings a different perspective to all this.”

Not every creator movie is a guaranteed hit. The disappointing returns for the Dude Perfect and Ryan’s World movies are proof enough of that. But movies like “Iron Lung” and Baron Ryan’s “Two Sleepy People” are approaching their distribution strategy differently by coming to theaters with modest expectations and asking fans to show theaters that they’re interested and willing to turn up for these movies. These grassroots efforts organically take advantage of creators’ audiences rather than hoping a big name on a poster is enough to generate ticket sales. 

They also let creators maintain control over the all-important relationships with their audiences. The big difference between creators and more traditional celebrities is that creators know their audiences intimately. They know which commenters have been with them since Day 1 and understand engagement down to which shirt color produces more views. The big lesson from the success of Markiplier and “Iron Lung”? If you’re working with creators, actually listen to them. They know their fans best.

Now onto the rest.

Kayla Cobb

Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com

What’s New

Salish Matter is coming to Netflix

After making deals with Mark Rober and Alan Chikin Chow, Netflix is adding another massive creator name to its roster. Salish Matter and her dad Jordan Matter (34 million YouTube subscribers) signed a creative partnership with Netflix this week and will come to streaming this spring. The deal allows the father-daughter duo to create scripted, unscripted and animated series and includes a partnership on both consumer products and experiential offerings.

The Matter duo is known for creating both day-in-the-life and challenge-based content all starring Salish. She made headlines last year with the release of her Sincerely Yours skincare line, an event so big it brought in more than 80,000 fans and shut down a New Jersey mall.

Spain is the latest country to ban teens under the age of 16 on social media

Spain is following Australia’s lead, becoming the first European country to ban teenagers and children under the age of 16 from having social media accounts. The country will be employing strict age verification tools to enforce the ban, and the process to officially adopt this legislation will begin next week.

There’s been a major global crackdown on kids using social media. Both France and Denmark recently announced plans to ban accounts for users under the age of 15, and the U.K. is considering similar measures. As for the U.S., a lawsuit that names YouTube and Instagram and claims social media is addictive and harmful to children is underway. The parent companies behind Snapchat and TikTok settled out of court before the trial started.

Creators Against ICE launches campaign to raise $100,000

The humanitarian aid group Creators for Peace launched Creators Against ICE this week. The goal of the campaign is to raise $100,000 for the National Immigration Law Center to help provide legal help to impacted families. Creators like Jacksepticeye (31 million YouTube subscribers), Trisha Paytas (11 million TikTok followers) and Hassan Khadair (6 million TikTok followers) have backed the campaign. 

Speaking of political creators, live streamer Hasan Piker (3 million Twitch followers) received a temporary ban on Twitch after using the phrase “rabid ultra-Zionist pigs” while discussing the practice of using lists to keep track of anti-ICE protesters. Piker moved his stream to YouTube, and his Twitch channel is now back.

@romeosshow Replying to @vitacoco this would go crazy with some steel drums. #vitacoco #coconutwater #beverage #jingle ♬ original sound – Romeo

Before the Big Game

Romeo is the Super Bowl’s it girl

Romeo (1.3 million TikTok followers) blew up earlier this year for her viral Dr. Pepper jingle, a tune so catchy that the soda company turned it into a commercial. After creating another jingle for Vita Coco, the coconut water brand is sending Romeo and six guests to the Super Bowl. The collaboration song has already surpassed 39 million views with Vita Coco adding over 130,000 TikTok followers. All because Romeo is low-key the queen of commercial jingles.

TikTok hashtags for Bad Bunny have increased by 35% 

TikTokers are definitely psyched about the Super Bowl halftime performance. Since it was announced that Bad Bunny would be performing, #badbunny has seen a 35% increase on the app. There’s also been a trend of TikTok users learning Spanish to prepare for the performance.

MrBeast and Salesforce are up to something big

Roughly a month ago, MrBeast (465 million YouTube subscribers) tweeted that he had an idea for a Super Bowl commercial but he needed $1 million. Salesforce stepped up to the challenge. We know very little about this collaboration, but based on the Slack-branded ads about it and Donaldson’s history of giving away millions, we’re prepared for something big. Buckle up.

Movers and Shakers

Creator-led studio behind “Date Everything!” signs with CAA

Sassy Chap Games, the creator-led gaming studio behind the viral game “Date Everything!” signed with CAA this week. The agency will help the studio expand its slate of original game IP into global entertainment franchises. Sassy Chap Games was founded by voice actors Robbie Daymond and Ray Chase.

X’s $1 million contest backfires

X made good on its promise to award $1 million to the article on its platform that generated the most engagement. A user by the handle of @beaverd took the prize for “Deloitte, a $74 billion cancer metastasized across America.” But of course, because this is X we’re talking about, the writer is now under fire for their history of racist and anti-immigrant posts. X also gave out an additional $1.15 million to runner ups.

Twitch introduces business manager role for streamers

Twitch streamers will now be able to turn over the business side of their channels to agents and managers within the platform. That’s because the live streaming hub unveiled its business manager role this week. It’s another offering that proves live streaming is really taking off.

@mariahcrose Everything that happened in sports this week in 2 mins (The Bad Bunny Bowl is THIS Weekend ) #sportsnews #forthegirlies #badbunny #cardib #superbowl ♬ original sound – mariah rose

Who to Watch

Mariah Rose

If you need a guide to the Olympics who will tell it like it is, look no further than Mariah Rose (731,000 TikTok followers). Rose is part of NBC’s Creator Collective program for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games. But what sets her apart is how well informed and fun she is when breaking down the drama, deals and disruptions of the sporting world. Watching her content really does feel like grabbing a drink with one of your smartest sports-obsessed friends.

Bonus Content

• The Green Brothers Are Turning Crash Course Production Company Into a Nonprofit (via Mashable)
• Fanfiction’s Total Cultural Victory (via Defector)
• The San Francisco Standard Puts Out an Open Call for Creators (via San Francisco Standard)

Want more? Explore WrapPRO now.

This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.

The post Creatorverse: Grassroots Marketing Led to ‘Iron Lung’s $17 Million Opening Weekend appeared first on TheWrap.

Earlier this week, my colleague Corbin Bolies and I dove into the social media story that’s been dominating this week: What’s going on with TikTok? Long story short, a power outage connected to last weekend’s winter storms messed with some servers, causing everything from delayed videos to feeds that refused to update. The whole saga spooked creators — not great considering the incident happened days after the U.S. version of the app was acquired by its new owners.

But while reporting on the story, something journalist and creator Aaron Parnas (4.8 million TikTok followers) said surprised me. After revealing he hasn’t made any money from TikTok’s Creator Fund in roughly six months, he noted that he doesn’t make much on YouTube Shorts and “doesn’t make a penny” on Instagram Reels. 

“Just the longform stuff on YouTube is really where the monetization is,” Parnas said.

Journalist and creator Joey Contino (949,000 TikTok followers) said roughly the same thing. So with everyone convinced that shortform is the future of entertainment, how are shortform creators actually making money? 

The simple (and bleak) answer is not through any of the big apps. Ancillary revenue like brand deals and ecommerce platforms (i.e. the TikTok Shop) seem to account for most of the money made by these creators. 

The metric to keep in mind is RPM or revenue per mille. That’s how much money a creator can earn per 1,000 views. For a qualified YouTube Shorts creator, the average RPM is less than 20 cents, a number that’s drastically lower than the $3 to $6 RPM some creators have reported on YouTube proper. Views from English-speaking countries are also valued more.

Comparatively, TikTok gives creators the potential to make a lot more money. Its standard RPM ranges from around 10 cents to $1, but TikTok also offers additional awards for creators. If the platform deems your content to be engaging and well-crafted, TikTok will pay a bonus. These bonuses can be steep as one creator revealed he made more from his bonus than his RPMs over a month. They can also be unpredictable. A major reason why Contino earned less money from the platform is because TikTok changed its bonus structure to no longer prioritize political creators. 

For years, TikTok was the platform for shortform creators. But recently, more creators have been reporting a drop in payouts from its Creator Rewards Program.

Monetization concerns have gotten so pronounced that one of TikTok’s biggest creators Dylan Page, aka News Daddy (18 million TikTok followers), announced he was leaving the platform partially over the issue. 

Finally, there’s Instagram Reels, a platform with RPMs that are so low that it’s become a joke. Adding to the real Reels frustration, the platform offers bonuses on an invite-only basis.

So what does this mean for you, presumably a forward-thinking professional in the entertainment industry? Right now, there’s a big pool of talented, creative and underpaid professionals who have proven they can build followings and who are disenchanted by the shorform landscape. Be like Dr. Pepper and make a move.

Now onto the rest.

Kayla Cobb

Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com

What’s New

Markiplier’s “Iron Lung” is expected to have a $9 million opening weekend

Horror and gaming creator Mark “Markiplier” Fischbach (38 million YouTube subscribers) is heading to the big screen with “Iron Lung,” the creator’s directorial debut. Originally, the sci-fi horror movie based on the 2022 game of the same name was supposed to have a limited self-distribution release. But after pulling in his fans, Markiplier’s movie is now expected to open in approximately 2,000 locations with a projected $9-10 million opening weekend — that’s a massive number of theaters for a film that’s being self-distributed from someone not named Taylor Swift. “Iron Lung” is produced by the creator’s own studio, Markiplier Studios.

Speaking of creator-led movies, Baron Ryan and Creator Camp’s “Two Sleepy People” was released in 500 additional theaters last Friday. The era of grassroots filmmaking is here.

Druski and J. Balvin are the team captains for YouTube’s Super Bowl flag football game

For the second year in a row, YouTube and the NFL will be celebrating the Super Bowl with a flag football game. The Feb. 7 game with see team captains J. Balvin (35.2 million YouTube subscribers) and comedian Druski (4.6 million YouTube subscribers) face off against each other. The rest of the roster is a mix of musicians, like Benson Boone; professional athletes, like Michael Vick and flag football star Diana Flores; and creators, like Deestroying (6.4 million YouTube subscribers) and Jesser (37 million YouTube subscribers). The first pre-Super Bowl game resulted in 6 million live views on the NFL’s YouTube channel.

The first Assistants vs. Agents awards show sold out

If you’re in the entertainment business, chances are you already know about Assistants vs. Agents (154,000 Instagram followers), the snarky insider account from former WME assistant Warner Bailey. Last Friday, the account put on its first awards show designed to honor the best assistants in the industry, and the 450-person event sold out.Alex Cooper’s UnWell was one of the event’s sponsors, and there were video messages from creators like Rhett and Link (20 million YouTube subscribers) as well as Jake Shane (3.9 million TikTok followers) while Connor Wood (912,000 TikTok followers) served as the host. Cheers to all the assistants out there. LA would collapse without you.

Platform Updates

Substack launches a TV app, argues that more direct relationships between creators and fans is the future

After Instagram launched a TV app, Substack announced its own TV app. No, the company doesn’t expect you to squint at thinkpieces from your couch. It’s designed to showcase the videos and livestreams of its creators.

It’s unclear how this will play out. But what’s clearer is that Substack is aiming to be the future of the creator economy. In a piece titled “Direct relationships are the way out of this TikTok mess,” co-founder Hamish McKenzie argues it’s now more important than ever for creators to have control over their relationships with fans. 

Fox-backed microdrama platform MyDrama pens 40-title deal with Dhar Mann

MyDrama, the microdrama platform owned by Holywater and backed by Fox Entertainment, has entered a 40-title deal with Dhar Mann (27 million YouTube subscribers). It’s a good fit. Microdramas are all about creating short, engaging content quickly, and that’s exactly what Dhar Mann Studios does. 

“Microdramas” are the latest Hollywood buzzword, partially because of big investments from companies like Fox and because they’re actually hiring actors during a production lull. But between the demanding schedules, questionable content and often predatory payment structure, Tess Patton and I have our doubts this is really the future of the industry.

YouTube cracks down on AI slop

Back in November, the AI-tool company Kapwing reported that between 21 and 33% of YouTube was made up of AI slop, the cheeky name for low effort and low creativity AI-created videos. Three months later, it’s now reporting that 16 of the biggest AI slop YouTube channels in the world have been removed, channels that had a combined 4.7 billion views and 35 million subscribers. At the beginning of the year, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan pledged to “reduce the spread of low quality AI content,” and by god, it looks like the company is doing it. 

Speaking of YouTube, the company upped its shopping game. YouTube incorporated Google’s Demand Gen into its shoppable connected TV ads, which could be a big game changer for creators making money off the platform.

Movers and Shakers

IShowSpeed’s tour of Africa scores over 135 million views

IShowSpeed (50.7 million YouTube subscribers) ended his 20-country tour of Africa with even more views than his 24/7 U.S. marathon last year. The 2026 livestream scored over 135 million views on YouTube, 15% more views than his 35-day American tour. Speed also crossed the 50 million subscriber mark while on the tour, is set to receive a Ghanaian passport following his visit to the nation and is launching a donation campaign for local organizations in the countries he visited. More like iShowKindness.

Ex-Paramount CEO launches an animation studio for YouTube that will adapt “Eloise at the Plaza”

Former co-CEO of Paramount Brian Robbins launched Big Shot Pictures, a production company that will use the reach and scale of YouTube to develop animated franchises. First on his list is an adaptation of “Eloise at the Plaza.” Robbins isn’t new to the world of creators as he co-founded Awesomeness, the production company behind “Smosh: The Movie” and “PEN15.”

Underscore Talent partners with Loti AI to protect the likeness of its clients

Creator talent management company Underscore Talent has partnered with Loti AI to protect the digital likeness of its clients. As AI becomes more popular, these sorts of collaborations are becoming more popular and vital.

@tastebuds_nyc Trying food from every country in the world, without leaving New York City. Episode 7: Bhutan #nyc #nycfood #newyear #bhutan #food ♬ original sound – tastebuds_nyc

Who to Watch

Tastebuds NYC

It doesn’t get more wholesome than tastebuds_nyc (394,000 TikTok followers), a series that follows two buds as they try food from every country in the world without leaving New York City. It’s always interesting to dive into New York’s food scene, but what sets tastebuds apart are the interviews with waitstaff and owners that happen in every video.

There’s been a backlash to the most popular kind of influencer food content in recent years, overly polished videos. Creators like Keith Lee (17.5 million TikTok followers) and Daadi (690,000 TikTok followers) have offered a welcome counterargument to that aesthetic, focusing more on good food and genuine human connection rather than vibes and presentation. Tastebuds_nyc falls into firmly into the Keith Lee and Daadi camp.

Bonus Content

• Redditors Are Mounting a Resistance Against ICE (via Wired)
• TikTok Users Flock to UpScrolled in Response to New U.S. Owners (via Mashable)
• How Right Wing Influencers Used AI Slop to Turn Renee Good Into a Meme (via 404 Media)

Want more? Explore WrapPRO now.

This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.

The post Creatorverse: Shortform Creators Aren’t Making As Much As You Think appeared first on TheWrap.