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---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- **Supported by** View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/6998270f-5d34-4aaa-bdb0-82bc9d148f95/LOGOTYPE_MOSO_RVB_couleur.png?t=1777380478) Follow image link: (https://cal.mixmax.com/thomassubra/scalable) Caption: -------------------- Hello! Today’s column looks at how some creators are migrating from smartphones to the silver screen. ⚠️_Announcement:_ We are officially SOLD OUT for our first **Scalable Summit **happening [next week in Los Angeles](https://scalablepod.com/summit). If you’d like to be notified in case tickets become available last minute, please email [events@scalablepod.com](mailto:events@scalablepod.com) directly. ——————————————————————————— -------------------- **In other news today: ** • New media drama at the WHCD  _• Creator Moves:_**_ _****Oprah**’s Amazon deal, **Emma Chamberlain** takes an "indefinite break” from podcasting and a beauty brand you’ve never heard of sponsored an influencer’s lavish bachelorette  _• Regulatory Woes:_ China orders **Meta** to unwind AI acquisition, more countries eye teen social media bans _• Talent Tracker:_ More exits at **TikTok**, plus a parenting creator hires a head of content   -------------------- ——————————————————————————— ----------Movie theaters are making a comeback of sorts—and some creators are cashing in. **Markiplier** is the most high-profile example. The mega YouTuber self-financed, directed and starred in his sci-fi horror film “Iron Lung,” which debuted earlier this year and grossed more than $50 million globally.  His success is happening alongside a broader recovery at the box office. Movie ticket sales in the US generated about $2 billion in revenue between January 1 and April 7, making it the strongest start to the year since the pandemic, according to data from Box Office Mojo cited by [Axios](https://www.axios.com/2026/04/07/2026-box-domestic-office-start). And it’s not just boomers or families with kids who are hitting the theaters. Two-thirds of Americans ages 18 to 29 went to the movies in the 12 months ahead of summer 2025, according to Pew Research Center, ahead of all other age groups measured. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/90a6d164-d127-4f0d-84f7-c11a65eb6b19/Movie_theaters_aren_t_dead.png?t=1777402002) Caption: Now, creators could bring even more young people into theaters. **Creator Camp**, a production firm which started as an events business for creators, released its first movie, “Two Sleepy People,” in US theaters late last year. The romantic comedy grossed $425,000 to date, including film festival tickets, and recouped its entire production budget in less than a week. But “Two Sleepy People” didn’t have a traditional Hollywood marketing budget to spread the word about its film. “We can’t just spray like $10 million of Meta ads,” Creator Camp’s co-founder and CEO **Max Reisinger** told us in a recent interview. Instead, Creator Camp had to get creative with its marketing strategy, which included creating an interactive map where people could fill in their name, address and email. If they signed up, their names would show up during the movie credits, which also enticed those fans to show up to the theater.  Within a week, Creator Camp had roughly 20,000 emails. The team then used those email lists to show movie theaters that there was demand for their film and pinpoint specific locations. The tactic helped get the film onto an initial 30 screens and more since then.  In our interview with Reisinger, which you can watch below, he chalked up the issue movie theaters face as “more of a content problem or a marketing problem versus theaters being dead.” He also called Markiplier “the Taylor Swift of the creator economy” due to his outsized influence on the movie industry. Youtube: How To Make a Movie Without Hollywood | Max Reisinger, Creator Camp (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tctBPOlXeM) Even so, we don’t expect most creators to suddenly start making full-length movies for the silver screen. And part of the reason for the growth in box office revenue is increasing ticket prices. According to some estimates, the average cost of a movie ticket in the US was about $16 in 2025. In 2022, tickets cost $10.53—and that was up by 15% from 2019, per a report from The Cinema Foundation. Plus, many of the biggest box office hits in early 2026 have been family-friendly movies or franchises like “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.” That suggests that families with kids and older adults, rather than Gen Zers, are still the most lucrative audiences for movie theaters. For creators, that means digital media is still where viewers—and the money—really are. Reisinger said that part of the reason for releasing the movie in theaters was to show streamers that it has an audience who is willing to pay to watch the show. “Maybe a streamer will buy it,” he said, referring to “Two Sleepy People.” He added that just putting the film up on YouTube wouldn’t have been enough to convince streamers as people can access YouTube content for free. That has also been a sticking point for Markiplier, whose real name is Mark Fischbach. In a recent YouTube livestream, Fischbach said he wanted to put a digital version of “Iron Lung” up for sale on the platform, where he has roughly 40 million subscribers. But it’s not that simple to do: He either has to work with a studio or become an aggregator, which licenses and distributes content. YouTube agreed to the latter in exchange for exclusive rights to distribute the movie, he said. While this seems like an extreme case, it struck us that it’s potentially easier for a creator to sell a movie in physical theaters than on YouTube. On a positive note, it suggests that YouTube is more [open to exclusive or original creator content](https://scalablepod.com/p/why-youtube-should-bring-originals-back) than it may seem. We’ll see if it happens. ——————————————————————————— ## **New Media Takes Over WHCD** Even before the shooting, this year’s **White House Correspondents’ Dinner **weekend in Washington, D.C. was set to be unlike any other. And not just because it was President Trump’s first time attending while in office.  The creator economy was more prominent there than ever before. That includes events hosted by **YouTube** and newsletter publishers **Substack** and** Beehiiv**. Substack held its inaugural “new media party,” which Jasmine was supposed to attend until lockdown orders left her and other guests unable to enter! Substack’s party was framed as an alternative to the main dinner, which is attended by reporters from traditional media outlets. That framing may have been deliberate: The WHCD’s executive director **Steve Thomma** [reportedly](https://wpcreator.washingtonpost.com/p/the-new-media-push-into-white-house-correspondents-weekend) rejected Substack’s request to buy tables, saying that independent journalists “would never be news” and “would never be invited.”   Ouch! It’s no wonder Thomma is denying the exchange. Even so, the situation is emblematic of the current state of journalism, with the old guard continuing to resist the rise of independent journalists even as more traditional reporters have taken the leap. Still, some independent journalists and creators did post up at the Hilton hotel, where the dinner and many pre-parties are held, including **Taylor Lorenz** and **Abi Baker**, a reporter for **Tara Palmeri**’s “The Red Letter” newsletter. Some provided real-time reporting on the events as they unfolded. Others, including news-focused creator **Aaron Parnas**, documented their experiences from inside the Substack party. While people at the dinner were understandably shaken by the events, others in D.C. were mostly just frustrated that it disrupted their festivities. But that ended up being temporary: Many events, including the annual Time Magazine after-party at the residence of the Swiss Ambassador went on as planned. Jasmine made it there, and for the most part, people seemed unperturbed by the evening’s earlier chaos. It shows just how desensitized people have become to gun violence in the US. ——————————————————————————— ## **The Round Up** **Spotify **is expanding into fitness. It’s partnering with **Peloton** to give paid Spotify users access to more than 1,400 on-demand workout classes. **Nas Daily**, a creator with about 14 million YouTube subscribers, raised $27 million in Series A funding for [Nas.com](https://Nas.com), an AI platform helping creators and entrepreneurs launch e-commerce businesses, including setting up storefronts and developing ads. **Futures Music Group**, an independent record label, raised $6 million in new funding to sign more artists, improve its infrastructure and expand into catalog deals, Axios reported. **Beehiiv**, the newsletter publisher, rolled out new updates including the ability for writers to host free and paid webinars. Writers can also now offer paid trials, such as offering 30 days for $1, and set metered paywalls, so that people can read a few articles for free before hitting a paywall. **Amaze**, a creator commerce company, launched Amaze Live, a live shopping platform that allows creators to connect their products and storefronts to sell live in multiple places, including social media platforms and other websites. We discussed how live shopping is developing in this YouTube video, embedded below. Youtube: From MrBeast to Coachella to creator ‘QVC’: The Power of Livestreaming (https://youtu.be/unGwkoANdPg?si=tDhlvE8TII1r9ycL) ——————————————————————————— ## **Regulatory Woes** **China **is requiring **Meta Platforms** to unwind its acquisition of **Manus**, a Singapore-based AI company with Chinese founders. It’s unclear how this will play out in practice as Meta has described the two teams as “deeply integrated,” according to the New York Times. The move could discourage other Chinese founders from teaming up with foreign partners. The **UK government** said it would implement restrictions for those under 16 on social media even if it doesn’t move forward with a ban. Reuters put together a handy summary of how countries around the world are approaching teen bans following Australia’s landmark ban in December. ——————————————————————————— **A Message from Motion Society** View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/abdfa135-0e94-4534-8c92-d9760711487f/MoSo_image.jpg?t=1777380255) Caption: **Viral Is A Moment. Scale Is A System.** _The creator economy is maturing fast. Most creators spend more time managing platforms than creating content, and many still aren't even present on all 20+ they should be, missing audiences, revenue, growth. Motion Society is the infrastructure that changes that: distribution, monetization and optimization across every platform, the right way, at scale, consistently. Zero mental load. Zero FOMO. We stay invisible. You shine. _ _“We trust Motion Society implicitly,”—Zach Miller, President of JesserCo, the holding company of top sports creator Jesser. Book a call with us _[here](https://cal.mixmax.com/thomassubra/scalable)_._ ——————————————————————————— ## **Creator Moves** **Oprah Winfrey** is bringing her podcast, book club and old episodes of her talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to** Amazon** in an exclusive multi-year deal. Beginning in July, Amazon’s Wondery will distribute her podcast across Amazon services, including Prime Video, Fire TV channels and Audible. Notably, the podcast will still be available on YouTube and on other podcasting services.  **Emma Chamberlain**,** **a creator and founder of Chamberlain Coffee,** **announced that she is taking an “indefinite break” from her podcast “Anything Goes.” Read more about why some podcasters are ditching their shows [here](https://scalablepod.com/p/a-podcast-reckoning-is-here). **Brigette Pheloung**, a fashion influencer who uses the handle @[acquired.style](https://acquired.style), generated buzz on social media over the weekend after** **smart beauty mirror company** Swan Beauty **[sponsored](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXfANrujveN/?igsh=MXdnZGZ0ZHd4NHA5dA==) her lavish bachelorette in St. Barths. The trip included transportation via a customized private jet. The move shows how brand trips can still be an effective marketing tactic, even as more brands have [opted to host IRL events](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXfANrujveN/?igsh=MXdnZGZ0ZHd4NHA5dA==) with creators instead.  **Łatwogang**, a streamer in Poland, [raised](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/27/polish-influencers-nine-day-live-stream-raises-50-million-for-cancer-chris-martin) more than £50 million ($67 million) for children battling cancer during a nine-day, nonstop livestream on **YouTube**. Read more about livestreaming’s recent resurgence [here](https://scalablepod.com/p/livestreaming-is-back-but-can-it-last). ——————————————————————————— ## **Talent Tracker** **Rema Vasan**, the head of North America business marketing at **TikTok**, is the latest marketing executive to leave the company recently. She hasn’t yet announced next steps. Other recent senior exits include Khartoon Weiss and Jorge Ruiz.  **Resh Sidhu** joined **Adobe** as vice president of creative. Most recently, she was Snap’s senior global director for Specs, developer marketing and its innovation studio.  **Callie Schweitzer **is now the head of content at** Good Inside**, creator Dr. Becky’s parenting platform, where she will oversee content, community and production teams. Most recently, Schweitzer spent more than five years at LinkedIn, including as head of creator programs and premium content. Her hiring comes as more creators bring on senior executives to help them grow their businesses. See [our timeline here](https://scalablepod.com/p/a-creator-company-isnt-going-to-be-the-next-disney). **Jayda Nalamlieng** was promoted to director of influencer partnerships at **VaynerMedia**, founded by Gary Vaynerchuk. ——————————————————————————— ## **Bookmarked**  [The Creator Who Spent $1.4 Million on ‘Clippers’ in One Month](https://www.businessinsider.com/kick-streamer-spent-over-a-million-dollars-on-clippers-2026-4) [Inside the World-Conquering Rise of the Micro-Drama](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/inside-the-world-conquering-rise-of-the-micro-drama) [It Was Just a Podcast. Now, It’s Kelce Land](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/24/business/media/jason-travis-kelce-amazon-podcast.html) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/youtubers-are-coming-to-a-movie-theater-near-you

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- **Supported by** View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/da6c0fb7-229d-4843-a705-06e1fd290955/agentio_logo.png?t=1775079005) Follow image link: (https://www.agentio.com/?utm_source=scalable&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=scalable_newsletter&utm_content=april_23_edition) Caption: -------------------- Hello! Today’s newsletter is a deep dive into why more creators are going on live tours. Hint: It’s not just about the money. -------------------- In other news today: * _The Round Up: _Meta’s “dystopian” move, a new debit card for TikTok creators and YouTube’s crackdown on celebrity deepfakes * _Creator Moves:_ A new creator-led political satire show on CNN * _Talent Tracker: _LinkedIn has a new CEO and e.l.f. has a new CMO -------------------- ——————————————————————————— ----------Suddenly it feels like every creator is taking their show on the road. **Scott Galloway **announced a live tour for his “Prof G” show last week, on top of a second tour later this year with **Kara Swisher** for “Pivot.” Meanwhile, **Travis** and **Jason Kelce** are putting on a live performance of their “New Heights” podcast in Los Angeles in June. Then there’s **Max Klymenko**, who is taking the idea of a tour and putting it on steroids. Klymenko, who is best known for guessing people’s jobs on his “Career Ladder” series on social media, is planning to visit 130 countries over two years.  For most creators, live touring isn’t the main driver. While ticketed events can bring in good revenue, traveling is expensive and can be physically demanding. And Klymenko’s style of touring doesn’t involve hosting large, paid events: He’s interviewing people in different countries for his videos. Creators like Klymenko are embracing tours because they want to meet fans and create a stronger relationship with their audience. It also allows them to get a lot of content along the way and sell new types of sponsorships to brands.  More than half of enterprise brands worked with creators on live events last year, up from 34% in 2024, according to influencer marketing firm **Linqia**’s annual report. Tours like these seem like a natural fit for partnerships. Klymenko kicked off his tour in late March, recently wrapping up the Caribbean leg. He plans to also travel to “places people don’t usually go to on tours,” including Tunisia and Latvia.  “Every country has a lot of interesting jobs and businesses they’re proud of,” Klymenko told Kaya during an interview at **WebSummit Qatar** in February. “We want to show the best the countries have to offer.”  When creators go on tour, they typically visit a few cities, often within the same country. That puts Klymenko more on the level of top musicians. For context: **Taylor Swift** visited more than 50 cities in 21 countries in about a year and a half for “The Eras Tour.” That pales in comparison to English singer** Joss Stone**, who set out to perform in every country during her “Total World Tour” over about five years.  Creators like Klymenko operate at a much smaller scale than artists, without extravagant sets, stage design and massive entourages. Klymenko doesn’t even travel with a ladder to each new place he visits, instead opting to find one locally. Still, the pure number of countries he’s visiting shows the ambition and scale of what he’s doing. His content is also naturally suited to a live tour. He needs to be out in public, meeting new people and asking them questions about their careers. That’s not the case with every creator. But Klymenko is also using the tour as a way to expand beyond the short-form clips he’s known for, including by livestreaming and making longer videos on YouTube. In Jamaica, for example, he interviewed a jerk chicken chef, a beer factory worker and an Olympic bobsleigh star during a 22-minute long YouTube video. These are also ways to build deeper relationships with fans, as we [explained here](https://scalablepod.com/p/livestreaming-is-back-but-can-it-last).   In that sense, what Klymenko is doing reflects a broader trend: creators moving beyond short-form videos as algorithmic feeds make it harder to reach loyal audiences and earn a living. Youtube: The Truth Behind In-House Creator Ad Agencies and Why Creators Love a Live Tour (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLZAf55Io4c&feature=youtu.be) ——————————————————————————— ## **The Round Up** **Meta Platforms **will track US employees’ computer movements, clicks and keystrokes for use in training its AI models, [Reuters reported](https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/meta-start-capturing-employee-mouse-movements-keystrokes-ai-training-data-2026-04-21/). Some employees have called the move “dystopian,” while a company spokesperson [said](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglyklz49jo) the software tool has “safeguards in place to protect sensitive content.”  **YouTube** expanded its AI deepfake detection tool to everyone in the entertainment industry, including talent agencies, management companies and the celebrities they represent. The tool allows celebrities, such as musicians or athletes, to request that AI-generated content using their likeness be removed. YouTube started rolling the tool to all creators in the YouTube Partner Program in October, while politicians and journalists got access in March. Notably, these celebrities and prominent figures do not have to have their own YouTube channel to use the tool, a YouTube spokesperson told us. Misuse of their likeness is one the biggest challenges creators face with AI. As we’ve [noted previously](https://scalablepod.com/p/big-tech-is-hot-and-cold-on-creators), one of the few options creators currently have when this happens is to ask platforms to remove the content. It’s worth noting that a request for removal doesn’t guarantee that a platform will take down the content. **TikTok** partnered with **Visa** to launch a debit card for creators in the UK, which gives them tools to access their earnings faster and to better separate their business and personal finances. For example, creators who earn virtual gifts during a TikTok Live can convert those into cash without waiting for payouts to clear, the companies said. **SiriusXM** is partnering with **YouTube** to be the exclusive US advertising representative for audio ads that run on YouTube content like podcasts, talk shows and music. The move comes as YouTube has become [a dominant force in podcasting](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4ct6RaZY-s).  **Fixated**, a talent management firm, acquired creator media company and podcast network **Studio71** for an undisclosed sum. Fixated, which announced a $50 million investment in December, has been on a deal spree, acquiring other talent management and creator services companies in recent months including **Ellify** and **Elevate**.    **Substack **announced new translation features, starting with allowing users to translate Notes written in English into 15 languages, or into English from over 100 languages. In the coming weeks, the newsletter publisher plans to also add translation to longer posts. Notes are short-form posts within the Substack app. ——————————————————————————— ## **Soundbite** ““I founded the company, but I’m also the main character.”_—MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, at the Time100 Summit in New York._“ — Donaldson was the only creator on the publication’s annual list of most influential people this year. As part of the summit, he [appeared on stage](https://time.com/collection/time100-summit-gala/2026/mr-beast-creator-economy/) for an interview, discussing why his brand is like no other.  ——————————————————————————— **A Message from Agentio** View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/1e0e1504-ecd1-457d-ad1f-cd18f4414bef/Agentio_ad_2.png?t=1776355145) Caption: **Repetition Turns Creator Ads Into Endorsements** Killing a creator campaign after one run is the single most expensive mistake in creator marketing. Agentio’s data from 10,000+ YouTube integrations shows click-through rates climb about 10% with every additional integration with the same creator, and conversion rates are 1.9x higher by the sixth. That’s hain ow Bombas scaled spend 327% while cutting customer acquisition cost in half—all run by one person. Download the playbook and book a demo at [Agentio.com](https://www.agentio.com/?utm_source=scalable&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=scalable_newsletter&utm_content=april_23_edition). ——————————————————————————— ## **Creator Moves** **Matt Friend**, a comedian and social media creator, will host an exclusive political satire and late night comedy special on** CNN** on Friday. The special, filmed from Washington DC, comes ahead of the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Friend recently hosted **Snapchat**’s first award show The Snappys.  **Hulu**’s reality TV show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” is getting a spinoff show in Orange County, which will premiere later this year. The cast list includes social media creators** Bobbi Althoff**, **Aspyn Ovard** and **McCall DaPron**, whose sister **Mayci Neeley** is part of the original cast. The spinoff comes as the original show’s future has been up in the air following a domestic abuse controversy involving one of the stars, Taylor Frankie Paul.   **Fohr**, an influencer marketing platform, launched an app called Connect that allows creators and brands to set up meetings at **Cannes Lions**. As of Tuesday, roughly 250 creators have registered. The move comes as more creators have started attending the annual advertising festival, which is also [ramping up its creator efforts](https://scalablepod.com/p/exclusive-cannes-lions-goes-even-bigger-on-creators-partners-with-adobe) this year. ## **Talent Tracker: Executive Edition ** **Daniel Shapero** is the new CEO of **LinkedIn**, succeeding **Ryan Roslansky**, who will remain with parent company Microsoft as executive vice president of LinkedIn and Microsoft Office. Shapero has been LinkedIn’s chief operating officer since 2021.  **Oshiya Savur** is the new chief marketing officer of **e.l.f. Brands**, succeeding long-time CMO **Kory Marchisotto**, who will move to a new role as president. **Ekta Chopra**, most recently the brand’s chief digital officer, is now its first chief technology and AI officer. E.l.f. is often one of the first brands to try out new social features and platforms.  **Kevin Weil**, a former Instagram executive, left **OpenAI**, where he was chief product officer and more recently leading a new AI initiative for scientists. Weil was one of several Meta executives that had [joined OpenAI](https://scalablepod.com/p/the-end-of-sora-isn-t-the-end-of-creator-ai-fears). ## **Bookmarked ** [It Might Not Be So Nice Working for MrBeast](https://www.vulture.com/article/lawsuit-accuses-mrbeast-company-of-inappropriate-behavior.html) [TikTok’s Biggest Star Watched His $975 Million AI Deal Fizzle Out. What Happened?](https://www.thewrap.com/media-platforms/tv/khaby-lame-rich-sparkle-ai-deal-what-happened/) [New Media Pushes into White House Correspondents’ Weekend](https://wpcreator.washingtonpost.com/p/the-new-media-push-into-white-house-correspondents-weekend) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/this-creator-is-touring-130-countries-in-2-years

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! -------------------- Today’s column is a deep dive into why creators are launching in-house ad agencies. Plus, we launched a (free!) database of proprietary research on the creator economy. Scroll down for more details… In other news today: * Things are unwell at Alex Cooper’s Unwell * _The Round Up: _More Meta layoffs, Netflix’s TikTok-like feed and OpenAI’s new image model * _Creator Moves: _Post “Queer Eye,” Tan France launches a YouTube show, creators win Webbys and Joe Rogan visits the White House * _Podcasting Wars:_ Hulu, Netflix are still inking new podcasting deals ----------——————————————————————————— More creators are launching their own ad agencies.  ---------- The latest is Natalie Marshall, better known as **Corporate Natalie**, who launched **Expand Co-Lab** earlier this month. (See our timeline below). ----------View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/aabc63ee-b6f5-41a2-a708-e84e2d4df0f3/Creator_Ad_Agencies_Timeline-2.png?t=1776781861) Caption: This isn’t exactly a new trend. In 2017, YouTuber Caspar Lee [invested in](https://www.tubefilter.com/2017/08/03/caspar-lee-invests-influencer-chief-innovation-officer/) **Influencer, **which was founded two years earlier, and took on a senior role at the company. Dhar Mann’s **Fifth Quarter** agency launched 2022—but it didn’t start seriously scaling clients until early 2024. These creators are positioning their in-house ad shops as alternatives to traditional agencies, as they can move faster, require fewer resources and are native to social platforms. “We’re just scrappier. And we’ve done it,” **Max Reisinger**, CEO and co-founder of Creator Camp, which launched Camp Agency in February, told us. “A lot of our team has hundreds of thousands of followers and are looking to translate those learnings to work with actual brands.” Creator Camp has done campaigns for Anthropic’s AI chatbot** Claude** and Switzerland’s tourism board.   All of that is true. Still, more ad agencies is probably not the solution to the real challenges to influencer marketing. And there’s only far you can scale an agency based on relationships and reputation. Zooming out, these launches come as brands are looking for more direct ways to work with creators. While agencies can add structure and help streamline negotiations, the added layer between creators and brands can lead to miscommunication and make it hard for brands to know exactly what they’re spending their money on. For example, 51% of brand marketers said they didn’t fully know how much of their budget was going to influencers, according to a December survey by the **Association of National Advertisers**. Their reliance on ad agencies, which serve as middlemen and take a cut of brand spending, can be partially to blame. On average, agencies take about 30% of brand spending on influencers, leaving 70% for creators, per the ANA. But as you can see in the chart below, their fees vary heavily. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/15fed03d-0ced-496b-ab25-1b02edb47657/Influencer_ad_agency_fees_are_all_over_the_map.png?t=1776781959) Caption: Some of the challenges creators face when working with brands can also be exacerbated by third-party agencies. The most common complaints we hear are late or low payments, having to redo work and never hearing feedback from brands. Not having a direct line of communication is likely a big reason why. But building an ad agency that can address these issues at scale requires more than an understanding of creative and social media. As more influencer marketing budgets are now [going to paid ads](https://scalablepod.com/p/the-double-edged-sword-of-creator-ads-on-social-platforms), these creators will need to provide brands with robust ways to buy, extend and measure their campaigns. That’s also where [the big money](https://scalablepod.com/p/why-influencer-marketing-m-a-isn-t-slowing-down) is. Otherwise, they’ll likely be limited to mostly organic campaigns with established brand partners—or have to work with another agency or a brand’s in-house influencer team on projects. To bridge the gap and bring legitimacy to their operations, some creators are bringing in seasoned ad executives. Last week, Cooper’s Unwell announced that it had hired **Joanne Bradford**, a former executive at online shopping company Honey, as president. Part of her job is to oversee the Unwell Creative Agency.  Even so, the agency landscape is a “minefield,” **Ian Schafer**, president of Issa Rae’s branded content studio **Ensemble**, told Scalable. He added that these recent moves are likely an effort to scale the creators themselves, rather than compete with traditional ad agencies or holding companies, which have been snapping up [influencer agencies](https://scalablepod.com/p/what-omnicom-s-takeover-of-ipg-means-for-influencer-marketing). We agree. The biggest benefit to running an in-house agency is streamlining creators’ own operations while ensuring they get paid on time—and most importantly, paid well. That’s because the roughly 30% fee that brands dedicate to third-party ad agencies could now be cash in creators’ pockets. It’s hard to argue with that. ——————————————————————————— ## **Unwell at Unwell**  The **Alex Cooper** drama continues.  Her company **Unwell** has seen about 20 staffers exit, including the head of brand marketing and the chief growth officer, over the past year or so, Bloomberg [reported](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-20/alix-earle-feud-isn-t-alex-cooper-s-only-problem-as-unwell-network-struggles?srnd=undefine). At the same time, Cooper’s podcast network has struggled to make other shows into hits: Three original podcasts made for Cooper’s SiriusXM channel were canceled within a year of launch. Staff have also anonymously complained about tension with Cooper’s husband, Unwell CEO Matt Kaplan. Unwell declined to comment to Bloomberg.  **Alix Earle**, who was part of Cooper’s podcast network until February 2025, still hasn’t publicly shared what led to the falling out despite Cooper recently calling for her to do so on social media. It appears that team Cooper has been trying to distract from the bad press by putting out some positive news, including hiring Bradford as we noted above. (It’s worth pointing out that the executive’s LinkedIn says she’s been with the company since last June, including as a strategic advisor.) News also broke last week that Cooper will make her acting debut alongside Anne Hathaway. In the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book “Verity,” she will appear as herself to interview Hathaway’s character.  The situation is a reminder of the challenges of building a media company around a prominent creator, including replicating success beyond “Call Her Daddy” and managing the impact of online drama on the business. As we’ve [noted previously](https://youtu.be/ZbnP4d2BDwM?si=hx4LmHzOrDFi7BIP), Cooper is one of few creators who has successfully evolved her content and audience—and one of few female creators to build a media business. ——————————————————————————— ## **How Creators Are Powering AI** What do AI and the creator economy have in common? They’re both foundational shifts for marketers in terms of how they reach audiences. And as AI continues to reshape how people search, shop and entertain themselves, creators play a massive role in ensuring that brands show up in LLM answers. Read more about this and what it means for the creator economy in [a recent interview](https://www.iab.com/blog/creators-arent-competing-with-ai-theyre-powering-it/) Jasmine had with **Zoe Soon**, vice president of experience at the **IAB**. ——————————————————————————— ## **The Round Up** **Meta Platforms **is planning to lay off about 8,000 employees, or about 10% of its workforce, next month, [Reuters reported](https://www.reuters.com/world/meta-targets-may-20-first-wave-layoffs-additional-cuts-later-2026-2026-04-17). The company is also planning further layoffs during the second half of the year.  **Netflix **will [launch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/17/netflix-plans-to-add-a-vertical-video-feed-use-ai-for-recommendations/) a TikTok-style vertical video feed within its app later this month. The streamer has been testing the feed since last year.  **Snap** announced** Doug Hott**, its vice president of finance, would become its new chief financial officer next month, replacing long-time CFO Derek Andersen. The move comes days after layoffs and as an activist investor pushes for cost reductions. **OpenAI** announced ChatGPT Images 2.0, its new image generation model, which can create more complex and realistic images, including with dense text. During a virtual briefing with press, we asked OpenAI reps how they expect creators to use the new feature. Use cases include: generating thumbnails, marketing assets or graphics for videos, such as complicated diagrams for [science channels](https://scalablepod.com/p/a-youtube-show-that-costs-5-000-per-minute).  _On a related note… _Watch our recent conversation with **Julie Walsh Smith**, CEO of Complexly, where she explains why the company has taken a stand against using AI in its work, including educational series like SciShow and Crash Course. Youtube: How Complexly Makes (and Funds) Educational YouTube | Julie Walsh Smith (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGFf6EDxb-o&t=6s) ——————————————————————————— ## **Deals, Deals, Deals** **OnlyFans** is in discussions to sell a minority stake in a deal that values the company at about $3 billion, the [Financial Times reported](https://www.ft.com/content/e06cdb42-6967-4e7c-b6d5-9516883c73bc?syn-25a6b1a6=1). **Andreessen Horowitz** [invested](https://x.com/eriktorenberg/status/2046243810322354636?s=46) in a new media company called Monitoring the Situation, or **MTS**. The new video show, which will operate primarily on X as an ongoing livestream, will cover what’s happening across tech, business, politics and culture. The MTS launch was all over our X feeds, which other people also noticed. X users had lots of thoughts, with some speculating that [X was helping boost its visibility](https://x.com/semaforben/status/2046267183571861992?s=20). Others have said **TBPN**, a show with a very similar concept,** **has become [less visible](https://x.com/justalexoki/status/2045567297792668113?s=46) on their feeds [since OpenAI acquired it.](https://scalablepod.com/p/buying-vs-earning-influence)   **The Team**, the talent management firm formerly known as Wasserman, is [attracting interest from buyers](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/business/media/hollywood-talent-agency-casey-wasserman-epstein.html?unlocked_article_code=1.b1A.Mmma.GR7PoSLzyiqd&smid=url-share) including **UTA**, private equity firm **Permira**, former Endeavor chairman Patrick Whitesell and a group that includes Reddit co-founder **Alexis Ohanian** and **Chris Giliberti**, the CEO of Hollywood software firm Avail. The sale comes after emails from its founder, Casey Wasserman, appeared in the Epstein files.  **The Onion**, a satirical site, still wants to take over ring-wing conspiracist Alex Jones’ **InfoWars** site and relaunch it as a parody of itself. The new plan involves licensing the website from the court-appointed manager of the InfoWars website, the [New York Times reported](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/20/business/infowars-alex-jones-the-onion.html?unlocked_article_code=1.cVA.kS_n.WFt1Wn6UbhmK&smid=url-share).  ——————————————————————————— ## **Introducing Scalable Research** One of the most common questions we get asked is where to find quality research on the creator economy. That inspired us to launch Scalable's [proprietary research database](https://scalablepod.com/research), which brings together a curated collection of ready-to-use charts from reliable sources, all in one place for free.  Whether you're researching trends or building a strategy, you’ll find high-quality visuals for presentations, reports, client pitches and more. You can also find our popular timelines of executive hires and other business moves to keep you up-to-date on how creator economy companies are developing. [Check it out here](https://scalablepod.com/research)!  It’s a resource that we will be updating regularly. We’d love to hear your feedback and data requests. Send us your thoughts by responding directly to this email.  ——————————————————————————— ## **Streamers Still Want Podcasts ** **Hulu** [announced](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/hulu-video-podcast-deals-1236566482/) four more podcasting deals, including for comedy show “Handsome.” New episodes of the shows will appear exclusively on Hulu first. **Netflix** also announced a new podcast deal: former NBC anchor **Brian Williams** will interview public figures, including actors and journalists, in a new show premiering later this year. Read more about how the podcasting wars are heating up [here](https://scalablepod.com/p/livestreaming-is-back-but-can-it-last). And tune into our recent interview with YouTube podcasting exec **Steve McLendon**, who explains why the video giant isn’t planning to respond with its own exclusive deals. Watch below or tune in anywhere you get [your podcasts](https://scalablepod.com/podcast). Youtube: How YouTube Took Over Podcasting | Steve McLendon (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4ct6RaZY-s ) ——————————————————————————— ## **Creator Moves** 🏆The **Webby Awards **winners were announced on Tuesday. Winners included **The Try Guys**, **MrBallen**, **Zach King**, comedian **Zarna Garg **and activist** Malala**. **Justin Bieber** also snagged an award for livestreaming on **Twitch**—[more on that here](https://scalablepod.com/p/livestreaming-is-back-but-can-it-last). We were honored to be judges for the Webbys this year! Check out [the full list.](http://webbyawards.com/winners) **Tan France**, the “Queer Eye” star, launched a new digital series called “Honorable Gays” on YouTube on Monday. Co-hosted with content creators **Rob Anderson** and **Eric Sedeño**, the trio discusses and judges moral dilemmas on Reddit. **Joe Rogan** joined **President Trump **at the White House over the weekend for the signing of an executive order aimed at encouraging expanded research into psychedelic drugs, [CNN reported](https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/18/politics/joe-rogan-trump-psychedelics-white-house). Rogan’s appearance at the Oval Office comes after the top podcast host has criticized Trump for his handling of the Iran war. **Megan Rapinoe** and **Sue Bird**, who called off their engagement,** **will also [end their Vox Media podcast](https://ftw-eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/wnba/2026/04/17/megan-rapinoe-sue-bird-split-a-touch-more-podcast/89664875007/), trading off hosting duties for their final episodes. ——————————————————————————— ## **Bookmarked**  [See How Hollywood’s Job Market Is Collapsing](https://www.wsj.com/business/media/see-how-hollywoods-job-market-is-collapsing-230be437?mod=e2tw) [Why People Who Listen to Podcasts Are Suddenly Feeling Left Out](https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/podcasts-video-armchair-expert-killer-stories-kristen-bell-0e07d0be) [Far-Right Influencer Nick Fuentes Has Pocketed Roughly $900,000 from Fans](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/04/20/nick-fuentes-stream-donors-funding/) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/how-creators-plan-to-fix-influencer-marketing

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- **Supported by** View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/da6c0fb7-229d-4843-a705-06e1fd290955/agentio_logo.png?t=1775079005) Follow image link: (https://www.agentio.com/?utm_source=scalable&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=scalable_newsletter&utm_content=april_16_edition) Caption: -------------------- Hello! In today’s column, we discuss why livestreaming is having a resurgence. Plus, we’ll tell you how you can snag 50% off tickets to our Scalable Summit on **May 6** in Los Angeles!  In other news: * The Netflix vs. YouTube podcasting wars * MrBeast searches for a CMO * _The Round Up: _Snap lays off staff, ShopMy launches personal shopping and BeReal tries to be relevant again  * _Creator Moves: _NYSE hosts a creator summit and tennis legend Maria Sharapova takes on the manosphere with her new podcast * _By The Numbers_: Brand winners from Coachella’s first weekend -------------------- ——————————————————————————— ----------Livestreaming is having a renaissance of sorts. With more creators than ever before and social feeds dominated by recommendation algorithms, it’s getting increasingly harder for creators to stand out and reach fans. Livestreaming is helping them cut through the noise. Going live creates a sense of FOMO and intimacy, making audiences feel like they’re physically there. A creator’s community of fans can also interact with each other in real time, building more loyalty and engagement. That can pay off big time.  Take **Coachella**. One of the most buzzed about parts of the annual music festival so far is **Justin Bieber**’s performance, which was livestreamed on **YouTube**. During the show, he asked viewers watching the livestream to put in song requests. The day after his performance, Bieber’s music was streamed 24.6 million times, making it his second-biggest day for streaming, according to data from Luminate.  But it isn’t just Bieber. More creators are opting to go live from Coachella this year, giving their followers a more raw behind-the-scenes look at their experiences. These livestreams are standing out from a sea of short-form clips and Coachella outfit carousels. (See our By the Numbers section below). Then there’s **MrBeast**. Earlier this month, the world’s biggest YouTuber co-hosted a livestream with top streamer **iShowSpeed** on YouTube. At its peak, 1 million viewers tuned in at once to watch a star-studded lineup of other livestreamers compete to win $1 million to give to their followers. During Super Bowl weekend, MrBeast also hosted an hour-long live giveaway with **Whatnot**, a live shopping startup valued at $11.5 billion. Still, livestreaming also has major drawbacks. The unpredictability—anything can happen live—poses major challenges for creators, livestreaming platforms and brands.  Many big advertisers have historically steered clear of livestreaming due to concerns about brand safety and a lack of control, except for a few notable cases with high-profile streamers, such as **Kai Cenat**’s [partnership with State Farm](https://www.adweek.com/commerce/state-farms-gamerhood-taps-kai-cenat-and-heads-to-streaming/) last year.  Instead, most brands’ live video efforts have centered around shopping. But these tend to be one-off events anchored in big shopping periods like Black Friday. The higher costs and infrastructure requirements, including being prepared for a potential influx of orders, make live shopping hard for brands to replicate frequently. Then there’s the fact that most people don’t shop live regularly. Even on [TikTok Shop](https://scalablepod.com/p/tiktok-shop-isn-t-just-for-cheap-stuff-anymore), most of the revenue doesn’t come from livestreams. On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal [reported](https://www.wsj.com/pro/bankruptcy/qvc-to-file-for-chapter-11-to-restructure-debt-c4d5a19b) that **QVC**, the pioneer of live shopping in the US, was preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Last year, QVC launched a 24/7 TikTok livestream.  For creators, there’s the issue of burnout. With fewer brands in the mix, many streamers make the bulk of their money through subscriptions and audience payments. But making a living off of those revenue streams can often mean going live daily for several hours at a time. That can create a huge personal toll and raises questions about how sustainable livestreaming is in the long term. In May 2025, a Twitch streamer who goes by **Emilycc** [told the Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/05/04/longest-marathon-streamer-emilycc/) that taking a break from her daily livestream would be “career suicide.” Earlier this week, [CNN profiled her](https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/14/entertainment/livestreaming-life-on-twitch-cec), accompanying her for two days on a road trip, which involved nearly nonstop livestreaming. But as livestreaming sees a revival, we expect more creators and brands to experiment, especially for shopping. **Twitch**, for example, has been focused on expanding its advertising business, including through a recent partnership with its parent company Amazon for shoppable livestreams. **E.l.f Cosmetics **was the first to test it out. In this week’s podcast, we dive deeper into the reasons behind livestreaming’s recent resurgence. We also discuss why no platform has been able to make live shopping take off in the US like it has in China. Watch below or tune in [wherever you get your podcasts](https://scalablepod.com/podcast). Youtube: Live Streaming Isn’t Dead. Bieberchella and MrBeast Just Proved It (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUAk5nB-Bcw&t=674s) ——————————————————————————— ## **The Podcasting Wars** **Netflix**’s aggressive push to sign exclusive podcasts appears to be slowing down. After a flurry of activity earlier this year, the streaming giant hasn’t made any announcements about new deals recently. As that initial wave settles, new data gives us insight into how these deals have performed so far. The early winner is **Charlamagne tha God**’s “The Breakfast Club,” which ranked No.1 by total views and accounted for more than 40% of all Netflix podcast views during the first quarter, according to [data](https://www.samba.tv/resources/podcasts-on-the-big-screen) from **Samba TV.** “Bridgerton,” an original Netflix podcast, and “Murder with My Husband,” an independent podcast, took second and third place, respectively. For some of these shows, the deals have come with tradeoffs. Several podcasts have seen YouTube growth slow dramatically after they had to pull their full episodes from the platform. **Barstool Sports**’ hockey podcast “Spittin’ Chiclets,” for example, experienced follower growth declines of more than 50% in January and February, [according to Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-03-05/how-netflix-s-push-into-podcasts-looks-on-youtube). **Steve McLendon**, YouTube’s product lead for podcasting, told us YouTube isn’t planning to respond to Netflix with its own exclusive deals. But he did give us insight into YouTube’s ambitions for growing podcasting, including how Shorts could have a bigger role to play.  The company is working on ways for Google’s AI assistant Gemini to suggest short clips for podcasters, meaning creators will be able to “almost instantaneously create clips,” he said, adding this could especially benefit hosts without big teams. He also gave his advice for podcasters trying to grow on YouTube. Hint: think less like MrBeast, and more niche. YouTube sees more watch time from videos with under 100,000 views than it does from videos with 100 million views. Another strategy that can help? Going live. McLendon pointed to a Korean radio broadcaster’s [podcast](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpDZdhM6kelSlKqvKUwMGwbZj1OynPDMR), which has been livestreaming on YouTube, consistently racking up more than 1 million views per episode. “That’s a really exciting space and in some ways not a way that podcasters have thought about their shows,” McLendon said. Livestreaming every day for three hours sure helped tech podcast TBPN, which was[ just acquired by OpenAI](https://scalablepod.com/p/buying-vs-earning-influence), stand out.  Tune into the full conversation with McLendon on [YouTube](https://youtu.be/LUAk5nB-Bcw?t=2164), or anywhere else you get your podcasts. ——————————————————————————— ## **The Round Up** **Snap** is [laying off](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-15/snap-to-cut-16-of-its-workforce-in-quest-for-profitability) about 1,000 employees, or 16% of its global workforce as CEO **Evan Spiegel **looks to reduce costs and achieve profitability. Activist investor Irenic Capital Management recently took a minority stake in the company. **YouTube **now lets users [turn off Shorts](https://www.theverge.com/streaming/912898/youtube-shorts-feed-limit-zero-minutes) by setting their time limit for watching the short-form clips to 0 minutes. Doing so also removes Shorts from a user’s homescreen. We’re interested to see how many people actually opt in to this feature and whether it impacts creators’ views.  **ShopMy**, an affiliate and influencer marketing platform, is launching a personal shopping service for top spenders. The service, called Noir, matches these customers with an influencer for personalized recommendations.  **BeReal** is still trying to reclaim relevance! The once-buzzy photo app is recruiting US creators to get verified and post regularly, [Business Insider reported](https://www.businessinsider.com/bereal-targets-us-creators-to-boost-app-engagement-2026-4?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CMO%20Insider%20%E2%80%94%20April%2015%202026). The company, which was acquired in 2024 by a French mobile apps and games publisher, is also dangling the opportunity of brand partnerships with its roster of clients, which include Amazon, Apple and L'Oréal. **Vylit**, a new social media and monetization platform for creators who are 18 and older, launched this week, co-founded by former OnlyFans CEO **Ami Gan**.  ——————————————————————————— ## **Deals, Deals, Deals** **Vox Media** may agree to multiple deals to sell different parts of its company, including its podcast network and New York magazine, [Puck reported](https://puck.news/inside-jim-bankoffs-plan-to-sell-vox-media-for-parts/). A Vox Media spokesperson declined to comment on the story  **Bluefish**, a New York-based marketing startup that helps brands including American Express and Ulta Beauty show up in ChatGPT and other AI chatbot results, raised $43 million in Series B funding led by **Threshold Ventures** and **NEA**. **Codie Sanchez**’s new platform **BizScout**, which helps individuals find, buy and sell small businesses,** **raised $5 million in seed funding. Investors included private equity firm **Valor Equity**, Tinder founder **Sean Rad** and former Coinbase CTO **Balaji Srinivasan**. Sanchez helps people invest in what she calls “boring businesses,” such as laundromats and car washes, and has amassed a large following on social media in the process. ——————————————————————————— ## **MrBeast Land ** **• MrBeast** is [looking to hire](https://www.businessinsider.com/mrbeast-jimmy-donaldson-youtube-seeks-cmo-to-build-entertainment-giant-2026-4?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CMO%20Insider%20%E2%80%94%20April%2015%202026) his first chief marketing officer. Last month, we wrote it would only be a matter of time before creators started hiring CMOs as they professionalize their businesses. See [our timeline](https://scalablepod.com/p/a-creator-company-isnt-going-to-be-the-next-disney) of creators’ executive hires. **•** MrBeast appears to be the only creator named in **Time**’s annual list of the 100 most influential people. “Survivor” host **Jeff Probst** authored [the entry](https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people/2026/mrbeast/), writing that “being around him, even briefly, you get the sense we’re only at the beginning of what he’s capable of.” The most recent season of “Beast Games” featured a crossover episode with “Survivor.”  **• Michael Miller** is now MrBeast’s head of production. The veteran TV producer most recently was an EP on “Beast Games.”  ——————————————————————————— **A Message from Agentio** View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/1e0e1504-ecd1-457d-ad1f-cd18f4414bef/Agentio_ad_2.png?t=1776355134) Caption: ** YouTube Is Owned Real Estate For Your Brand** _120 million people now pay to skip ads on YouTube—organic creator integrations are the only way in. Agentio analyzed more than 10,000 YouTube integrations and found 40% of views and 30% of clicks happen more than 30 days after a video goes live, compounding your reach and how your brand shows up in AI search over time. Trusted by Bombas, Maev, Olipop, Uber, Skims and Cash App. Download the playbook and book a demo at _[_Agentio.com_](https://www.agentio.com/?utm_source=scalable&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=scalable_newsletter&utm_content=april_16_edition)_._ ——————————————————————————— ## **Creator Moves** **The New York Stock Exchange **hosted a creator summit with nearly two dozen finance and tech creators on Wednesday. The event included a roundtable discussion about the state of business media and the creator economy, hosted by **Akash Pasricha**, a reporter who hosts The Information’s daily YouTube show. The creators also took a selfie on the trading floor.  **Maria Sharapova **is [launching a podcast](https://www.wsj.com/business/media/maria-sharapova-takes-on-the-podcast-manosphere-6b5361ff) with** Vox Media** called “Pretty Tough” where she’ll interview powerful women.  **Source Media Group **launched Source Golf, a daily golf network on YouTube tailored for TV screens, which includes videos from top golf creators **Bryson DeChambeau**, **Grant Horvat **and the **Bryan Bros**. The network, with over 100 million hours of annual viewing, lets brands reach the combined audiences of these golf channels through a single buy, similar to traditional TV. ——————————————————————————— ## **By the Numbers: Coachella Edition** Coachella has turned into the “Influencer Olympics.” But it’s also a big competition for brands. Creators often determine the success of their activations.  Hailey Bieber’s **Rhode Skin** was the first weekend’s winner in terms of post volume. From April 9 to 11, more than 500 creators posted 818 times about the company, which held a popup activation at the festival, according to data from **CreatorIQ** shared with Scalable. But** Revolve**, which returned to the festival for the ninth time this year, beat Rhode in impressions and engagements. Revolve garnered over 74 million estimated impressions from 279 creators, compared with roughly 48 million for Rhode. Engagements with Revolve-related posts hit 6.5 million vs. roughly 3.5 million for Rhode. Another notable mention is **Agua de Kefir**, which generated close to 11 million impressions and 1.4 million engagements from just 20 creator posts. The beverage brand has recently had several high-profile partnerships with “Love Island” reality TV stars, which helped it to stand out and remain culturally relevant. ——————————————————————————— ## **An Event You Won’t Want to Miss** Our [Scalable Summit](https://scalablepod.com/summit) is just a few weeks away!  Join us in Los Angeles on** May 6** as we explore how to build long-lasting businesses in the creator economy with founders, creators and executives from **Instagram**, **TikTok**, **OpenAI**, **YouTube**, **Twitch** and more.  ---------- We’re running a limited-time promotion for our newsletter readers. If you share our newsletter with 5 of your industry friends, you’ll get 50% off your ticket. The quantity is limited so don’t wait. Instructions below.  -------------------- ——————————————————————————— Share Scalable You currently have <strong>0</strong> referrals, only <strong>5</strong> away from receiving <strong>50% off tickets to Scalable Summit. Share with 5 industry friends—limited time offer</strong>. Or copy and paste this link to others: https://scalablepod.com/subscribe?ref=uj6g1a9JHe ——————————————————————————— ----------## **Talent Tracker** **Nikila Srinivasan**, the vice president of product for business messaging at** Meta**, announced she left the company. Srinivasan didn’t announce next steps, but said she’ll stay on in an advisory role through the summer.  **Paul Coggiola**, a long-time **UTA** agent, is now the [new president](https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/lift-creators-uta-agent-paul-coggiola-1236698437/) of **LIFT Creators**, a new creator-focused division of athlete representation firm** **LIFT Management. **Eric Wise **is the new president of **Bucketsquad**, the lifestyle and apparel brand from top sports creator Jesser. Last week, Jesser announced a holding company, JesserCo, for his business. The previous Bucketsquad president **Zach Miller** will now serve as president of the holding company.  **Matthew Massina** was promoted to director of YouTube and content strategy at** Jomboy Media**, a sports media company founded by baseball creator Jimmy O’Brien. The company was recently profiled by [The New Yorker. ](https://www.newyorker.com/sports/sporting-scene/how-jomboy-is-changing-the-way-baseball-is-watched) **Ashley Woods** was hired as social media producer for “The Viall Files,” the dating and reality TV-focused podcast hosted by former “Bachelor” star **Nick Viall **and his wife **Natalie Joy Viall**. ——————————————————————————— ## **Bookmarked**  [Mega Influencers Are Replacing Themselves With AI Clones](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/influencers-ai-clones) [The Queen Bee of MAGA Socialites](https://www.wsj.com/us-news/jessica-kraus-house-inhabit-maha-5f57a5b3?mod=e2tw) [NPR’s ‘Planet Money’ Is Now A Book, Game and Record Label](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/14/arts/planet-money-npr-book.html) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/livestreaming-is-back-but-can-it-last

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! -------------------- In today’s column, we give you the lowdown on a new minor in the creator economy from Syracuse University. The move makes sense: Creators now outnumber doctors and practicing lawyers in the US. Plus, we’re excited to announce some news about Scalable: Our podcast is now part of **Acast**’s [podcast network](https://www.acast.com/en-us)! We’re thrilled to work with the Acast team to grow and monetize our show. In other news today: * Alex Cooper vs. Alix Earle * _Meta Matters: _Meta set to overtake Google in ad revenue and Zuckerberg’s alarming AI clone * _Creator Moves: _Tucker Carlson is selling books, Jesser announces a holding company and Elon Musk on TikTok? * _Talent Tracker: _Hirings and departures at TikTok and Google -------------------- ——————————————————————————— ----------You can soon get a college degree in the creator economy. **Syracuse University** is launching a “Center for the Creator Economy” this fall. The academic center will provide education, research and industry partnerships in digital content and entrepreneurship. The university will also offer students a minor degree in the creator economy. “When you talk to students and young people, they want to be creators,” **Alex McKelvie**, the interim dean of Syracuse's Whitman School of Management, told Scalable. He added that the university is now expected to prepare students for this type of career. It’s a major moment for an accredited university to launch a dedicated academic curriculum for the creator economy. The industry is now one of the fastest-growing job sectors in the US, but being a creator is almost an entirely self-taught profession.  In 2025, there were more than 1.5 million full-time equivalent digital content creators in the US, up almost eightfold since 2020, [according to the IAB](https://www.iab.com/news/measuring-digital-economy-2025/). That is more than the number of licensed physicians and active lawyers, based on data from the Federation of State Medical Boards and the American Bar Association. But medical school and law school have very defined curriculums. The creator economy doesn’t. Instead, it overlaps with many different industries and is constantly changing. Plus, while most people understand the content side of being a creator, fewer grasp the operational side and the diversity of creator businesses. “Creators need both media literacy and business literacy,” said **Stephanie Patrick**, co-founder of Theorist Media, who joined Jasmine for a live recording of the Scalable podcast at Syracuse’s satellite campus in Los Angeles last week. Creator **Nick Urteaga** and **Michael Curtis**, CEO and founder of Proud Management, were also part of the conversation, available now on YouTube, [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/4whNOV5bbQp4XelF71Axvv) and anywhere else you get your podcasts. Youtube: How to Design a College Degree for Creators | Scalable Live (https://youtu.be/PDCJUdyejnw?si=W6pAzUiH1lb9frvA) Students minoring in the creator economy at Syracuse will have to take three mandatory courses in business, media and entrepreneurship. They must also choose from a number of electives, including courses focused on marketing, media businesses, trendspotting in digital media, sports content and AI for creatives. The breadth of Syracuse’s curriculum sets it apart from creator economy programs offered at other universities, many of which are geared toward professionals or graduate students or are narrower in scope. **UCLA Extension**, for example, has offered continuing education classes in social media, marketing and influencers since at least 2018. **Cornell University** has held a graduate seminar called “Platforms, Power and Precarity in the Creator Economy.” And in 2022, **MrBeast** and** East Carolina University** announced they would develop a credentialing program for creators. It’s [unclear what happened](https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/10/12/mrbeast-jimmy-donaldson-east-carolina-university-ecu/86366171007/).  At Syracuse, creator economy courses will be taught by professors and adjunct professors, many of whom are active in the industry themselves. Classes will take a hands-on approach to learning, similar to how the university’s entrepreneurship classes are run. McKelvie told us Syracuse is also hiring for an executive director to lead the Center for the Creator Economy.  For that role, “the main criteria, if not the primary criteria, is embeddedness and expertise in the space,” McKelvie said. To keep the curriculum current, the university also plans to bring in guest lecturers. **Harvard Business School** has taken [a similar approach](https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/harvard-business-school-celebrity-visits-8505ab04), inviting celebrities and top influencers including **Kim Kardashian** and **Alix Earle** to lead classes.  While McKelvie told us he doesn’t expect the Kardashians in Syracuse’s classrooms anytime soon, we bet there will be a long list of creators raising their hands to guest lecture. Our hands are definitely raised! _In other news…_ ——————————————————————————— ## **Alex Cooper vs. Alix Earle** We might soon get an answer as to what really happened between **Alex Cooper** and **Alix Earle**. Last February, Earle’s podcast was dropped from Cooper’s podcast network but the reason why was unclear. Cooper on Monday publicly called out Earle in a video for passive-aggressively liking and reposting negative videos about her since the split. Earle later reposted Cooper’s video and commented: “Okay on it!!” We’ll leave the [analysis of the drama](https://www.instagram.com/thetoast/reel/DXFPsPbjmEw/) to all the pop culture creators out there. But we did recently dive into how the Alexes are building out separate empires since their business relationship soured. Cooper’s company Unwell now has about 100 employees and includes a marketing agency, reality TV shows, energy drinks and more. Earle, meanwhile, will star in an upcoming Netflix reality show and just launched her own skincare brand, **Reale Actives**, which quickly sold out. We broke it all down in [this YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbnP4d2BDwM), which is also embedded below. Youtube: Alex Cooper and Alix Earle’s Dueling Businesses (https://youtu.be/ZbnP4d2BDwM?si=e_Oenz7qpFRq65fQ) _Side note: _We found it interesting that Cooper chose not to post her video calling out Earle on her Instagram profile. Instead, she posted a snippet of it on her Instagram Story with a link to watch the full thing on TikTok. We’ve noticed other creators using this tactic lately and are curious about the deeper strategy behind the move. Cooper’s following on Instagram is about twice the size of her TikTok following. Earle, meanwhile, shot to fame on TikTok and has a larger following there than on Instagram. That suggests that the video could have been intended more for Earle’s audience than her own. Cooper’s Instagram account also feels more curated and business-like than her TikTok account, including the content on her profiles and the names of the accounts. On Instagram, she goes by @alexandracooper. On TikTok, her account name is @fathercooper. As we discussed in the video, there’s a duality to Cooper and she may have thought TikTok was a better fit for that content. If you have your own theory on why Cooper and other creators are using Instagram Stories to drive viewers to TikTok videos, reply to this email! We’d love to hear from you.  ——————————————————————————— ## **Meta Matters** • **Meta Platforms **is expected to surpass **Google** in digital ad revenue for the first time, according to estimates from EMARKETER. Meta’s ad business has been on a tear lately thanks to its investments in AI. Google’s business has been under pressure from platforms like Amazon, as well as AI platforms, which have been rolling out their own ad offerings. That’s one reason why parent company Alphabet has been putting a bigger emphasis on YouTube and its creators to drive ad revenue. More on that [here](https://scalablepod.com/p/big-tech-is-hot-and-cold-on-creators) and [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NbSSNLbDLM&t=1354s). **• **Meta removed ads from law firms seeking clients for future social media addiction lawsuits, following a landmark ruling that found Meta and YouTube liable, [Axios reported.](https://www.axios.com/2026/04/09/meta-social-media-addiction-ads) “We will not allow trial lawyers to profit from our platforms while simultaneously claiming they are harmful,” a Meta spokesperson said. Read about the ramifications of the trial for creators [here](https://scalablepod.com/p/inside-the-chicago-bulls-creator-strategy).  • An AI version of CEO **Mark Zuckerberg** is in the works at Meta, the [Financial Times reported](https://www.ft.com/content/02107c23-6c7a-4c19-b8e2-b45f4bb9ce5f?accessToken=zwAAAZ2HUV0skc8CEHwjbHpMGdO44rRfS7nOXw.MEQCIEovaXodj6A_lTJvavpOqA2a4uVu21rkhqE7VKcR4eYeAiB8b9Oiv4yP5Gis9E-UOEuiCdVc-TB6upyokqRpP6sDuA&segmentId=e95a9ae7-622c-6235-5f87-51e412b47e97&shareId=8a5beb15-38ab-43bc-a619-f21299cd84eb&shareType=enterprise&syn-25a6b1a6=1).  The AI clone is being trained on the executive’s mannerisms, tone and public statements and will be used internally to help employees feel more connected to their boss, according to the FT. The move feels unsettling for many reasons, including that Zuckerberg is one of the most visible and influential business leaders worldwide and it could have major ramifications if the clone gets into the wrong hands. ——————————————————————————— ## **Creator Moves** The **Institute for Responsible Influence**, an initiative launched earlier this year, rolled out its certification program on Monday. The program trains creators to properly disclose sponsorship deals and follow FTC guidelines. _Go deeper:_ We discussed US influencer guidelines and how other countries like the United Arab Emirates** **are approaching regulation of the creator economy [in a podcast episode](https://youtu.be/KXa48wDhVLQ?si=012uIwhZskhosmbz) earlier this year.  **Jesser**, the basketball and sports creator with 40 million YouTube subscribers, announced a holding company called JesserCo, which includes his social media business and **Bucketsquad**, his sportswear and lifestyle apparel business. Jesser, whose real name is Jesse Riedel, is the latest creator to professionalize their business via a holding company after hiring a seasoned executive to lead the company. See [our timeline](https://scalablepod.com/p/a-creator-company-isnt-going-to-be-the-next-disney) of creators’ executive hires. **Skyhorse Publishing **launched a book imprint with **Tucker Carlson**, the former Fox News host turned podcaster, the [Wall Street Journal reported](https://www.wsj.com/business/media/tucker-carlson-books-imprint-to-launch-with-skyhorse-publishing-117e28d7?mod=e2tw). Called Tucker Carlson Books, it plans to publish books from controversial figures including actor **Russell Brand**, who has been accused of sexual assault, and far-right commentator **Milo Yiannopoulos**. **Elon Musk** appears to have joined** TikTok**. A verified account with the handle @elonmusk has posted one video so far on the app. Musk, who owns X, has been critical of other social media apps, even briefly barring users from promoting their other social accounts on X. But he has occasionally praised TikTok. He may also be looking to improve his image among people outside of his core fans, many of whom are on X. ——————————————————————————— Share Scalable You currently have <strong>0</strong> referrals, only <strong>5</strong> away from receiving <strong>50% off tickets to Scalable Summit. Share with 5 industry friends—limited time offer</strong>. Or copy and paste this link to others: https://scalablepod.com/subscribe?ref=uj6g1a9JHe ——————————————————————————— ## **Talent Tracker: TikTok & Google Edition** **Tara Walpert Levy**, a long-time **YouTube** executive, announced she would leave the company this summer after 15 years. **Tim Katz **will take over the Americas business. Katz has also been at YouTube for 15 years, most recently as vice president of partnerships.  **Khartoon Weiss**, who until recently led** TikTok**’s North American ads business, is joining **Google **where she’ll be vice president of US mid-market sales, focused on commerce.  **Jorge Ruiz**, the global head of marketing science at **TikTok**, announced he’s leaving the company after more than six years. He didn’t announce next steps.  **Damir Kasimov**, who most recently was **TikTok**’s content strategy manager for Asia-Pacific, joined** Meta** as a partner solutions manager. Kasimov spent eight years at the company, beginning as an intern for [Musical.ly](https://Musical.ly), which was later acquired by ByteDance and morphed into TikTok.  ——————————————————————————— ## **Bookmarked** [AI Relationship Podcasters Are Reinforcing Gender Tropes, Racking Up Millions of Views](https://www.wired.com/story/ai-podcasters-really-want-to-tell-you-how-to-keep-a-man-happy/?utm_brand=wired&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=aud-dev) [Fan Social, A ‘Cameo On Steroids,’ Lets You Pay to Hang With Celebs IRL ](https://www.thecut.com/article/fan-social-hang-out-with-celebrities.html) [How Jomboy Is Changing the Way Baseball Is Watched](https://www.newyorker.com/sports/sporting-scene/how-jomboy-is-changing-the-way-baseball-is-watched) [‘Housewives’ and Lawmakers See a Congress Devolving Into Reality TV Drama](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/us/politics/real-housewives-congress.html) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/a-college-degree-for-creators

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- **Supported by** View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/da6c0fb7-229d-4843-a705-06e1fd290955/agentio_logo.png?t=1775079005) Caption: -------------------- Hello! Today’s column is a transparent look into how much it costs to make high-quality, educational YouTube videos with Julie Walsh Smith, CEO of Complexly, which was founded by YouTubers Hank and John Green. -------------------- **In other news today:** * Alex Cooper’s confusing reality TV strategy * _The Round Up:_ Patreon podcasters earned more than $629 million last year, TikTok goes big on microdramas * _Creator Moves: _Adam W and Whitney Leavitt get new C-Suite titles, while two YouTube journalists nab Emmy nominations * _Talent Tracker: _Another TikTok exec departs, Anthropic expands its influencer marketing team -------------------- ——————————————————————————— ----------**SciShow **and **Crash Course **are some of the most popular educational series on YouTube, with 8 million and 17 million subscribers each.  They’re not cheap to make. SciShow, which publishes four to five episodes on YouTube each week, costs roughly $500 a minute. Crash Course costs ten times as much, at about $5,000 a minute. SciShow videos can range from around 10 minutes to more than two hours, while CrashCourse videos are typically under 10 minutes. “Most YouTube channels don’t spend more than $500 per video in terms of cash out of pocket,” said **Matt Gielen**, CEO of digital media studio Silver Berry. Production for SciShow is mostly done in-house and takes about six to eight weeks to go from pitch to episode. The production timeline for Crash Course is significantly longer, with development taking anywhere between six to 18 months per series. That’s because the show brings in subject matter experts, including scientists and PhD holders to write the curriculum and the scripts. This breakdown comes from **Julie Walsh Smith**, CEO of** Complexly**, the educational media company behind the shows. She sat down with us for an interview on the latest episode of Scalable, embedded below. Youtube: How Complexly Makes (and Funds) Educational YouTube | Julie Walsh Smith (https://youtu.be/ZGFf6EDxb-o?si=emU4-YUfYgiRGx0R) Complexly, which has roughly 85 employees, was founded in 2012 by longtime YouTubers **Hank **and **John Green**.  Known as the Vlog Brothers, the two have long been thinking about how to expand the business, to both lessen the reliance on them on screen and offset some of the costs. They’ve brought on new hosts and considered different financial models, including acquisitions, taking on outside investment and giving employees ownership. Ultimately, Complexly decided on a very different approach. In February, the Green brothers sold their shares in the company and turned it into a nonprofit. “After really turning over every stone, we kept coming back to nonprofit,” Smith said.  She added that the company was not the “most appealing target for commercial investment” as its mission is to “create engaging educational content for free, for everyone, forever.” Complexly doesn’t look like other creator companies that typically rely heavily on ads and brand partnerships to make money. Just 20% of Complexly’s revenue comes from advertising, including sponsorships and YouTube AdSense. Forty percent comes from audience support, such as Patreon or fundraising campaigns, while the remaining 40% comes from grants and philanthropists. “Becoming a nonprofit just lets us lean into those revenue streams. We are not abandoning advertising, but that’s not going to be our priority moving forward,” Smith said. Revenue from audience support grew by 56% last year, she said. The company has also taken a stand against using AI in its work, and it’s sticking with it as the technology continues to develop. In 2023, the company published its AI policy, which includes not producing any videos that use AI for scriptwriting, editing, fact-checking or to develop visuals. The company may still use AI for preliminary research or ideation. “We’re making a bet that people are going to want to see content that was made with humans driving the creative process,” Smith said, noting that Complexly can’t “become the most trusted educational brand without really sticking to our standards.” We covered a lot of other ground with Smith, including whether Complexly’s business model is replicable for other creator businesses, how to mitigate key-person risk and more. Tune into the full episode, out now, [anywhere you get your podcasts](https://scalablepod.com/podcast). ---------- ——————————————————————————— -------------------- 🚨**_Tickets for our upcoming _**[**_Scalable Summit_**](https://scalablepod.com/summit)**_ on May 6 are selling fast! _** **_Join us in Los Angeles to hear from executives at OpenAI, Instagram, The NFL, Twitch, Visa and many more. _** -------------------- Grab your ticket here (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795?aff=oddtdtcreator) ----------——————————————————————————— ## **Alex Cooper Can’t Win** **Alex Cooper** is getting a lot of heat for her new reality TV dating show “Unwell Winter Games,” which aired its final episode on YouTube on Thursday. The controversy centers on the polarizing cast, including convicted con artist **Anna Delvey** and** Dakota Mortensen**, who has been in the news recently for domestic abuse allegations against his ex-partner **Taylor Frankie Paul**. Paul has also [accused Mortensen of abuse](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/arts/television/taylor-frankie-paul-court-filing-abuse.html). At the same, the “Call Her Daddy” host is also being criticized for being too non-controversial. “She’s just very, like, PG,” one of the hosts of the pop culture podcast “Friend Of” [said](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWgb4HTDUiv/?igsh=MXdidGk5a3hveW5tbg==) about Cooper’s interview style with guests. “She never really has an opinion.” It’s not easy for creators to evolve their businesses and content, especially when they begin in a specific niche. They need to stay true to their loyal fans who knew them for one thing, while trying to capture new audiences and grow as a brand.  Cooper is one of the most successful examples: She’s moved from raunchy content to interviews with public figures ranging from Kamala Harris and Jane Goodall to A-list celebrities like Victoria Beckham. Cooper’s media company, Unwell, now has about 100 employees and reaches more than 50 million people daily. One way to expand is by bringing in new people and voices. Cooper has also done that, signing nearly a dozen other podcasts to her network. She has also launched energy drinks, established a marketing agency and executive produced a new reality dating show for Hulu called “Love Overboard.” The Hulu show premiered around the same time as the controversial YouTube competition show, which puzzles us. The two projects feel at odds, as Cooper is essentially competing with herself. We dig deeper into this in our latest podcast, embedded below, or available [anywhere else you get your podcasts](https://scalablepod.com/podcast).  Youtube: OpenAI’s TBPN Deal And Alex Cooper Divide The Internet, And Alix Earle Gets Into Skincare (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC2nfWHD8ic) ——————————————————————————— ## **The Round Up** **Patreon **announced that its podcasters earned more than $629 million in 2025, up 33% from the previous year. Podcasting has been the highest-earning category for creators on Patreon for a second year in a row, with more than 47,000 podcasters earning money on the fan membership site. This comes as we’ve recently seen more long-time podcasters [abandon their shows](https://scalablepod.com/p/a-podcast-reckoning-is-here). **MeidasTouch**, a progressive news podcast with more than 6 million YouTube subscribers, received an investment from **Soros Fund Management**, [Bloomberg reported](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-07/george-soros-firm-invests-in-progressive-meidastouch-network). Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. The George Soros-owned firm has made other bets on new media, including progressive media firm **Crooked Media**. It also took a majority stake in radio and podcast firm **Audacy**, when it filed for bankruptcy. **Hubspot** acquired** Futurepedia**, a network of education channels on YouTube that teach people how to use AI. Terms were not disclosed. While this may seem like an unusual deal for a marketing and sales software company, Hubspot previously acquired **The Hustle**, which includes a newsletter and podcast, in 2023. Plus, just look at **OpenAI**’s acquisition of **TBPN**, which we gave our take on [here](https://scalablepod.com/p/buying-vs-earning-influence) and in [this week’s podcast](https://scalablepod.com/podcast). ——————————————————————————— ## **Today in TikTok ** • _Microdrama mania at TikTok: _The company is casting for a new short-drama production this month, [Business Insider reported](https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-casting-actors-short-dramas-microdramas-2026-3). The move comes after TikTok recently began testing a short drama feed in the US and other markets.  Separately, actress **Issa Rae**’s independent media production company **Hoorae Media **will [premiere its first microdrama series](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/issa-rae-microdrama-screen-time-tiktok-partnership-pinedrama/), called “Screen Time” as part of a new content deal with TikTok announced Wednesday. (We predicted TikTok could start striking deals with creators for microdramas [here](https://scalablepod.com/p/our-2026-predictions-for-the-creator-economy).) •** ****Khartoon Weiss**, the general manager of global business solutions at TikTok, announced she was leaving the company this week. She joins a growing list of executive departures that includes head of marketing **Sofia Hernandez**, who announced she was stepping down last month. • TikTok plans to invest 1 ‌billion euros ($1.17 billion) to build a second data center in Finland. Both investments are part of an effort to safeguard the data of its more than 200 million European users as the EU continues to crackdown on social media companies. ——————————————————————————— **A Message from Agentio** View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/866df7a1-5092-44d4-a9c7-ba5f3f3ddf18/AI_Draft_Review_2x.png?t=1775143485) Caption: **Agentic infrastructure for creator-led advertising** _Agentio enables marketers to buy creator-led ads as easily and efficiently as Meta or Google ads by automating matching, pricing, contracting, delivery, and measurement—reducing campaign timelines from months or weeks, down to days. Trusted by Bombas, Olipop, Uber, and more. Book a demo at _[_Agentio.com_](https://www.agentio.com/?utm_source=scalable&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=scalable_newsletter&utm_content=april_9_edition)_._ ——————————————————————————— ## **Creator Moves** **Enjoy Basketball**, a media company co-founded by YouTuber **Kenny Beecham**, is working with the **NBA** to produce a new original series with three episodes called “The Trivia Show.” It will be available on the NBA’s app and TV network and on Enjoy Basketball’s YouTube channels. Read our interview with Luka Dukich, vice president of content marketing at the Chicago Bulls, where he explains why the NBA is ultimately a content business [here](https://scalablepod.com/p/inside-the-chicago-bulls-creator-strategy). **IShowSpeed**, a top streamer, will be featured as an animated character in [a new anime-style series](https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/ishowspeed-anime-series-one-piece-matt-owens-brian-robbins-1236710649/) in the works from production startup** Big Shot Pictures**, founded by Brian Robbins, the former co-CEO of Paramount Global. **Adam W** is now the chief digital officer of** Stic**, an out-of-home advertising company.  Meanwhile, “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star **Whitney Leavitt **was named chief creative and brand officer of **Cool Sips**, a dirty soda chain. More brands are giving creators C-level titles, which tend to be largely symbolic: Dhar Mann being named the NFL’s chief kindness officer is a [perfect example](https://scalablepod.com/p/dhar-mann-opens-the-doors-to-his-studio-and-more-brand-deals). But it also reflects how brands are working more closely with creators on marketing and product strategy, not just social media promotion.  **Jorge Ramos** and **Johnny Harris**, two independent journalists with large YouTube followings, were both nominated for **Emmys** in the news and documentary category. YouTube CEO **Neal Mohan**, who has argued that YouTubers should win traditional awards, congratulated them[ on X](https://x.com/nealmohan/status/2041587507977187760?s=46), writing that journalists “can connect directly with their viewers” on the platform.  **Hasan Piker**, a left-wing streamer, [spoke at a rally](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/08/style/hasan-piker-abdul-el-sayed-michigan.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZlA.2o6K.-h45ETVOwEi2&smid=nytcore-ios-share) earlier this week in support of **Abdul El-Sayed**, a progressive Muslim candidate running for Senate in a tight Democratic primary race in Michigan. It could be the start of more creators appearing on the campaign trail during the 2026 Midterm Elections and beyond, as more influencers use their platforms to support political issues and candidates. ——————————————————————————— ## **Talent Tracker** **Christina Kavalauskas** recently joined **Reddit **as global head of **KarmaLab**, its internal creative strategy team. Before that, she was executive strategy director of social and creator at Deloitte Digital.   **Anthropic **is [hiring](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alexisbarnhorn_influencer-marketing-manager-brand-activity-7445883826121175040-45QC?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABArt7YBHDZij1ASgEoNfDPuCITiWjO4Uzg) an influencer marketing manager focused on Claude brand campaigns, as well as events and ambassador programs.   **Sixteenth**, the Whalar-owned talent management firm, is [hiring](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/whalarinc/jobs/5848339004) a head of unscripted at Sixteenth Studios to lead the development, packaging and sale of unscripted formats and docuseries for TV and streaming. ——————————————————————————— ## **Bookmarked**  [Can OnlyFans Save Fashion?](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/can-onlyfans-save-fashion) [Food Influencing Gets a Feel-Good Refresh](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/dining/food-influencer.html) [More Marketers Are Joining Hollywood’s Creative Table](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/caas-alanna-strauss-hollywood-1236558992/) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/a-youtube-show-that-costs-5-000-per-minute

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- _Join us on May 6 in Los Angeles as we explore how to build long-lasting businesses in the creator economy. _ _Attendees of the _[_Scalable Summit_](https://scalablepod.com/summit)_ include investors, founders, operators, creators, marketers and senior staff from companies including Warner Bros., TikTok, Netflix, LinkedIn, Unilever, MrBeast and many more. _ _Space is filling up fast, so grab _[_your ticket here_](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795?aff=oddtdtcreator)_!_ ——————————————————————————— -------------------- Hello! Today’s newsletter is all about different strategies to win influence, starting with our take on OpenAI’s acquisition of TBPN. **In other news today:** * How Alix Earle sold $1 million of her new skincare products within five minutes * _Soundbite_: Obama’s 2008 campaign manager shares his advice for political campaigning today. Hint: It’s not just about making TikToks * _The Round Up_: LinkedIn eyes Beehiiv, Meta’s Oversight Board may be no more * _Creator Moves_: MrBeast’s star-studded livestream and Corporate Natalie wants to fix influencer marketing -------------------- ——————————————————————————— ----------**OpenAI **[buying TBPN](https://www.wsj.com/cmo-today/openai-buys-tech-industry-talk-show-tbpn-484c01c5?mod=Searchresults&pos=2&page=1) wasn’t on our bingo card!  The AI giant reportedly paid in the “low hundreds of millions” for the tech podcast, which streams live for three hours daily, and is hosted by founders** John Coogan** and** Jordi Hayes**. For OpenAI, the move is an attempt to reshape the narrative around AI and its products. What the company is really paying for is influence and vibes. Both TBPN and OpenAI said the show would maintain editorial independence, even as the TBPN team reports to OpenAI’s chief lobbyist and helps the company with marketing and communications.  The question now is whether OpenAI’s bet will pay off—and what the acquisition says about broader creator strategies. Trust in AI remains low, even as more people use it. In February, OpenAI’s ChatGPT surpassed 900 million weekly active users, per the company.  But 76% of Americans said they could trust AI “hardly ever” or “some of the time,” according to a March **Quinnipiac University** poll. Another 55% said they think AI will do more harm than good in their day-to-day lives. Meanwhile, podcasters and creators are now some of the most trusted sources of news and information. In theory, TBPN could help boost OpenAI’s public image.  But TBPN has a very specific, niche audience of Silicon Valley insiders, founders, investors, developers and tech bros. As of Tuesday, the show had about 72,500 subscribers on YouTube. Its audience members don’t need convincing about the benefits of AI. They’re already bought in.  OpenAI needs to reach people who are still unsure—many of whom likely haven’t heard of TBPN. That includes people working within the creator economy who we spoke to after the news broke! And changing people’s minds about AI is hard. Even people in the Quinnipiac poll who said they knew a “great deal” about AI were more likely to have negative, rather than positive views, about the technology. Still, they were roughly twice as likely than those who knew “hardly anything” to say the tech would do more good than harm. ---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/9d3f6b0e-12bc-4da9-a255-fda2a9ee6c64/AI_graph-2.png?t=1775582894) Caption: ----------One thing that may work in OpenAI’s favor is that many people have likely seen snippets of TBPN without realizing it. That may be what the company is betting on. TBPN has flooded X and other social apps with clips of the show and generated buzz through other attention-grabbing campaigns, like an Emmy consideration push that included billboards. The show also frequently shares baseball-style “trading cards,” like [this one](https://x.com/tbpn/status/2041326592480210996?s=20), to highlight personnel moves in the tech industry, which are then retweeted and viewed tens of thousands of times. Zooming out, we don’t expect every major tech firm to start shelling out hundreds of millions to acquire creators.** **(That’s not to say that tech executives won’t continue going on friendly podcasts and trying to shape the narrative in other ways.) But the acquisition is symbolic of the current moment in the creator economy. What people choose to watch is becoming extremely fragmented. And as algorithms dictate more of our social media behaviors, people may not even know who is producing the content they see on their feeds. Many companies are adjusting their strategies to meet the moment, choosing to partner with creators who have targeted audiences, instead of the largest number of followers. Prior to the acquisition, TBPN was sold out for brand sponsorships for the year and on track to make $30 million in annual revenue. It remains to be seen what happens with those brand deals, as all sponsor logos disappeared from the show after the deal was announced. There are also many other questions: Will TBPN be able to retain its core audience? Will OpenAI competitors still appear on the show? Are Coogan and Hayes still going to be hosting two years from now? We dive deeper into all of this on our podcast this week, publishing Thursday. ——————————————————————————— ## **How to Launch a Brand in 2026** **Alix Earle**’s new skincare brand, **Reale Actives**, may just have had one of the most successful celebrity beauty launches of all time: It brought in $1 million in sales within five minutes of becoming available last week, [according to Puck](https://puck.news/how-alix-earle-became-beautys-biggest-new-founder). By 4 p.m. on launch day, the entire product line was sold out. A lot of the nascent brand’s early success comes from Earle’s smart marketing strategy. For roughly a week, she teased the launch through posts and videos on her social media accounts, encouraging people to follow an account called @wtfisalixdoing to find out more. That generated excitement and intrigue—and gave the brand a built-in following of about 400,000 on Instagram when she changed the account name to @realeactives after launch. She also tapped other influencers to spread the word, sending them locked suitcases with products and puzzle pieces that ultimately filled a billboard in New York’s SoHo neighborhood that revealed the brand.  But she didn’t just rely on social media. Earle appeared on traditional talk shows, including “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Drew Barrymore Show” and gave interviews to media outlets including Fortune. Her brand appeared on a billboard in Times Square, and she even went to the top of the Empire State Building, which was lit up in green in honor of her brand colors.  The savvy use of social media is to be expected from Earle. What’s more surprising is the heavy reliance on traditional media. That shows how it’s not one or the other and that brands (and creators) need to be firing on all cylinders. Now, the real test will be whether Earle can turn Reale Actives into a long-lasting brand. That will ultimately depend on the quality of the products, not her marketing skills. ——————————————————————————— ## **Soundbite** “A successful campaign in 2026 must operate like a full-time production studio. Candidates and incumbents should center each day on content creation.“ — David Plouffe, veteran Democratic political strategist, March 2026 **David Plouffe **is encouraging politicians to take cues from creators. That doesn’t just mean making TikTok videos. “To win today, you need to harmonize your message across the ever-growing list of ways people are reachable: traditional TV, connected TV, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, podcasts, Snapchat, radio, video games, community events, door-to-door canvassing, phone calls and texting,” wrote Plouffe, who worked with President Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris. His [New York Times op-ed](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/05/opinion/politics-midterms-tiktok-attention-content.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZFA.b887.zDi2kifgbp11&smid=nytcore-ios-share) comes as Democrats have lagged Republicans on influencer and social media strategies. We went deeper on this topic with Democratic Senator **Cory Booker **[here](https://scalablepod.com/p/senator-cory-booker-wants-democrats-to-post-more) and California Attorney General** Rob Bonta **[here](https://scalablepod.com/p/california-ag-bonta-on-landmark-social-media-trial)—both of whom are appearing on more podcasts themselves these days, including Scalable! ——————————————————————————— ## **The Round Up** **LinkedIn** discussed acquiring newsletter publisher **Beehiiv**,** **[Semafor reported](https://x.com/maxwelltani/status/2041137664988996071?s=20). Beehiiv declined to comment. LinkedIn didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.   **Meta Platforms **may stop funding its independent Oversight Board after 2028, the newsletter [Platformer reported](https://www.platformer.news/meta-oversight-board-funding-cancel/). The board, which launched in 2020, was formed in response to criticism over how Meta handled difficult content moderation decisions. Now Meta has moved to using more automated moderation systems, as well as user-driven approaches like X’s community notes.  **Spotify** announced** **Prompted Playlists for podcasts, which lets users describe what they’d like to listen to, such as political analysis or a funny interview. Spotify will build a personalized playlist of relevant episodes, much like its curated music playlists.   **Red Seat Ventures**, the podcast talent company owned by Fox, [announced](https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/fox-red-seat-ventures-speakeasy-podcast-platform-1236705744/) Speakeasy, its new platform that offers podcast hosting, distribution and monetization services.  **Picsart**, a design and editing software, launched a creator monetization program. Creators, regardless of their follower count, can earn money from creating content using and promoting Picsart tools and sharing it to their own social media accounts. The payouts are based on engagement, such as views, comments and shares. ——————————————————————————— ## **Creator Moves** **MrBeast **hosted a livestream on his YouTube channel over the weekend that included 50 widely-followed streamers, such as **Ludwig **and **Pokimane**, who competed to win $1 million in cash to give to their followers. MrBeast co-hosted the stream with **iShowSpeed**, who has recently become one of the most popular streamers. The video racked up more than 58 million views overall, with the livestream peaking at about 1 million concurrent viewers. **Natalie Marshall**, the creator better known as Corporate Natalie, [launched](https://fortune.com/2026/04/05/corporate-natalie-new-creator-led-agency-expand-co-lab-influencer-marketing/)** Expand Co-Lab**, an influencer marketing agency. The new firm says it will differentiate itself in a crowded market of similar firms by bringing creators into the process early to advise on strategy and messaging rather than providing “rigid briefs” and brokering one-off campaigns.   ——————————————————————————— ## **Bookmarked**  [Kardashian Whisperer Emma Grede ](https://www.wsj.com/style/fashion/emma-grede-book-start-with-yourself-a7b2c82d?mod=style_lead_pos5) [The Unwritten Rules of Celebrity Podcasts](https://lamaterial.com/p/the-unwritten-rules-of-celebrity-podcasts) [Social Media Has Become a Freak Show](https://www.natesilver.net/p/social-media-has-become-a-freak-show) [Kanye West Is Seeking Redemption. There’s a Long Road Ahead](https://www.wsj.com/business/media/kanye-west-is-seeking-redemption-theres-a-long-road-ahead-c4786fe6?mod=style_lead_pos1) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/buying-vs-earning-influence

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- **Supported by** View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/da6c0fb7-229d-4843-a705-06e1fd290955/agentio_logo.png?t=1775079005) Caption: -------------------- Hello! Today’s column is a behind-the-scenes look at the Chicago Bulls’ creator strategy with Luka Dukich, vice president of content marketing. -------------------- **In other news today:** * What the social media addiction trial means for creators * _The Round Up:_ OpenAI x TBPN, the WP’s first creator show & more * _Creator Moves: _Alex Cooper’s new reality show & Bob Dylan on Patreon * _Regulatory Woes:_ TikTok’s fintech license & Australia cracks down again * _Talent Tracker:_ New hires at Substack, Influential & Publish Press -------------------- ——————————————————————————— ----------Sports leagues and teams are going all in on creators. The **Chicago Bulls** is no exception. That’s because sports aren’t [just about the live game anymore](https://scalablepod.com/p/creators-touch-down-at-the-super-bowl). It’s now just as much about highlight videos, player features, creator commentary and more, which are often viewed on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, rather than traditional TV. Sports teams and leagues have been racing to adapt their strategies to reach these audiences, who are more likely to be young, casual viewers or families than hardcore fans. “The NBA is a content business, ultimately,” **Luka Dukich**, vice president of content marketing at the Chicago Bulls, told us in an interview for the Scalable podcast. Since Dukich joined the Bulls as its first-ever digital content manager in 2015, the content team has grown to 30 people from just three, making it the largest individual internal team. Two of those 30 employees are focused specifically on influencer marketing. Ten are dedicated to video.  The content division even has staff focused solely on its team mascot, Benny the Bull, which has its own YouTube channel with 148,000 subscribers. The Bulls’ main channel has 351,000 subscribers. Youtube: Inside the Chicago Bulls' creator strategy | Luka Dukich (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lK33TZHfYo&t=14s) Long-form videos on YouTube are now one of the content team’s five organizational goals that all team members are working on, Dukich told us. Other priorities include creating quality branded content that drives revenue and player-focused storytelling. “YouTube needs to be its own focus and it’s almost a separate workstream completely from other social platforms,” he said. That’s because watch time is measured in minutes instead of seconds, and people choose what they want to watch, rather than having content served to them. For the Bulls, focusing on YouTube has meant a lot of testing and learning. They’ve tried everything from documentaries and behind-the-scenes videos about players to an hour-long Spanish language podcast with a former player. It has also meant switching from impressions to watch time to measure the success of their content. Most recently, the NBA team hosted its first-ever creator takeover game with** Jesser**, a basketball creator with over 37 million YouTube subscribers. Dukich told us the partnership helped extend its reach even further and engage audiences who may not “have a league pass or watch the Bulls every night.” During the event, Jesser made a half-court shot to win $10,000 toward charity and met with fans and players, who Dukich said were “genuinely stoked to meet him.” That includes 21-year-old **Matas Buzelis**, who did [Jesser’s celebratory clap](https://www.tiktok.com/@chicagobulls/video/7612404859354074382) after hitting a shot in his next game. That’s because many athletes are now creators themselves. For Dukich, this has been the biggest change he’s seen in the sports content landscape since he started at the Bulls. “Eleven years ago, you had to convince players why they would be doing this. Now, they’re coming in with their own platforms. They’ve grown up with it,” he said. One thing that hasn’t changed: Catering to the Bulls’ longtime audience. Dukich said they still offer plenty of content for hardcore Bulls fans who might not “care about anything else and think this creator stuff is just BS.”  “I think the name of the game now is not being one thing,” he said. Tune into our full interview with Dukich where he shares more insights, including what he’s learned from MrBeast and Red Bull while building the Bulls’ content strategy. The episode is available now on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@ScalablePod), [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/4whNOV5bbQp4XelF71Axvv?si=9tznI8j6SoOSzD6jwNgpkg&nd=1&dlsi=0c7610f088954bf3) or [anywhere else you get your podcasts](https://scalablepod.com/podcast). ---------- ——————————————————————————— -------------------- _This __[Forbes story](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiegutfreund/2026/04/01/scalable-summit-the-37b-creator-economys-next-chapter-starts-here/)__ nails our vision for the upcoming Scalable Summit:_ _“The industry doesn’t need more panels explaining why creators matter. The people spending that money already know. What they need is a place where the operators can compare notes in public, where the people spending the money sit next to the people building the tools and running the platforms … _ -------------------- _Kaya Yurieff and Jasmine Enberg created the Scalable Summit for this moment.”_ _We hope you can join us on __**May 6**__ in Los Angeles. Space is filling up fast, so grab __[your ticket here](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795?aff=oddtdtcreator)__!_ ----------——————————————————————————— ## **Another ‘Wake Up Call’ For Creators** Much has been written about the verdict in a landmark [social media addiction trial](https://scalablepod.com/p/the-end-of-sora-isn-t-the-end-of-creator-ai-fears), which found Meta and YouTube liable for knowingly designing their products to be addictive. But less attention has been paid to what it could mean for creators. The most extreme scenario is that Meta and YouTube could be forced to undergo a major product overhaul, which could disrupt how creators reach audiences and how they make money. In the short-term, not much is likely to happen, especially as the companies have said they’d appeal the ruling. Several legal experts also told us that it’s most likely that the companies will pay the fines, make some small changes, such as stronger age verification, and then go back to business as usual. But the lawsuit is yet another “wake up call” for creators about how little control they have over their audiences and income on social media, according to **Danny Frenkel**, a former Facebook executive who is now the CEO and co-founder of comedy platform **Punchup Live**. Creators have faced similar realizations with a potential TikTok ban in the US, or when Meta’s apps went down due to technical issues for nearly six hours in 2021.  Frenkel also said that it’s too early to say whether the lawsuit will cause any dramatic changes, but added this: “I see this lawsuit as potentially opening up liability on the platform side to what they end up showing.”  Tech platforms are currently protected by Section 230, which essentially says they are not responsible for the content they host. That allows them to set their own content policies and moderation guidelines and puts the responsibility on creators for their content. To us, that seems like a long shot. There’s a reason why the social media addiction case went after these platforms' design, rather than the content they show: Section 230 has withstood many challenges for 30 years. But the verdict does set a precedent that these platforms may no longer be shielded in the way they once were. It’s not out of the question that these social media giants will have to make changes to their platforms—if not in the US, then potentially in other parts of the world.  EU regulators [told TikTok](https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-signals-tiktoks-addictive-design-is-illegal/) in February that it has to change features such as its infinite scroll and how it recommends content to users or face major fines, according to a preliminary ruling. TikTok now can defend itself. But if that happens, that would have a major impact on how creators, including those in the US, reach audiences there. We dove deeper into this topic in this week’s podcast, embedded below, and available [wherever you get your podcasts](https://scalablepod.com/podcast).   Youtube: What Creators Should Care About Meta and Youtube’s Verdict and Why Affiliate is Making a Comeback (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EusKEWrQ0q4) ——————————————————————————— ## **The Round Up** **OpenAI **acquired** TBPN**, the daily live-streamed tech show that rose to popularity on X. The move comes after the AI giant pulled the plug on its video app Sora—and its $1 billion deal with Disney. This acquisition shows the company remains interested in entertainment and creators, [as we noted previously](https://scalablepod.com/p/the-end-of-sora-isn-t-the-end-of-creator-ai-fears). Under the terms of the deal, TBPN will remain editorially independent and control its programming, including which guests it brings on. Yet… TBPN will also help OpenAI with company communications and marketing outside of its show and report to **Chris Lehane**, OpenAI’s chief global affairs officer, [according to the Wall Street Journal](https://www.wsj.com/cmo-today/openai-buys-tech-industry-talk-show-tbpn-484c01c5?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqed200HWH_0pvhD2lt7Ewr4_G27WKUXNut7xB3lQG_M7xi8q_BYCUjQtGQGfUs%3D&gaa_ts=69ceac05&gaa_sig=QyN7JlImozpKLeXTFc55d5fsTThKjaUayFdVmxKT4MUim3-KEejlSTwQiIYwCUXOqz8220rXvIs5zbp5RskqcA%3D%3D). **Publicis Groupe** acquired sports marketing agency **160over90** from WME in [a $500 million deal](https://www.wsj.com/cmo-today/wme-sells-sports-agency-to-publicis-7ba4393b).  **Toonstar**, an AI animation studio, will adapt some books from **HarperCollins Publishers **into original animated series.  **The Washington Post **announced its first creator-hosted show called “Let’s Talk Numbers” with **JC Rodriguez**. The show aims to help teach his Gen Z audience how to build wealth through man-on-the-street interviews about everyday financial decisions. It will be available on Rodriguez’s social media channels, WP Creator channels and the Washington Post’s Watch Tab. The news outlet is also partnering on the effort with digital media company ATTN. **Roblox **launched makeup so users can customize their virtual avatars. As part of the launch, **e.l.f. Cosmetics** is partnering with top creators to develop looks inspired by their products.  **Billion Dollar Boy** is partnering with creator-focused fintech startup** Lumanu** to add a more efficient way of managing creator payments within the influencer marketing firm’s Companion platform.  **Red Seat Ventures**, the podcast talent company owned by Fox, is building a premium membership program for wealthy individuals and business leaders to access top-tier live events, [Axios reported](https://www.axios.com/2026/03/31/red-seat-ventures-membership). It’s unclear which types of events they’re targeting or how it connects to the company’s talent business.  ——————————————————————————— ## **Creator Moves ** **Alex Cooper** is premiering a new reality competition series on YouTube called “Unwell Winter Games” on April 6. Shot in Park City, it brings together 16 “polarizing” reality TV stars and influencers, including **Dakota Mortensen**, who's been in the news recently over domestic abuse allegations against his ex-partner Taylor Frankie Paul.  **Bob Dylan** launched a **Patreon **account, charging fans $5 per month for access to original short stories from the musician and letters he never sent. The launch has [baffled some fans](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bob-dylan-patreon-baffles-fans-1235538723/), while others have speculated about whether he’s using AI to write the content. **The Webby Awards **announced its nominees, who range from **Rhett & Link**’s “Good Mythical Morning” series on YouTube to **NPR**’s Tiny Desk Concerts. We were honored to be judges this year! Now, the general public can cast their votes [through April 16](https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting).  ——————————————————————————— **A Message from Agentio** View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/866df7a1-5092-44d4-a9c7-ba5f3f3ddf18/AI_Draft_Review_2x.png?t=1775143485) Caption: **Finally: A Scalable Creator Advertising Solution** _Agentio enables marketers to buy creator-led ads as easily and efficiently as Meta or Google ads by automating matching, pricing, contracting, delivery and measurement— reducing campaign timelines from months or weeks, down to days. Trusted by Bombas, Olipop, Uber and more. Book a demo at __[Agentio.com](https://www.agentio.com/?utm_source=scalable&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=scalable_newsletter&utm_content=april_edition)__._ ——————————————————————————— ## **Regulatory Woes** **Australia** said** Facebook**,** Instagram**, **Snapchat**, **TikTok** and **YouTube** are not doing enough to enforce a ban on users younger than 16 on their platforms. The companies have said they’ve been complying with the ban. Australia’s [historic teen social media ban](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot5KlY9t6TE&t=125s) has had ripple effects around the world, with other countries moving to take similar measures.  **TikTok** is seeking approval from the Brazilian central bank for a lending and ​payments fintech license, [Reuters reported](https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/tiktok-seeks-brazil-fintech-license-offer-credit-2026-03-31/). It’s unclear whether TikTok wants to provide basic financial services to Brazilians like neobank** Nu** does, or whether it just wants to support e-commerce and monetization on the app in the country.  ——————————————————————————— ## **Talent Tracker ** **Kelsey Chickering** joined influencer marketing firm **Influential** as senior vice president of strategy and analytics. Previously, Chickering was a principal analyst focused on social media, creators and media strategy at **Forrester**. The move comes as more brands are prioritizing data-driven approaches to support their investments in influencer marketing. **Annabelle Russell **is **Substack**’s first head of partnerships for Australia and New Zealand. Previously, she spent five years at TikTok most recently as head of creators, publishers and content partnerships for ANZ.  **Lauren Thermos** is now president of YouTube duo Colin & Samir’s **Publish Press**, which publishes a newsletter about the creator economy. Previously, Thermos has held marketing roles at beauty companies including **e.l.f. **and **Revlon**. See [our timeline](https://scalablepod.com/p/a-creator-company-isnt-going-to-be-the-next-disney) showing how creators are hiring senior executives.  **Danielle Ito** is the new influencer lead at **Lovable**, a European startup that allows users to build apps and websites by chatting with AI. Her hiring comes as more AI startups are building influencer teams. Most recently, she led influencer marketing at Notion, a productivity software.  **Fanny Baudry**, the former executive vice president of business development at Wheelhouse, launched **March July Media**, where she’ll partner with media companies, platforms and other IP owners on strategy and growth.  **Beau Jones** was promoted to head of sports and broadcast media partnerships at Elon Musk’s **X** and **xAI. ** ——————————————————————————— ## **Bookmarked**  [Cruise Influencers Make $350,000 a Year Attracting Gen Z to Ships](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-03-25/cruise-influencers-earn-up-to-350-000-as-gen-z-drives-industry-growth) [Google Faces Calls to Prohibit AI Videos for Kids on YouTube](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-01/google-faces-demands-to-prohibit-ai-videos-for-kids-on-youtube?utm_medium=email&utm_source=author_alert&utm_term=260401&utm_campaign=author_24242484&embedded-checkout=true) [How Instagram’s ‘PG-13’ Branding for Teens Unraveled](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/31/arts/instagram-pg-13-rating-mpa-meta-teen-safety.html?unlocked_article_code=1.X1A.LZnA.4MXD8wxv57id&smid=nytcore-ios-share) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/inside-the-chicago-bulls-creator-strategy

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! -------------------- _⏳There are just a few hours left to get your _[_Scalable Summit_](https://scalablepod.com/summit)_ ticket at our lowest price, $299. _ _Join us on May 6 in Los Angeles to explore building long-lasting businesses in the creator economy with executives from __**TikTok**__, __**YouTube**__, __**Instagram**__, the __**NFL**__ and many more. _ _Thank you to our title partner __**Agentio**__ and our premier partners __**Motion Society**__, __**CAA**__, __**Greenberg Glusker**__ and __**Fathers Brewing**__. __[Secure your spot here](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795?aff=oddtdtcreator)__, before prices go up tomorrow! _ _Now on to the news…_ ----------**Brett Westervelt **is the first head of **Edits**, Meta Platforms’ video editing app, Scalable is first to report. Westervelt is a Meta veteran. He spent the past eight years at **Instagram**, most recently leading design. Before that, he was a product designer at Facebook for nearly four years. The move comes amid a stronger push for original content for Instagram and as AI-generated content continues to flood people’s social feeds. For Meta, more original content from creators means more time spent on its apps and more opportunities for the company to serve ads. During its fourth quarter earnings call, Meta said that the prevalence of original content on Instagram grew by ten percentage points over the previous quarter. Edits, which is connected to Instagram, has likely played a big role in that growth. Meta hasn’t shared how many people use Edits, but said that during the fourth quarter, 10% of the Reels people viewed each day were created with Edits, almost triple from the previous quarter. Meta first announced Edits was coming in January 2025, on the same day that TikTok and its popular video-editing app CapCut shut down temporarily in the US. While TikTok quickly came back online, CapCut remained inaccessible for longer. “We were hearing from a lot of creators that they were nervous about CapCut going away as well because it was such an essential part of their workflow,” Westervelt told us in an interview last week.  But Edits wasn’t “truly ready” in January to launch publicly, he said. Meta didn’t want to release a half-baked product, so pre-announcing the app was a compromise: It allowed the company to capitalize on the turmoil at TikTok and communicate to creators that it was developing an alternative. ---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/16ec6d80-4e73-4c93-ba6c-7eacc4a02427/Brett_cropped_2.jpeg?t=1774971717) Caption: Brett Westervelt, a long-time Meta executive, is the first head of Edits. ----------Since launching in April 2025, Edits has released updates and new features nearly weekly. That includes storyboards for organizing projects and tools for creating custom fonts. Some of the app’s early momentum has been helped by a “Made with Edits” tag that appears on videos on Instagram, helping spread awareness among creators, much like TikTok’s video watermark did in its early days.  But Edits is competing in a crowded market of editing tools and has a lot of catching up to do. CapCut remains hugely popular among creators, ranking first among top photo and video apps on Apple’s App Store on Tuesday, while Edits sits in eighth place. CapCut was also the No. 2 genAI mobile app as of January, while Edits was in 20th place, according to data from Similarweb, which is based on monthly active users. Westervelt says Edits’ strategy to grow includes keeping the app simple to use, unlike competitors that feel like they squeezed their desktop editing software into a mobile app.  Another big edge is that Meta can offer features for free. This is the company’s long-standing playbook: Build an audience first, earn revenue later. While Meta makes most of its money from social ads across its apps, Edits is likely more suited to paid features for users. Westervelt didn’t give us much detail into when or how Edits would monetize in the future. But he did use the opportunity to take a bit of a swipe at CapCut, which has put some of its basic features, like automatic captioning and specific fonts, behind paywalls. “If you’ve used CapCut recently, it feels like around sort of every corner that you turn, you’re getting this pop-up to try to get you to subscribe and pay,” Westervelt said.  Another strategy Edits has been using to refine the app: Getting the help of creators. The team formed a WhatsApp group with some creators using Edits to get regular feedback. It also invited some creators to Meta’s office in Los Angeles to meet with staffers.  We spoke to one of them, **RV Mendoza**. Mendoza is a comedy and food creator with 243,000 Instagram followers and is part of Edits’ “Creator Council.” The full-time web developer has given Edits feedback on technical glitches and what features it should add next.  That direct line of communication with creators goes a long way. Mendoza used to primarily use CapCut for editing short videos, but has now switched entirely to Edits. “I provide feedback and they actually incorporate it,” Mendoza said. “They’re building up enough good will for you to be like, ‘Hey, bring your stuff to Edits’ because Instagram is actually caring about you as a creator.” It’s a smart strategy. Creators have a lot of product insight that the Edits team wouldn’t necessarily think of. ——————————————————————————— ## 💬** Reader Reactions** Our recent piece on a [podcast reckoning](https://scalablepod.com/p/a-podcast-reckoning-is-here) hit a nerve!  In case you missed it, we argued that the shift to video is causing more podcasters to ditch their shows as it becomes harder to justify the cost and commitment. We also wrote that video could worsen the gender gap in podcasting as it adds another barrier to entry for women and minorities. So many readers reached out with their takes on why more podcasters are [hanging up their headphones](https://www.wsj.com/business/media/the-veteran-podcasters-hanging-up-their-headphones-0b1070e1?st=hbSe7p&reflink=article_copyURL_share) or to share their own experiences with podcasting. Here are a few responses that stood out to us: ““Perhaps I’m Pollyanna, and it’s definitely early days, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the traction for my food podcast considering there is no celebrity attached. I was also struck by the comment about how it used to be easy to book A-List stars. I think people are tired of hearing from the same celebs on the same promotional circuit, and I think there is lots of room for fresh voices, real reporting, and meatier content—like what you’re doing!”“ — —Catherine Smart, Founder, Not From Concentrate ““The shift to video really changes the economics and raises entry barriers in ways that aren’t always obvious at first. Curious whether this opens space for more intentional audio-first strategies as a counterbalance.”“ — —Michele K. Robichaux, Partner, Odin Law and Media ““Maybe the real story here is burnout. Podcasting isn’t one job anymore, it’s five … A lot of these creators have been at it for 5, 10+ years while the goal posts kept moving. First audio, then video, now clips, Shorts, repurposing, SEO show notes, etc. That wears you down in a way that isn’t just money related.”“ — —Max Cutler, Founder, PAVE Studios ““I think the shift has already happened, but we are just starting to feel its effects … It’s harder than ever to launch and monetize a podcast; advertisers are increasingly focusing on the top 10% of shows, not the next 2,000 or shows without proven conversion. The bar has gone up on every side: production costs, advertiser expectations and what it takes to reach an audience and break through.”“ — —Colin Enzer, Podcast Acquisition Manager, The Roost ——————————————————————————— ## **The Round Up ** **Instagram** is testing a [previously confirmed](https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/26/meta-to-test-premium-subscriptions-on-instagram-facebook-and-whatsapp/) subscription service called Instagram Plus in select countries. It’s currently trying out features such as the ability to see how many people have rewatched a Story and extending Stories for an additional 24 hours. The offering seems similar to Snapchat+, which has become a meaningful growth driver for Snap. In January, the company said its direct revenue business including Snapchat+ has a $1 billion revenue run rate. Snap also recently launched creator subscriptions, betting that its users’ willingness to pay for premium features on the app will translate to paying for exclusive creator content. Subscription services have had a rockier history on other apps like Meta and X. **Bluesky**, a decentralized social network, launched another app called **Attie**, which lets users build custom feeds using AI. For example, a user can generate a feed of content related to electronic music from people they follow by writing a prompt like they do in ChatGPT. **CNN** organized a series of internal workshops where creators shared with the company’s senior executives how to build loyal audiences on YouTube and TikTok, the media newsletter [Status reported.](https://www.status.news/p/cnn-podcast-style-shows-nyt-video) The move comes as CNN has been experimenting with more casual video formats online and on air, including anchor Jake Tapper filming from his office rather than his studio. **Beehiiv**, the newsletter publisher, is preparing to launch podcasting tools, [Semafor reported](https://www.semafor.com/article/03/29/2026/substack-rival-beehiiv-makes-a-push-into-podcasting). Scalable readers and listeners [heard it first](https://scalablepod.com/p/what-the-tiger-sisters-took-from-the-tech-bros)—and so did attendees of Jasmine’s fireside chat with Beehiiv CEO **Tyler Denk** at SXSW earlier this month, where he broke the news. ——————————————————————————— ## **Deals, Deals, Deals** **Irenic Capital Management**, an activist investor, has built up a position in **Snap **and is advocating for changes, including spinning off or shutting its AR glasses business, [Bloomberg reported](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-31/activist-investor-irenic-is-said-to-build-stake-in-snap). “We’ve taken steps to improve performance, strengthen free cash flow, and offset dilution, and will continue to evaluate actions that drive long-term value for all stockholders,” a Snap spokesperson said in a statement.  **Versant**, the newly created parent company of CNBC and MS NOW, is among a group of suitors in discussions to buy **Vox Media**’s podcast network, the [New York Times reported](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/27/business/media/versant-vox-medias-podcasts.html?unlocked_article_code=1.XFA.L-KW.YYEPRwIjdwN_&smid=nytcore-ios-share). A few days earlier, Semafor [reported](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/27/business/media/versant-vox-medias-podcasts.html?unlocked_article_code=1.XFA.L-KW.YYEPRwIjdwN_&smid=nytcore-ios-shar) that Vox Media told some potential investors the podcast network wasn’t for sale. We reached out to Vox Media about the conflicting reports, but the company declined to comment.  **Bent Pixels**, a gaming and entertainment network, acquired Snapchat-focused publisher and content syndication company **Sunny State Agency** in a more than $23 million deal.  **TikTok** launched a partnership with **Cameo** in the US so that creators can offer personalized Cameo videos directly on the TikTok app.  ——————————————————————————— ## **Regulatory Woes** **Elizabeth Warren**, the Democratic Senator from Massachusetts, [has questioned](https://x.com/senwarren/status/2037346614801584624?s=46) the world’s largest YouTuber **MrBeast** about his company’s plans to expand into financial services and potentially market cryptocurrency to minors. In February, Beast Industries bought Step, a fintech app aimed at teens, not long after filing a trademark for “Beast Financial,” which mentions cryptocurrency. Potential regulatory hurdles add to the list of [challenges creators face](https://scalablepod.com/p/a-creator-company-isnt-going-to-be-the-next-disney) as they seek to expand their businesses. **Snap** is being investigated by EU regulators over child safety issues, including whether its age verification systems are strong enough. It’s part of a broader crackdown by regulators around the world into child safety on social media. A Snap spokesperson said it’s cooperating with investigators and that its teams “have worked for years to raise the bar on safety.”  **Braden Peters**, a controversial creator known as “Clavicular” who rose to fame for [advocating for “looksmaxxing,”](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/style/clavicular-looksmaxxing-braden-peters.html) was [arrested](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr513g72vqgo) in Florida on a battery charge. ——————————————————————————— ## **Talent Tracker** **X **has let go of its chief marketing officer and some non-technical staff, the [Wall Street Journal reported](https://www.wsj.com/tech/elon-musks-x-restructures-ahead-of-spacex-ipo-6aab5673?mod=e2tw). Separately, **Benji Taylor** joined X to lead design. Most recently, he was head of design at **Coinbase**’s Base. The shakeup comes as parent company SpaceX is reportedly gearing up for an IPO and as X has been pushing into payments. **Monika Bickert**, the long-time content policy chief of **Meta**, will [leave the company](https://www.reuters.com/technology/metas-longtime-content-policy-chief-bickert-leaving-teach-harvard-2026-03-28/) in August for a role at **​Harvard Law School**. Bickert oversaw Meta’s content policies and played a role in its approach to user safety. Meta was [found liable last week](https://scalablepod.com/p/the-end-of-sora-isn-t-the-end-of-creator-ai-fears) for knowingly designing its products to be addictive and for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms. **Vik Gupta** is joining **Pinterest** as its first vice president and general manager of monetization, while **Sumanth Jagganath** will be the new vice president of measurement. Pinterest has been trying to reposition itself to advertisers as it looks to grow its business and expand social media ads.  **Dude Perfect **is hiring a vice president of marketing. That follows the recent hiring of its first chief content officer **Kevin Sabbe**. See our previous reporting and timeline of how creators are building out their corporate teams [here](https://scalablepod.com/p/a-creator-company-isnt-going-to-be-the-next-disney).  **UTA** [named 35 partners](https://deadline.com/2026/03/uta-promotions-partner-2026-1236766770/) across nearly two dozen departments, including creators, sports, publishing and business affairs.   ——————————————————————————— ## **Bookmarked**  [Neal Mohan on What YouTube’s Dominance is Doing to Us](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/28/magazine/neal-mohan-interview.html) [The Texas Lawyer and Part-Time Pastor Who Beat Meta and Google](https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/the-texas-lawyer-and-part-time-pastor-who-beat-meta-and-google-82c8521b?st=4SgiBX&reflink=article_copyURL_share) [‘Corporate Bro’ Is Making Millions Satirizing Tech Sales](https://www.wsj.com/business/media/meet-the-corporate-bro-making-millions-satirizing-tech-sales-dccaf132?st=EFJ8qD&reflink=article_copyURL_share) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/exclusive-meta-taps-instagram-exec-to-lead-edits

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! _We are thrilled to announce _**_Agentio_**_ as our title sponsor for the _[_Scalable Summit_](https://scalablepod.com/summit)_, happening on May 6 in Los Angeles! _ _Trusted by brands like Uber, Skims and Olipop, Agentio enables marketers to buy and measure creator ads as quickly and easily as running campaigns on Meta or Google. _ _It’s not too late to grab your _[_early-bird ticket_](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795?aff=oddtdtcreator)_ before prices go up at the end of the month!_ _Now on to today’s news…_ ----------The list of podcasters who’ve abandoned their shows is growing. In January, we predicted podcasting would [face a reckoning](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTSuITJE6O8/?igsh=MWh3NWdza2poZjB6MA==) as the industry got more crowded and shifted more toward video. Now we’re seeing this start to bubble up.  Creators who have thrown in the towel recently include veteran YouTubers **Rhett & Link**, **The Try Guys**, **Shelby Church** and Barstool Sports personality **Kevin Clancy**, who started his podcast back in 2012. A big part of the draw to podcasting has been that it appears wildly lucrative, at least when you look at the very top. **Scott Galloway **projects he’ll earn at least $25 million from podcasting this year, while **Joe Rogan** has a $250 million deal with Spotify. These success stories dominate headlines and fuel the perception that podcasting is a viable business for creators willing to put in the work.  But for the vast majority of podcasters, the math doesn’t add up, especially given the increased time, costs and logistics that the shift to video has added to producing a show. The top 500 podcasts during the fourth quarter of 2025 accounted for nearly half of podcast ad spending in the US, with advertisers spending an average of $422,000 per month on those shows, per **Magellan AI**, which analyzes podcast advertising data. Spending dropped dramatically after that, with podcasts ranked 501 through 3,000 earning roughly one-tenth of that amount on average. Even for creators who are making good money, the tradeoff isn’t always worth it. As the lines between video and podcasts have blurred, there’s now little difference between the two. Rhett & Link recently told us they decided to shut down their podcast “Ear Biscuits” because it was essentially another hour of their popular YouTube show. Plus, the battle for guests has become even fiercer. Barstool’s Clancy put it this way [to the Wall Street Journal:](https://www.wsj.com/business/media/the-veteran-podcasters-hanging-up-their-headphones-0b1070e1?st=hbSe7p&reflink=article_copyURL_share&utm_source=scalablepod.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=creators-want-their-red-carpet-moment-too) “We used to be able to get guests like an A-list star who’s promoting his Marvel movie. Now he’s gonna go on Travis Kelce, and there’s really no time left for us.” Most of the podcasters who have ditched their shows so far are men. That’s likely because there are simply more men who have a podcast: Men host roughly two-thirds of top podcasts and make up nearly three-quarters of podcast guests, according to [research](https://annenberg.usc.edu/news/research-and-impact/usc-annenberg-releases-new-study-exploring-gender-and-raceethnicity-hosts) from **USC Annenberg**.  But we ultimately expect the pivot to video to hit women and minorities especially hard. They’re not necessarily more likely than men to abandon a show once they’ve built an audience, but they could be discouraged from giving podcasting a shot in the first place. Data supports this. Men are almost twice as likely as women to start a podcast, but women are slightly more likely to stick with it once they’ve started, per **Sounds Profitable**. That suggests there are other barriers to entry that women face. ---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/89b4799a-811e-41e3-a4bc-efc7a681a4ee/Podcasting_gender_gap.png?t=1774554198) Caption: ----------Video is likely to be a major one. While it creates new opportunities to distribute shows and make money, it also opens up hosts and their guests to more scrutiny. That includes appearance-based discrimination and online harassment, which already disproportionately affect women and minorities. It’s something we thought a lot about when we launched the Scalable podcast. We knew we’d have to be camera-ready every week and have a tough skin about potential negative comments online. We also saw how much more work goes into creating a video show than one that’s just audio. In the end, we decided the benefits of video would outweigh the negatives. We hope more women and underrepresented creators feel the same and stick it out: Alternative media like podcasts have long been important channels for diverse voices and audiences. ——————————————————————————— ## **🛍️Affiliate Marketing Is SO Back** **Instagram** creators can now tag up to 30 products in a Reel and earn commissions by adding affiliate links. Over on **Facebook**, creators can connect their accounts to affiliate program partners like Amazon and tag products directly in posts and Reels to earn a commission. Users make the purchase on the partner app. Meanwhile, YouTube this week expanded access to its affiliate program to all creators in the YouTube Partner Program who have at least 500 subscribers. These features are mostly geared toward small and mid-sized creators, who have become more popular partners for brands that want to drive direct sales and attribute them properly. Almost half of US influencer marketing spending will go to micro and nano-influencers this year, per EMARKETER. Affiliate marketing has also been a boon for rivals like TikTok and LTK. The type of affiliate experience these companies offer is different: LTK’s is more curated while TikTok is about flooding the feed with trending content. On TikTok, for example, a user may purchase an item from a creator they’ve never even seen before, while on LTK or ShopMy, users tend to already follow these creators on social media and have more trust in their recommendations. But both options offer brands an easier way to manage affiliate partners at scale and centralize their efforts. For Meta, the new program also allows it to drive more commerce on the platform, without hosting the experience itself. As the company has learned over the years, many people don’t want to buy directly on the platform. (Hear more about Meta’s complicated social commerce history in the video below.) Still, creators are likely to be skeptical. In 2022, Meta shuttered its affiliate marketing program on Instagram. Most recently, the company [came under fire](https://makingtradeoffs.substack.com/p/instagram-is-stealing-our-content?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email&triedRedirect=true) for a “Shop the Look” button that added AI-generated recommendations to their content without their consent. Last month, Instagram told us it was a limited test and would take feedback from creators before rolling it out more broadly. Youtube: Everyone Thought Social Commerce Was Dead… It’s Not (https://youtu.be/sD4_wW-kHHg?si=a-WSQzqpLadt36HT) ——————————————————————————— ## **Meta Matters** **Meta Platforms** began laying off [several hundred employees](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/25/meta-layoffs-reality-labs-facebook.html) on Wednesday, including in recruiting, sales and its virtual reality division.  At the same time, the company is incentivizing its top executives to grow the company exponentially with a new stock option program, which could pay some of them hundreds of millions of dollars, the [Wall Street Journal reported](https://www.wsj.com/tech/meta-targets-9-trillion-valuation-with-new-executive-incentive-program-64460862?mod=author_content_page_1_pos_4).  We covered more of Meta’s recent moves, from a new creator monetization program on Facebook to why it’s shutting down Horizon Worlds, in today’s podcast, embedded below. Youtube: The Real Reason Platforms Don’t Pay Creators and Why A-Listers Don’t Want Creators On The Red Carpet (https://youtu.be/qf9aHqOzVD8?si=YzyvzsTKxYXkzQn6) ——————————————————————————— ## **More Shop Talk** The social commerce news hasn’t stopped this week, in part due to **Shoptalk**, the annual retail conference in Las Vegas.  **Orca** merged with fellow social commerce agency **Sapphire Studios** to form a new company called **Third**,** **which is backed by private equity firm **Growth Catalyst Partners**. Third’s offering will include shoppable livestreams, social commerce operations and affiliate marketing, in a bet that brands will want one place where they can build and grow sales across platforms like TikTok, Whatnot, Snap and Meta.  **MagicLinks**, a creator commerce company, launched AI Shelf, a tool designed to help brands better show up in AI search results. It works by analyzing creators’ sponsored YouTube videos, such as video titles and transcriptions, to assess how the brands’ products appear in AI-generated answers. The launch comes as more people turn to AI chatbots for product recommendations and as YouTube has become the top source cited by large-language models.  **Amaze**, a creator commerce company, launched a new media platform, which turns data from creators, storefront visits and purchases into information that brands can use to better target audiences and run their marketing. ——————————————————————————— ## **What’s In A Name?** Picking a name for our company was one of the hardest decisions we had to make when we founded Scalable.** Max Tcheyan**, co-founder and CEO of a new food media company, explained how his team landed on the name **Caper**.  “I must have had a list of about 80-something names and Caper just kind of kept winning out. It offered us a way to be a little more creative and less on the nose. The double entendre is a fun part of it.“ — —Max Tcheyan, Caper CEO to Scalable, Feb 2026 A caper is a common ingredient in Mediterranean recipes, but it also means an escapade or adventure. That is exactly what Caper, which officially [launched](https://caper.media/) earlier this month, is trying to convey: It’s focused less on what’s on the plate and more on what’s happening in the restaurant industry. Recent Caper stories have included a piece about a prominent New York restauranter appearing in the Epstein Files and a profile of a startup trying to take on Guiness beer. The company also tapped non-food journalists to help tell these stories, including** Annie Armstrong**, an art reporter.  “We want her to take her expertise and point it towards this world of food and restaurants and hospitality,” Tcheyan told us._ _“We think that's a really interesting lens to put on the space and put at the center of it.”  In today’s episode of Scalable, we speak with Tcheyan, who also co-founded media startup Puck, about his vision for Caper, AI’s impact on the media industry and what it was like raising funding at a time of industry upheaval. ——————————————————————————— ## **Creator Moves ** **Genevieve’s Playhouse**, a kids-focused YouTube channel with nearly 50 million subscribers, launched a line of toys in **Walmart **and other US retailers. **Underscore Talent**’s Shorthand Studios division is also helping the channel’s new animated series to be syndicated to streaming services.  ——————————————————————————— ## **Talent Tracker ** **Danielle Ito**, the head of influencer at **Notion**, is leaving the productivity software company. She hasn’t yet announced her next steps.  **Simon Bates**, the head of content and general manager of **TikTok Australia**, left the company after more than 5 years. He joined **Nine**, an Australian broadcaster, to be director of social media and off platform. ——————————————————————————— ## **Bookmarked**  [What’s With All the A.I. Videos of Cheating Fruit?](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/style/ai-cheating-fruit-slop-videos-tiktok.html?unlocked_article_code=1.V1A.7ggh.yFQNGupq1i6h&smid=nytcore-ios-share) [The True Religion of Reality Television](https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/taylor-frankie-paul-and-true-religion-of-reality-television.html) [How Prediction Markets Are Changing the Music Industry](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/kalshi-prediction-markets-music-industry-1235535735/) [Reed Hastings Says Netflix’s Biggest Risk Is if YouTube Content ‘Boosted With AI’ Becomes ‘Cool and Sexy’](https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/reed-hastings-netflix-biggest-risk-youtube-ai-content-cool-and-sexy-1236699432/) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/a-podcast-reckoning-is-here

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! _There was too much news today for us to sit out. In today’s special edition newsletter, we cover what Sora’s shutdown means for the creator economy, what’s behind OpenAI’s hiring spree of former Meta execs, and the repercussions of a landmark social media addiction trial that found Meta and YouTube liable of negligence. _ _Also! Don’t forget to grab your _[_early-bird ticket_](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795?aff=oddtdtcreator)_ to our _**_Scalable Summit_**_ on May 6 in Los Angeles, where we’ll interview leaders from _**_OpenAI_**_, _**_Instagram, Spotify _**_and many more…Prices go up soon! More information on the event _[_here_](https://scalablepod.com/summit)_.  _ _Let’s get into it…_ ----------Well, we hadn’t heard about** Sora** in a while!  The AI video generation app from **OpenAI **initially shot to the top of app stores and immediately created IP headaches in Hollywood and the business world as people created Pixar-style characters and deepfakes of actors and public figures like Martin Luther King Jr.  Later came its big announcement with **Disney** to license its iconic characters, along with an $1 billion investment from the entertainment giant.  When Sora first came on the scene, it rattled many creator economy insiders who privately told us their worries about how it could upend creators’ businesses, from more competition for attention and revenue to the misuse of their likeness. Others were excited about the potential, especially with the Disney deal, to highlight more creators and user-generated content. We [were always skeptical](https://youtu.be/mkO8VgYVCTk?t=1373&si=OkebPpQovoIw8dN6), both of Sora’s staying power and OpenAI’s reasons for developing the app in the first place. ---------- The end goal for Sora wasn’t necessarily to develop a social network that competed with the likes of TikTok or Instagram. (Though judging by the number of former Meta execs OpenAI has poached, it’s easy to jump to that conclusion. See our timeline below.) ----------In the short-term, Sora was a way for OpenAI to get people excited about AI by turning it into something fun, rather than scary. In the longer-term, Sora would have been a major source of first-party user data that OpenAI could use to train its models and build out its core business. But that didn’t quite work out. The novelty wore off fast and by November, news headlines were [calling the app “boring”](https://www.businessinsider.com/sora-app-ai-video-openai-sam-altman-bored-why-2025-11) as people complained that their friends weren’t there. Downloads of the app fell to 600,000 last month, down from 1 million in the first five days after its launch, according to data from mobile app tracking firm **Sensor Tower**.  That was to be expected. App download data isn’t a good indicator of long-term sustainability and it’s really hard to break into the social market. **BeReal** is a perfect example: It’s still around, but barely. Many people also don’t want—or need—an AI social app when there’s plenty of AI slop on the platforms they already use. Running a social app also comes with a lot of headaches. Just ask Mark Zuckerberg: Earlier on Wednesday, Meta along with YouTube were found liable for designing their apps in ways that were harmful to children. (More on that below.) And OpenAI already has plenty of headaches of its own. The company is working to unify its offerings, including ChatGPT, its coding platform Codex and browser [into a single “superapp.”](https://www.reuters.com/technology/openai-plans-desktop-superapp-simplify-user-experience-wsj-reports-2026-03-19/)  Superapps don’t have a great track record outside of China and require a change in user behavior and a lot of trust, which OpenAI hasn’t built up. Sora is likely a casualty of those efforts. But the end of Sora doesn’t mean the end of AI-generated social content or [the challenges](https://scalablepod.com/p/what-s-working-what-s-broken-and-what-s-next-for-the-creator-economy) they bring for creators. (Hello, [ChatGPT’s ad push](https://scalablepod.com/p/what-chatgpt-ads-could-mean-for-creators).) Plus, the loss of the Disney deal shows just how precarious and tenuous the relationship still is between AI, creators and Hollywood. The news could make it harder for those types of deals to happen in the future. _In other OpenAI news…_ **OpenAI Poaches More Meta Execs** ---------- As we mapped out in the timeline below, at least five former Meta executives have moved to OpenAI over the past seven months.  ----------What stood out to us is that OpenAI isn’t just recruiting AI researchers—it’s tapping talent from across Meta’s business, including ads and creator partnerships. These high-profile hires offer a window into OpenAI’s business priorities and future ambitions.  View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/c01e5638-e174-4050-88ed-47711f5bc7f4/OpenAI_Meta_hires.png?t=1774470043) Caption: Two execs have joined during this month alone. **David Dugan** will lead ad sales, signaling that OpenAI is readying for a major commercial push. Meanwhile, **Charles Porch**, a 15-year veteran of Meta-owned Instagram who helped onboard many celebrities to the app, took on a similar partnerships role earlier this month at OpenAI. The hiring shows how the company is looking to forge more relationships in the entertainment industry. (Gulp, to the Disney news above, which is sure to complicate Porch’s pitch.) One of the biggest announcements was OpenAI’s hiring of **Fidji Simo**, the former head of the Facebook app and CEO of Instacart. She** **officially joined in August as CEO of Applications, also pointing to OpenAI’s advertising ambitions. At Meta, she played a key role in building Facebook’s advertising business and scaling mobile ads.  In August, Instagram’s co-head of product** Ashley Alexander** moved to OpenAI to lead health products, an area where ChatGPT is already widely used (for better or for worse). In January, OpenAI also released a series of health-focused products for consumers and physicians and made a big ad push highlighting how people use ChatGPT for health and well-being, which included [a spot](https://www.tiktok.com/@itsgigirobinson/video/7592364367555857694) featuring creator Gigi Robinson. Science also seems to be a growing priority. About six months ago, **Kevin Weil** moved from chief product officer to a different role leading a new OpenAI for Science unit, which he described on X as an “AI-powered platform that accelerates scientific discovery.” Weil, who was one of the co-founders of Facebook’s Novi crypto division, left Meta in 2021 and joined OpenAI in 2024.  Obviously technical AI talent is still key. Amid an intensifying recruiting war among tech companies, OpenAI last month poached high-profile AI researcher **Ruoming Pang**, who had just joined Meta from Apple seven months earlier. At Meta, Pang oversaw AI infrastructure for the company’s AI division Superintelligence Labs.  If OpenAI is preparing for an IPO later this year, it’s going to need the right seasoned leaders in place. Some of these leaders were also around during Meta’s attempts to develop a “superapp” and could offer valuable insight into OpenAI’s effort to do the same.  We suspect these Meta execs won’t be the last to join OpenAI. ——————————————————————————— ## **A Landmark Social Media Verdict ** **Meta **and **YouTube** were found liable on Tuesday in a lawsuit alleging their app designs were addictive and harmful to young users. As Jasmine [told the AFP](https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/california-jury-finds-meta-youtube-174529995.html) on Wednesday, the financial fines aren’t the problem: $3 million is a slap on the wrist for companies like Meta and YouTube, which are two of the biggest ad sellers in the world. In 2025, Meta made roughly $200 billion, which is over $22 million per hour. What’s really at stake is whether social media companies will be forced to redesign their products. The endless scroll of content algorithmically tailored to a user’s interests and other features have helped these apps keep people’s attention.  A redesign_ _poses an existential threat to their business models. Their ad businesses thrive off of engagement and if product overhauls change that, these platforms become much less valuable to advertisers.  This case could not only set a precedent for how similar cases play out (and there are thousands of consolidated cases against them), but also how social platforms do business. Because of their size, Meta and YouTube often set the pace for smaller rivals. We expect this case to have a ripple effect across the entire social landscape. Before the verdict came in, we sat down with California Attorney General **Rob Bonta** to talk about the trial and whether he thinks youth social media bans could be a solution. Watch the full interview below to hear his response, or [tune in on Spotify ](https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ir232MYjjNMuSIpFHbHay)or anywhere you get your podcasts.  Youtube: What the California AG really thinks about AI, regulation and creators (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BON4E6VSSk) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/the-end-of-sora-isn-t-the-end-of-creator-ai-fears

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- _There’s less than one week left to grab your discounted early-bird ticket to the _[_Scalable Summit_](https://scalablepod.com/summit)_ on May 6 in Los Angeles._ _If you’ve been thinking about joining us, now is the time to _[_get your ticket_](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795?aff=oddtdtcreator)_ before prices go up! Now on to today’s newsletter…_ ----------Creators are increasingly chasing the kind of recognition typically reserved for A-list Hollywood talent. But even as they campaign for awards like the Emmys, the entertainment industry is divided over whether these accolades matter for creators—and whether creators belong on the red carpet at all. **TBPN**, the popular live-streamed tech show, is a case in point. It recently launched a campaign to win an Emmy that includes billboards. But co-host **John Coogan** said that “awards are not our ultimate goal” and that they are more focused on the “longevity” of the program. In his annual letter, YouTube **CEO Neal Mohan** argued that creators “need to see more recognition” from traditional awards shows. The company has also nabbed rights to the Oscars starting in 2029. But it has stopped short of providing its creators with the funding or resources they might need in order to [compete with traditional studios](https://scalablepod.com/p/why-youtube-should-bring-originals-back) for those awards. Still, a slew of new offshoot awards shows prove that creators want their red carpet moment, too. Last week, **iHeartMedia **hosted its podcast awards at SXSW, the tech and arts festival in Austin, crowning “Giggly Squad” the show of the year. (The show’s hosts **Hannah Berner **and **Paige DeSorbo **will star in a new Netflix scripted comedy, which [was announced on Tuesday](https://deadline.com/2026/03/hannah-berner-paige-desorbo-netflix-comedy-amy-poehler-kay-cannon-1236763712/).)  Later this month, **Snapchat** will host its first Snappys event at its Santa Monica headquarters and **TikTok** hosted its first-ever TikTok Awards show in the US in December. These add to other long-running digital content awards programs like the Shorty Awards and the Webby Awards, now in its 30th year. But none of these shows hold the same cachet as the Oscars or the Emmys, which have long sidelined creators. Even The Golden Globes, which added a “Best Podcast” category this year, gave the award to Amy Poehler rather than a digital creator. Most recently, podcaster **Jake Shane**’s gig as red carpet host of the Vanity Fair Oscars Party has been taken by some as more evidence that social media stars and Hollywood A-listers don’t mix. His performance was full of uncomfortable moments, from asking Julia Fox if she found the seriously-ill girl in the Oscar-nominated film she starred in “annoying” to his response when Kris Jenner asked how he got the gig (“I don’t know, honestly.”) There’s a big difference between being nominated for an award and reporting from the red carpet. But the reason these awards shows include creators is the same: Creators can help them modernize these events and reach audiences who are now spending more of their time online watching social media personalities than in movie theaters watching traditional Hollywood stars—or the awards shows that celebrate them. Viewership of last week’s Oscars fell by 9% year over year to 17.9 million people, according to Nielsen. And that’s still more viewers than other major awards shows, which have also seen similar declines this season: Viewership of the Golden Globes and the Grammy’s each fell by 6% year-over-year. But that says more about the state of the media landscape than the relevance of these shows: People may not be watching the live event, but they’re definitely consuming clips or commentary online. And for creators, the chance to be on a Hollywood red carpet is impossible to turn down. As Coogan [put it](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jacoogan_a-niche-emerging-media-company-buying-billboards-activity-7440804353579311105-ca_R?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABArt7YBHDZij1ASgEoNfDPuCITiWjO4Uzg): “These awards are a celebration of creativity and innovation.” Creators want to be a part of that. _In other news…_ ## **Not Much New at the NewFronts** The IAB NewFronts kicked off in New York this week. The annual event, during which platforms pitch their ad products to brands, is also a pulse check on their business priorities for the year. **YouTube** unveiled YouTube Creator Partnerships, a centralized hub in YouTube Studio built on top of Google’s Gemini. It includes new AI-powered tools for creator discovery, measurement and insights, designed to help advertisers scale and streamline their process. These are important infrastructural updates to YouTube’s influencer marketing efforts, but they don’t feel particularly innovative or splashy. **TikTok** presented for the first time under new US ownership. It announced two new ad products clearly geared at big brands looking to tap into cultural moments on the app. That’s not surprising: TikTok has been going after both TV advertisers and experiences, including through a new partnership for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. The company’s new “Logo Takeover” allows brands to appear alongside the TikTok logo on the launch page when users open the app. “Prime Time” allows brands to deliver up to 3 ads to the same user on the For You Page within 15 minutes. The idea is to go beyond a standard mobile video ad during tentpole events, when a lot of people are using the app. The rest of TikTok’s announcements were updates or expansions to existing products like TikTok Pulse, which places ads against a selection of brand-safe, trending content on the app. We wanted to hear more about its partnership with **Tubi** on a new creator incubator, though it’s too early for many new details, especially ones that are relevant to advertisers. ——————————————————————————— ## **The Round Up** **TikTok **is testing a new microdrama feed on its app called “TikTok Short Drama,” [Business Insider reported](https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-testing-mini-drama-feed-ai-2026-3). Tune into [our recent podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXUDrKxnlUk) below for why this was inevitable. Or go deeper [here](https://scalablepod.com/p/why-hannah-stocking-could-be-a-game-changer-for-microdramas) and [here](https://scalablepod.com/p/our-2026-predictions-for-the-creator-economy) on what’s behind the explosion of microdramas this year. The **Creators Guild of America**, an industry nonprofit, launched a platform similar to IMDb for digital creators. Called Mosaic, it verifies creators’ work and helps them showcase their projects to brands and other collaborators. As we noted above, the move comes as more creators want recognition for their work—and also as AI is making it harder to tell where content originated from. **CNN** was [panned](https://www.thedailybeast.com/insiders-skewer-cnn-for-desperate-newsroom-podcast-style-makeover/) for trying something new: anchor **Jake Tapper** broadcast the first hour of his show from his dimly lit office with a podcast-style mic rather than his studio. “Things are getting desperate at CNN,” one person [wrote on X](https://x.com/westernlensman/status/2035179005704274060?s=46https://x.com/westernlensman/status/2035179005704274060?s=46). (Fun fact: Kaya was an intern for Tapper’s show “The Lead” as a college student.) A **Labubu** [movie is coming](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/19/movies/labubu-movie-paul-king.html?unlocked_article_code=1.VFA.RJUz.oZsz6wx4Hk3f&smid=nytcore-ios-share). **Paul King**, the director of “Paddington” and “Wonka,” will produce and direct the film, according to Labubu retailer** Pop Mart** and **Sony Pictures**. _In memoriam_:** Leonid Radvinsky**, the secretive billionaire owner of** OnlyFans**, died of cancer at age 43. OnlyFans had been looking for a buyer over the past year. Youtube: Why the Microdrama Hype Will Fade, But Branded Entertainment Is Here to Stay (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXUDrKxnlUk) ——————————————————————————— ## **Deals, Deals, Deals** **Bluesky**, the decentralized Twitter alternative, announced it raised $100 million in Series B funding led by **Bain Capital Crypto**. The funding was secured in April 2025. Earlier this month, Bluesky CEO **Jay Graber** announced she was stepping down and becoming the company’s chief innovation officer. **Toni Schneider**, a partner at VC firm True Ventures, is now the interim CEO, while the board searches for a permanent replacement.  **Mirage**, a New York-based AI video editing app previously called Captions, raised $75 million in growth financing from **General Catalyst**’s Customer Value Fund. The company will use the funding to expand to other markets, including Asia.  **Talvy**, a recruiting site with short-form video profiles that’s positioning itself as a hybrid of TikTok and LinkedIn, raised $2 million in seed funding led by **Link Ventures**.  **Vox Media **told some potential investors last month that its podcast network was no longer for sale, [Semafor reported](https://www.semafor.com/article/03/22/2026/vox-media-tried-to-sell-its-podcasts-and-itself). A Vox Media spokesperson declined to comment. ——————————————————————————— ## **Staffing Cuts** **William Morris Endeavor** laid off 30 people, or 3% of staff. “Our industry is undergoing profound change — from consolidation and shifting economics to new technology and evolving client needs,” WME co-chairmen **Christian Muirhead** and **Richard Weitz** wrote in a memo to staff [cited by Deadline](https://deadline.com/2026/03/wme-layoffs-william-morris-endeavor-agency-1236758850/). “At the same time, new platforms are creating more opportunities than ever for talent and creators to reach audiences around the world.” We discuss what the layoffs say about creators’ place in Hollywood on Thursday’s podcast.  **Spotify **cut 15 podcasting positions, or about 3% of staff, including from its podcast network The Ringer, which is focused on sports and pop culture, according to a source familiar with the matter. The source said it wasn’t a cost-cutting move, but a reorganization toward growth areas like video. A Spotify spokesperson said it doesn’t comment on staffing shifts.  ——————————————————————————— ## **Creator Moves** **Alix Earle **announced a skincare brand called** Reale Active**. She’s been teasing the new venture under the Instagram handle @wtfisalixdoing, which more than 400,000 people followed over the past few days. Earle also put up a billboard in New York’s Soho neighborhood and sent physical puzzle pieces to other influencers to create more buzz around the launch.  ——————————————————————————— ## **Regulatory Woes** **Bill Ready**, the CEO of **Pinterest**, called for governments to ban social media for those under 16 in [an op-ed for Time](https://time.com/article/2026/03/19/pinterest-ceo-governments-should-ban-social-media-for-kids-under-16/). It’s not a surprising take from Ready, despite being a social media executive: He has previously called social media “the new Big Tobacco” and advocated for bans on phones in schools. **Elon Musk** misled** Twitter** investors before buying the company in 2022, [a jury ruled on Friday](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62j3yl842eo).   ——————————————————————————— ## **Talent Tracker** **David Dugan** joined** OpenAI **to lead ad sales. He’s the latest former Meta Platforms executive to join OpenAI, following former head of the Facebook app **Fidji Simo**, partnerships exec **Charles Porch,** former co-head of product at Instagram** Ashley Alexander** and others.  **Gaude Lydia Paez **joined MrBeasts’ holding company **Beast Industries** as chief communications officer. Previously, she led comms at Riot Games, Hulu and Fox. ——————————————————————————— ## ** Bookmarked**   [‘I Am the News’: The Absurd Drama (and High Stakes) of the Don Lemon Affair](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/22/magazine/don-lemon-trump-minnesota-cnn-youtube.html) [The Veteran Podcasters Hanging Up Their Headphones](https://www.wsj.com/business/media/the-veteran-podcasters-hanging-up-their-headphones-0b1070e1?st=hbSe7p&reflink=article_copyURL_share) [The MAGA Dream Girl Made With AI](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/03/20/jessica-foster-maga-dream-girl-ai-fake/) [Mark Zuckerberg Is Building an AI Agent to Help Him Be CEO](https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/mark-zuckerberg-is-building-an-ai-agent-to-help-him-be-ceo-eddab2d5) Grab your Scalable Summit ticket here! (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795?aff=oddtdtcreator) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/creators-want-their-red-carpet-moment-too

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! ----------_We knew podcasting would be hard, but nobody told us it would be dangerous! We barely made it out alive while filming this week’s podcast in an outside studio at SXSW in Austin, where it was 98 degrees and windy._ Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWEXIbECKuq/?igsh=MTk0dHc3ZWt4NmVhaA==) ---------- _Also: Join us on May 6 in Los Angeles for the first _[_Scalable Summit_](https://scalablepod.com/summit)_ as we explore how to build long-lasting businesses in the creator economy. We’ll sit down with executives from companies including Meta, TikTok, OpenAI, Visa, NFL, Tubi and creators like Hannah Stocking. _ -------------------- _Get your early-bird ticket _[_here_](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795?aff=oddtdtcreator)_, before prices go up soon!_ -------------------- _Now on to today’s column…_ ----------**Facebook** and **LinkedIn** aren’t typically top of mind when it comes to the creator economy. Both companies are now trying to change that by rolling out new ways for creators to make more money. The approaches are different. LinkedIn’s is targeted and premium, while Facebook is betting that creators will want to reach its billions of users.  But they have two things in common: They are geared toward established, rather than emerging creators. They both also emphasize original or exclusive content. This week, LinkedIn launched Top Voices 360. Creators like **Corporate Natalie**, **Meghana Dhar** and **Ramit Sethi** will develop exclusive shows that brands can sponsor through ads. Creators are paid through the BrandLink program, which shares ad revenue with participating creators. LinkedIn will also help those creators strike broader deals with brands across other content and events. **Meta**, meanwhile, launched Creator Fast Track, a program that pays big stars on other platforms to post original content on Facebook. A creator with 100,000 followers on Instagram, YouTube or TikTok, for example, will receive $1,000 monthly for three months and have their reach boosted. Creators will also be added to Facebook’s Content Monetization Program, which pays creators for their content based on qualified views. “We’re really looking to entice every main, large creator to come onto Facebook and make it their home,” **Yair Livne**, vice president of product for Facebook Creators, told us. It’s a familiar tactic: Facebook and its sister app Instagram have [run similar programs](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/instagram-courts-tiktok-creators-with-big-cash-bonuses) in recent years. Zooming out, creator monetization programs from social platforms have a complicated history. They’ve been criticized for low or inconsistent payouts, opaque payment policies or restrictive eligibility requirements. ---------- As you can see from the chart below, the social platforms have taken steps to improve their offerings. That includes ditching creator funds in favor of things like ad-revenue sharing and performance-based payouts, which tend to be more consistent and transparent. Snap, for example, shuttered its creator fund and expanded its programs for Snap Stars to include Spotlight videos. Snap and others have also launched other ways creators can make money, such as through paid subscriptions where fans pay for bonus content. -------------------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/40fad317-8e60-4b82-861a-26d75301bab3/Social_monetization_programs-2.png?t=1773947397) Caption: ----------But eligibility requirements for most programs are stringent and yet simultaneously murky. While Facebook’s new program requires creators to have 100,000 followers on other platforms, Livne said they would consider creators with as few as 20,000 followers. LinkedIn hasn’t specified a minimum follower requirement for Top Voices 360, but all of the creators are “credible experts in their field” with a “consistent presence on the platform,” **Alex Josephson**, vice president of brand and content strategy for advertisers at **LinkedIn**, told Jasmine in today’s episode of Scalable.  For the platforms, focusing on big creators makes sense. They want to work with creators who have a proven track record of generating high-quality content and engagement, which translate to ad dollars.  That’s especially true for places like Facebook and LinkedIn that don’t have typical creator audiences: Facebook is more boomer, while LinkedIn is originally a professional platform focused on text-based posts. “We're not trying to manufacture original content from the ground up and hope that it resonates with our audience or provides value to our advertisers. We're simply facilitating the discussion and the engagement,” Josephson said. For creators, though, there can be a trade off in time and commitment to audiences elsewhere: Creators in LinkedIn’s Top Voices 360 can’t publish their videos on other platforms for one year, for example. But for some creators, it’s worth it. “I’m seeing a lot of growth on Instagram lately, but ultimately I think since my content is more serious, more future-of work, AI and tech related, LinkedIn is a more natural fit for it,” Dhar told us. Tune into Jasmine’s full interview with LinkedIn’s Josephson, including how the B2B creator landscape has changed and whether creators now have to publish video, in our latest episode of Scalable. You can watch below or tune in on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG053d9MDrs), [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/4whNOV5bbQp4XelF71Axvv?si=9tznI8j6SoOSzD6jwNgpkg&nd=1&dlsi=9e1abb11185144e2) or [wherever else](https://scalablepod.com/podcast) you get your podcasts. Plus, don’t miss [our full interview](https://scalablepod.com/p/california-ag-bonta-on-landmark-social-media-trial) with the Attorney General of California.   Youtube: California AG Answers Our Burning Questions and Why Creators Don’t Want To Be Called Journalists (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG053d9MDrs) ——————————————————————————— ## **LTK Launches Quick Collabs** **LTK**, the creator commerce company, launched a new feature called Quick Collabs that allows brands to automatically send campaigns to creators on the platform. Creators, who can opt in to participating in those campaigns, are paid a flat fee within days of posting.  It’s essentially a more creator-friendly version of **YouTube**’s Open Call, which allows brands to post briefs and solicit applications from creators. Open Call was criticized for being too transactional and not guaranteeing that creators get paid for their work. Quick Collabs is likely to appeal most to small and midsize creators who are looking for more predictable income than the affiliate marketing fees that LTK is known for. It also helps solve some of the challenges facing brands like scale and speed by eliminating long negotiations with multiple creators. But there’s no guarantee that these creators will be able to turn one-off, “quick collabs” into longer and more lucrative brand partnerships. Zooming out, the move by LTK is also part of a broader trend of platforms taking a bigger role in influencer marketing and automating the process. ——————————————————————————— ## **Brand Buzz** **Adobe** launched an original workplace comedy series on YouTube, called The Marketers. The five-part series features comedians **Hasan Minhaj** and **Patty Guggenheim** with cameos from creators such as The Try Guys. The series promotes Adobe Acrobat, but is positioned as a TV show, rather than a traditional TV spot. “It’s going to be edgier than what you’d normally see from Adobe,” **Jared Carneson**, head of social media at Adobe, told Jasmine in an interview before the series’ debut. The launch of the campaign comes as more brands are figuring out how to lean into entertainment, including through microdramas released by **Crocs** and **Procter & Gamble**. Adobe says its series is part of a move to develop an entertainment franchise around the Acrobat product, including recurring characters, inside jokes and repeatable TV-style content formats. “We’re starting to call it the Acrobat Cinematic Universe,” Carneson said. We discussed how the branded entertainment trend is shaping up in [a recent episode of our podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXUDrKxnlUk). ——————————————————————————— ## **By the Numbers: $3 Billion** That’s how much **Facebook** paid out to creators in its Content Monetization Program last year, up 35% from 2024. It also said that the number of creators earning $10,000 or more annually grew by 30%. But Facebook has millions of creators and $3 billion represents less than 2% of parent company Meta Platforms’ revenue last year. Meanwhile, **YouTube** has paid out $100 billion in the past four years, or $25 billion on an average annual basis. But that also includes artists and other publishers, including media companies. Announcing the figure is all part of Facebook’s efforts to attract more creators. (See above). ——————————————————————————— ## **The Round Up** **Tubi **is partnering with** TikTok **on a new incubator program this summer to pick creators who will develop long-form shows for the free, ad-supported streaming service. The scripted and unscripted shows will premiere exclusively on Tubi, while TikTok will help promote the shows. The partnership shows how more creators want to focus on long-form, but pivoting from short-form isn’t easy. **YouTube **and the **2026 FIFA World Cup** inked a streaming deal, which includes the ability for media partners to livestream the first 10 minutes of every match on their YouTube channel. They will also be able to stream a select number of matches in full on their channels.  **NBCUniversal**’s Peacock is [launching](https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/peacock-ai-andy-cohen-bravo-vertical-video-clips-1236686143/) an AI-generated version of host Andy Cohen, who will dish about new and recent Bravo shows, in a new, personalized vertical feed for the streaming service’s mobile app this summer. This spring, Peacock will also launch the ability for users to watch full live broadcasts of NBA games in a vertical format. (We want to know how much Cohen is getting paid for the deal!) **Rebel Audio**, a new podcasting platform for first-time and early-stage creators, [raised](https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/18/rebel-audio-is-a-new-ai-podcasting-tool-aimed-at-first-time-creators/) $3.8 million in seed funding.  **Linden Lane Films**, a new [content studio](https://digiday.com/media/a-new-studio-is-betting-hollywood-talent-and-first-party-data-will-reshape-creator-monetization/), is pairing Hollywood talent with top creators. Its offering includes an independent film studio, a creative incubator, and data and analytics.  ——————————————————————————— ## **Creator Moves** **TBPN**, the popular tech and business show, is [launching](https://deadline.com/2026/03/tbpn-emmy-campaign-1236758578/?fbclid=PAdGRleAQogb1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAaf_S4FGMkinN9SnZof4v-_b2Q-DF6K8Iinb3fLHUpJGE5zgF0IzWF_hezuzFQ_aem_rNxygKfTapG_v32yPa7anQ) an **Emmy** campaign with billboards. It’s part of a broader push from creators and companies like YouTube to get awards shows, including The Emmys and The Oscars, to recognize creators’ work.  ——————————————————————————— ## **Talent Tracker** **Adam Smith** and** Joe Earley **are now the co-heads of **Disney**’s direct-to-consumer business. Smith, who will remain Disney Entertainment’s chief product and technology officer, notably isn’t a veteran of the company, which generally [elevates long-time employees](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richgreenfield_the-walt-disney-company-sets-leadership-team-activity-7439657128526589954-XV3u?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAm7yzUBVbG2lmV0zltnaj4QaPhTDaDT_Kw) to leadership positions.  Smith was previously vice president of product management at **YouTube, **which surpassed Disney as the world’s largest media company in 2025, at least according to financial research firm **MoffetNathanson**. However, its estimates exclude Disney’s lucrative “experiences” business, which includes theme parks.  **Joanna Stern**, a former tech columnist for the Wall Street Journal, is partnering with **NBC News** to feature reporting and analysis from her new independent media company, “New Things,” on NBC’s TV and digital properties. It’s the latest example of the hybrid approaches journalists are taking to go independent, mitigating some of the risks of going solo and helping expand their reach. **Jason Li **joined **Agentio **as vice president of marketing. Previously, he led global marketing at **SharkNinja**, where he built out its creator program. He also worked in product marketing at Meta for more than 11 years.  **Lori Feldman**, a former executive at Warner Records and Wasserman, [launched](https://variety.com/2026/music/news/lori-feldman-redefine-music-advisors-1236690276/)** Redefine Music Advisors**, a new strategic consultancy for music companies, artists and brands.  ——————————————————————————— ## **Bookmarked** [How Lego Became a Go-To Meme of the Propaganda Wars](https://www.wsj.com/world/lego-ai-propaganda-wars-iran-ab29cc6c) [Advertisers Shift to Conservative Creators Under Trump](https://mashable.com/article/creator-economy-brand-deals-shifting-conservative-apolitical-sxsw-2026) [Influencers Now Run NYC’s Washington Square Park](https://gothamist.com/news/the-social-media-influencers-now-run-washington-square-park) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/a-new-bonanza-of-creator-monetization-tools

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! ----------A verdict in the landmark social media addiction trial against **Meta** and **YouTube** in Los Angeles is expected this week. We sat down with California Attorney General **Rob Bonta**, who was instrumental in bringing the case, to get his thoughts on the trial, AI, tech regulation—and, of course, creators. The verdict could set a precedent for how similar cases play out.  “As California goes, so goes the nation,” Bonta told us. California is the fourth-largest economy in the world and home to many top tech and entertainment companies. Plaintiffs in the case argue that social media companies should be held liable for harms caused to young people on their platforms. It alleges that these companies specifically designed products and features to make their platforms addictive, causing mental health issues in children and teens. “Kids’ safety is something we can never take risks with and should always be aggressive in taking appropriate steps,” Bonta told us. For their part, Meta and YouTube have [denied](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/12/social-media-addiction-trial) that their platforms are addictive. If found liable, the social platforms could face major financial penalties and design changes to their apps that could disrupt their business models. TikTok and Snap were also named in the lawsuit, but settled before the case went to court. Most social platforms have a minimum age requirement of 13, but young people are notorious for circumventing rules, including lying about their age or creating fake accounts. The lead plaintiff in the case said she got hooked on YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at age 9. Bonta argues that being “pro-kid” doesn’t mean being anti-business, saying that more parents would feel better about their kids being online if “they knew that steps were being taken to keep their kids safe.”  His position on AI is similar: Bonta says it shouldn’t be seen as the “bad guy,” but that we need to “guard against the downside risk,” including harms to children. Youtube: What the California AG really thinks about AI, regulation and creators (https://youtu.be/9BON4E6VSSk?si=3eB7Ta2ojdHot5g5) Our podcast interview with Bonta took place at SXSW, a tech and arts festival in Austin, which has increasingly drawn more politicians over the years. Bonta was there for a third time, joining a panel advocating for men to support reproductive rights. He’s also on a podcast tour of sorts. Earlier this month, he joined the hosts of the “Strict Scrutiny” podcast for a live recording, and he went on “Do You Even Care?” a show hosted by** Esteban Gast**, which takes place in a sauna. Gast turns up the heat during episodes and encourages guests to do more to address climate change.  “That was not a place I would maybe be three or four years ago. It's an important place to be now … In a fun atmosphere, where maybe it’s more accessible to more people,” Bonta said. At the same time, he is also posting a lot more on social media himself. “We try to listen to what people are interested in.” New Jersey Senator** Cory Booker**, who was Bonta’s classmate in graduate and law school, expressed a similar sentiment when we asked him about his efforts to get Senate Democrats to be more active on social media. Unlike Booker, who told us he would [support a social media ban](https://scalablepod.com/p/senator-cory-booker-wants-democrats-to-post-more) for teens in the US, Bonta had a more measured answer. “I’m open to it,” he said. “The older you are, the more appropriate it is to be online. Is it right at 18 or 17 or 16? I don’t know what the magic is of one of those numbers.” We covered a lot of other ground in the interview, including his concerns about Paramount’s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. and AI regulation. Watch the full interview [here](https://youtu.be/9BON4E6VSSk?si=3eB7Ta2ojdHot5g5). ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/california-ag-bonta-on-landmark-social-media-trial

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- _Early-bird tickets for the _[_Scalable Summit_](https://scalablepod.com/summit)_ are almost sold out! _[_Grab yours_](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795)_ today before prices go up!_ -------------------- Hello! ----------**Cherie **and **Jean Luo **have spent the past year and a half living and breathing their podcast “Tiger Sisters.” That’s not just a figure of speech: The real-life sisters are roommates as well as co-hosts. The duo, who graduated from Ivy League schools and previously worked at companies including Snap, Goldman Sachs and LinkedIn, moved in together after Cherie graduated from business school in 2024. After seeing the success Cherie was having with short-form video on social media, Jean decided to quit her 15-year corporate career so they could start “Tiger Sisters.” “We say that we are late-night sister talk meets work strategy,” Cherie said during a live recording of Scalable at SXSW on Friday night. “We talk about money, power, and love—so everything that’s important in life.” In September, “Tiger Sisters” became Spotify’s No. 1 business podcast and the third most popular podcast overall in the US with 1 million streams and downloads. In an [Instagram Reel](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DORE11QEQ3t/) announcing the news, the sisters took a lighthearted jab at the “tech bros” who generally dominate podcasting charts while lipsyncing to Taylor Swift’s “I Forgot That You Existed.” Like some early tech bros, however, the Tiger Sisters built their show from the ground up. They taped their first episode at their kitchen table with “really bad equipment.” But they believed in their content and wanted to “put something out there.” Now, the Luos told us they continue to approach their podcast like a tech startup, a strategy they likely picked up from their previous jobs. That includes experimenting with content and formats, and iterating on their show based on comments from listeners and features like polls on Spotify.  An example: They describe their early episodes as more “educational” and “business-heavy” with titles like “Everything We Learned at Harvard Business School in 29 Minutes.” But they broadened the scope once they realized that other topics, including love and relationships, were resonating more. A recent episode is titled “How to Use AI to Become Healthier, Hotter and Happier.”  “We’re very, very vulnerable about the mistakes that we’ve made. Not just in our career, but also in our love lives and our personal relationships,” Jean said.  Their corporate backgrounds have also likely helped with securing podcast guests. The sisters told us they haven’t done any outreach and that all of their guests, which range from a former NSA director to Dude Perfect CEO **Andrew Yaffe **have all been friends or friends of friends. “It’s actually helped us realize how diverse and wide our networks are,” Cherie said. (We want to know who in their orbit is friends with the ex-NSA director!) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/856098e1-88b4-4395-bf6b-0ad9a4eb3d63/Scalable_Live_SXSW.jpg?t=1773750364) Caption: Kaya and Jasmine interview Cherie and Jean Luo during a live episode of Scalable at SXSW. The Luos also told us they didn’t bring on brands for the first year because they wanted to prove they had—to borrow a tech startup term—“product-market fit.” In other words, they wanted to make sure they had an avid audience before they started monetizing. This is something we still hear executives like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg say when the company launches new products or features. The tech influence is also apparent in the Tiger Sisters’ goals for their podcast: “Our mission is to empower and improve the lives of one billion people,” Cherie said, adding that they used to be embarrassed to say it out loud because it sounded “so lofty.” One billion users is a milestone tech founders, especially from social media companies, strive for.  It is lofty, but we’re cheering them on—and taking notes. ——————————————————————————— ## **Podcasting Takes Over SXSW** This year’s SXSW felt more disparate and diverse than ever. AI was a running theme throughout the conference, but many of the conversations we heard centered on other topics, from influencer marketing and social media regulation to the convergence of creators with Hollywood.  That speaks to the breadth of the conference, which this year attracted a wide range of voices and companies, from traditional filmmakers like **Steven Spielberg** and politicians like** Gavin Newsom** to tech firms such as** Spotify** and **YouTube** and electric car maker **Rivian**. Increasingly, SXSW is also including podcasters. There were at least 20 official sessions dedicated to podcasting, including live shows from big names like **Kara Swisher, Scott Galloway**, **Bren****é**** Brown** and **Esther Perel**. Their presence is symbolic of how podcasts have cemented themselves in the entertainment and tech industries. We also learned that **Beehiiv** is going deeper into podcasting. CEO **Tyler Denk **broke the news on stage with Jasmine, saying that the company would soon start supporting audio podcasts, as well as launching paywalled video and community features. “Creators and publishers don’t want to have a website platform, a newsletter platform and a podcast platform. We think we can win by consolidating,” he said. (Beehiiv is Scalable’s newsletter publisher.) Elsewhere at the conference, **TikTok** and **iHeartMedia** launched a dedicated TikTok Radio station featuring trending music from the app with commentary from creators and iHeartMedia personalities. The companies also unveiled the first slate of shows from the new TikTok podcast network, hosted by creators including LeLe Pons and Caroline Vazzana. One creator duo you won’t see a podcast from, however, is **Rhett** and **Link**, who took the stage with Kaya and **Agentio** CEO **Arthur Leopold**. The long-time YouTubers shut down their podcast “Ear Biscuits” in part because it was too similar to their main show on Youtube, which recently hit 3,000 episodes. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard a creator [abandon their podcasting efforts](https://scalablepod.com/p/answering-your-burning-creator-economy-questions)—and it won’t be the last. ——————————————————————————— ## **Don’t Call Creators Journalists** That’s essentially what podcaster **Jake Shane** told Rolling Stone in a recent interview. Why? The podcaster said he doesn’t ask tough questions to his guests, which have included **Hilary Duff **and **Kerry Washington**. Shane also said he will “always” edit out parts of a conversation when asked.  ““I think it is insulting to journalists to say what I do is journalism … I’m not a journalist. I didn’t go to school for journalism. ”_ _“ — Jake Shane to Rolling Stone, March 2026 Shane isn’t the only one. On stage with Jasmine at SXSW,** Julian Shapiro-Barnum**, host of “Recess Therapy,” explained that there is a silent handshake between him and the celebrity guests on his show. They know he won’t ask them the type of hard questions a traditional journalist would. Shapiro-Barnum and Shane are focused on comedy, rather than hard news. Their guests are also more Hollywood than Washington, D.C. But as more politicians and government officials choose to speak to creators and podcasters instead of traditional reporters, it raises serious questions about accountability. We need people asking tough questions. It also suggests that creators have realized the responsibility—and risk—that comes with being a reporter. Still, we were surprised to hear it put so bluntly. ——————————————————————————— ## **The Round Up ** **Meta Platforms** is considering laying off up to 20% of its staff to offset its hefty AI spending, according to Reuters. Meta expects to spend between $115 billion to $135 billion this year on AI, which is roughly 58% to 68% of the amount of revenue it generated, primarily from ads, in 2025. A Meta spokesperson called the report “speculative.” **The Trump Administration **will receive a $10 billion fee paid by new investors in the new US **TikTok **for the US government’s role in helping bring about the deal, the [New York Times reported](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/13/business/trump-tiktok-10-billion-fee.html).  **ByteDance**, TikTok’s parent company, is holding off on a global launch of its latest AI video model Seedance 2.0 because of copyright disputes with Hollywood studios and streaming platforms, [The Information reported](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/bytedance-suspends-launch-video-ai-model-copyright-disputes-hollywood).  **Picsart**, a design and editing software, is launching [an AI agent marketplace](https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/16/picsart-now-allows-creators-to-hire-ai-assistants-through-agent-marketplace/) allowing creators to tap AI assistants for specific tasks, such as editing product photos on Shopify or resizing content for social media apps.   **The Oscars** took jabs at the creator economy. Host **Conan O’Brien** called **YouTube **“the future” of the award show before being interrupted by a fake ad featuring actor Jane Lynch promoting a flashlight that “killed Osama Bin Laden.” This comes as YouTube is trying to convince advertisers that it’s the new TV and speaks directly to their concerns about ad load, quality and adjacency to unsavory content. YouTube has nabbed the rights to air the Oscars starting in 2029. Find out how YouTube pitches itself to TV advertisers in our recent interview with** Brian Albert**, Managing Director of YouTube media partnerships and creative works.  Youtube: Inside YouTube’s pitch to TV advertisers and why not every journalist can start a Substack (https://youtu.be/-NbSSNLbDLM?si=GsKrfJI51p05x7fD) ——————————————————————————— ## **Regulatory Woes** A verdict in the landmark social media addiction trial against **Meta** and **YouTube** in Los Angeles is expected this week. The decision over whether social media companies should be held liable for harms caused to youth on their platforms could set a precedent for how similar cases play out. In this week’s episode of Scalable, we sit down with California Attorney General **Rob Bonta**, who was instrumental in bringing these companies to court. “As California goes, so goes the nation,” Bonta told us. We also got his views on AI, the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger—and, of course, creators. Tune into the full episode, publishing on Thursday anywhere you get your podcasts. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/607b34c1-3600-4349-a101-a7a5ff43952d/IMG_2245.jpg?t=1773749355) Caption: Rob Bonta, the attorney general of California, sits down with Kaya and Jasmine in Austin. ——————————————————————————— ## **Creator Moves**  **Theo Von**,** **a podcaster, and actor **David Spade** will star in a self-funded, independent film called “Busboys” premiering in Cinemark and Regal theaters on April 17. “No traditional studio, no distribution company, just us,” [wrote](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/reedjd_extremely-proud-to-announce-busboys-starring-activity-7439295661126332416-t38w?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&rcm=ACoAABArt7YBHDZij1ASgEoNfDPuCITiWjO4Uzg)** Reed Duchscher**, CEO of talent management firm Night, which works with Von. The “Busboys” premiere follows the box office success of YouTuber **Markiplier**’s movie “Iron Lung,” which he also self-funded and starred in. Still, Markiplier’s success doesn’t guarantee the same for other creator-led films.  **Keith Lee**, a Dallas-based food creator, will launch a new weekly video podcast with **Vox Media** about how he and his family works together. **Brené Brown** and** Adam Grant **also announced they’ll co-host a new video podcast with Vox Media called “The Curiosity Shop.” The two academics and authors are promising to “explore some of the defining questions of our time” through the new show.  **Haley Baylee**, a former scientist turned model and creator, will host a new **Netflix** reality shopping series called “Win The Mall” this fall.  Podcasts from “tech bros” are increasingly shaping which startups get funded, as well as broader beliefs in Silicon Valley, the [San Francisco Standard reported](https://sfstandard.com/2026/03/13/new-flex-tech-maxxing-your-podcast/). The high-profile success of many podcasts like TBPN have lured copycats, who see it as a way to get access and capital. “People see these success stories and think, ‘Maybe I can make this work for myself,’” Kaya told the SF publication. “During the pandemic it was, ‘every VC has a podcast.’ Now we’re in another big wave.” ——————————————————————————— ## **Talent Tracker** **Julia Hartz **stepped down as CEO of **Eventbrite**, the event website she co-founded in 2008. The company, which has increasingly been used by creators for their ticketed events, sold to **Bending Spoons** for $500 million in December.  **Kim Farrell **is now the global marketing director at** Nu**, a Brazilian neobank. Most recently, she was the global head of creators at TikTok. **Adam Mosseri**, head of Instagram, will be speaking at Cannes Lions this year, alongside major CMOs from Snap, Klarna, e.l.f beauty and more. Read more about what to expect from the advertising festival [here](https://scalablepod.com/p/exclusive-cannes-lions-goes-even-bigger-on-creators-partners-with-adobe). ## **Bookmarked ** [Why Meta is Retreating From Encryption](https://www.platformer.news/instagram-encryption-meta-whatsapp/?ref=platformer-newsletter) [Every Influencer Eventually Becomes A Merch Store](https://www.theverge.com/tech/892140/tucker-carlson-merch-commie-hat-influencers-mrbeast) [Yahoo CEO Jim Lanzone On Reviving The Web’s Homepage](https://www.theverge.com/podcast/895221/yahoo-jim-lanzone-scout-ai-sports-finance-open-web) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/what-the-tiger-sisters-took-from-the-tech-bros

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! -------------------- _The Scalable Summit is happening on May 6. Grab your early bird ticket _[_here_](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795)_!_ _Now on to today’s column…_ ----------——————————————————————————— Every top creator seems to think they can be the next Disney. Big names from MrBeast to Steven Bartlett and Dude Perfect have cited the media and entertainment empire as their north star. In [a Wall Street Journal profile](https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/uta-influencer-managers-ali-berman-raina-penchansky-alix-earle-5094867f) last week, top creator talent agent **Ali Berman** described creator businesses like this: “Think of it as Disney, but Mickey Mouse is the director, producer and distributor, in addition to being the star.” Name-dropping Disney makes for a good headline. It’s also an easy, familiar way for creators to describe their ambitions to investors and reporters. But creator businesses are inherently different from Disney’s and the comparison could have consequences when their efforts fall short. Many top creators have already adopted a Disney-like flywheel, building out experiences and infrastructure on top of their content. For context, Disney now makes most of its money from its “Experiences” division, which includes theme parks, cruise ships and products, rather than its movies or TV shows. In the first quarter this year, “Experiences” accounted for a whopping 71% of the company’s operating income. Case in point: MrBeast has opened a theme park, Dude Perfect is in the process of building one and Bartlett has expanded his business to investments, podcast hosting services and more. One key difference is that creator businesses generally center around a real person in the real world, while Disney’s business is built on original characters and universes from Star Wars to Frozen. There’s only so far you can scale an individual. Creator content is also less Magic Kingdom and more reality TV or talk show, making it less suited for immersive experiences. There’s a reason why there’s no Martha Stewart or Kardashian-themed theme park—and why MrBeast’s was only temporary. But the real reason why the comparison is flawed: the media landscape has radically transformed. On the one hand, creators are commanding more of our attention and redirecting ad dollars that were once reserved for TV. In 2026, creator ad spending is expected to rise by 26% to roughly $37 billion in the US, per the IAB. The traditional TV ad market, will [continue to decline](https://www.iab.com/news/outlook-study-forecasts-9-5-growth-in-u-s-ad-spend/). But our media behaviors are splintered across platforms, devices and brands. There is no dominant medium like TV once was anymore. Plus, as the industry has become more crowded and our feeds have become more algorithmically-driven, it’s harder for creators to break through to the mainstream. That means there likely won't be another dominant media brand, but rather many creator-led media businesses with smaller, but still sizable, audiences. And as creators are trying to force a traditional business structure onto a new industry, the incumbents are getting smarter and ultimately stronger. We’ve seen this before: Outdated frameworks for influencer marketing measurement, for example, are pumping more money to social platforms, sometimes at the [expense of](https://scalablepod.com/p/the-double-edged-sword-of-creator-ads-on-social-platforms)[ creators](https://scalablepod.com/p/the-double-edged-sword-of-creator-ads-on-social-platforms). Similar dynamics are already playing out in the media world. Even Disney is starting to adapt, entering a landmark deal with OpenAI to license its characters and launching a short-form video feed on its streaming platform Disney+ later this year. It also published an entire movie “High School Musical” on TikTok in 52 videos. Creators who win will be the ones who position their companies for this new reality. That’s what Disney’s now doing, too. We go deeper on this in our latest podcast, embedded below. You can also watch or listen on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/4whNOV5bbQp4XelF71Axvv)—or wherever else you get your podcasts. Youtube: The Real Reason MrBeast Isn’t The Next Disney & Why Brands Don’t Send Creators to Bora Bora Anymore (https://youtu.be/7yiADkDRwtg?si=6rww4fG2lqyXZxJO) ——————————————————————————— ## 👀** A New Type of Creator Exec Emerges** **Dude Perfect** announced that it hired its first-ever chief content officer last week. In this new role, **Kevin Sabbe **is responsible for developing new shows, formats and talent as the YouTube channel seeks to expand beyond trick shots and stunt videos. As you can see from the timeline below, there was a flurry of executive hires by creator companies in 2023 and 2024. Most of these were for primarily business-facing roles like CEO, COO and president. With these positions now filled, the number of new executive hires has since slowed. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5fa5d4b3-35ad-4cde-9d2a-b0f7783f3fad/Oct_2021.jpg?t=1773337135) Caption: But Sabbe’s hiring signals that a new wave of executive hires at creator companies could be coming. These executives are likely to be more focused on content, including franchise or brand development. It may not be too long until we see a creator company hire a CMO. It’s important to note that chief content officers sit at the intersection of content and business. Their focus is on ensuring that content strategy aligns with broader business objectives, rather than creative output. That’s generally reserved for chief creative officers, who are sometimes the creators themselves: **Ashley Flowers** is chief creative officer of her podcast company **Audiochuck**. For these executives, many of whom come from traditional media, marketing and finance backgrounds, joining a creator company offers a new challenge.  “I’m either going to go work at a really big company and figure out how to make the distribution work really well, or I'm going to go work at a creator company and figure out how to scale into a big media company,” **Matt Starker**, told us recently about his decision to join Audiochuck as CEO in April 2025. But these moves don’t always work out. **Gustav Langberg Hossy**, for example, took over as CEO of Chamberlain Coffee after **Chris Gallant **left the company. His exit came ahead of [reports of challenges](https://likeandsubscribenews.substack.com/p/exclusive-inside-emma-chamberlains) at the Emma Chamberlain-founded business. ——————————————————————————— ## **The Round Up** **Oracle**’s stake in **TikTok**’s US business is worth about $2 billion, according to a regulatory filing.  **Spotify** [announced](https://loudandclear.byspotify.com/payouts/) more than 13,800 artists generated at least $100,000 from Spotify royalties in 2025, while more than 1,500 earned over $1 million. The company has been trying to counter criticism about low payouts to artists by releasing more data on royalties. **Substack **announced a new desktop feature called the** **Substack Recording Studio** **where users can record a video of themselves or a conversation with up to two guests. The tool will also auto-generate clips and thumbnails. Users cannot edit the video before they publish, but they can add a free preview to nonsubscribers. The feature builds on Substack’s recent video push, which includes launching a TV app. **Yamaha** announced a “Creator Pass,” a subscription that bundles tools for podcasters and musicians from different companies, including podcasting software Riverside and music promotion tool Groover. Yamaha Music Innovations is also sponsoring the creator economy track of SXSW this week. (Read more about what to expect from SXSW [here](https://scalablepod.com/p/irl-events-are-the-new-influencer-trips).) **Billion Dollar Boy **and its creator community **FiveTwoNine** are partnering with** Patreon **for a second creator fund, which offers tickets for creators to attend Cannes Lions in the South of France in June. This year’s fund is affiliated with the major advertising festival, which has [revamped its creator track](https://scalablepod.com/p/exclusive-cannes-lions-goes-even-bigger-on-creators-partners-with-adobe) and programming. Creators can apply for the creator fund [here](https://www.fivetwonine.com/the-creator-fund-cannes-lions-2026). ——————————————————————————— ## **Deals, Deals, Deals** **Meta Platforms **[acquired](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/10/technology/meta-moltbook-social-ai-bots.html) **Moltbook**, a social network for AI agents, which launched less than two months ago. The founder **Matt Schlicht **and chief operating officer **Ben Parr **will join Meta’s AI division, dubbed Superintelligence Labs. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. **Apple** is partnering with **TikTok **on a new “Play Full Song” feature, so that Apple Music subscribers can listen to full tracks they find on TikTok without leaving the short-form video app. Artists will also be paid for those streams. **Ole Obermann**, who is co-head of Apple Music, used to be the global head of music business development at TikTok parent company ByteDance.  **Animaj**, an AI content studio producing kids content for YouTube, [raised](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-11/google-backs-animaj-studio-using-ai-to-make-content-for-kids-on-youtube) $1 million from **Google’s AI Futures Fund**.  ——————————————————————————— ## **Soundbite** What’s the most important thing you need to start a successful creator business? A good idea. That’s according to **Max Maddox**, head of creative at **Donut Media**, the car-focused channel and media company with more than 9 million subscribers on YouTube.  “Everything comes down to the concept. Like you can have a great thumbnail. You can be the best presenter in the world. You can have great edits. But if you don’t have a good idea, then nobody's going to pay attention to you.“ — Max Maddox, Head of Creative, Donut Media on the latest episode of Scalable Unlike most YouTube channels, which start with a creator and then turn into a business, Donut Media was a business first. We spoke with **Maddox** and Donut’s editor-in-chief **Nolan Sykes** about Donut’s origins as an ad house, where most of its watch time is coming from now and where things are headed next (hint: video premieres in theaters).  Watch our full conversation with Max and Nolan below, or on [YouTube](https://youtu.be/89HiYsVC5hw?si=1wUQxt0U8pcrqjxN). Youtube: A look under the hood of Donut's business with Max Maddox and Nolan Sykes (https://youtu.be/89HiYsVC5hw?si=JSYqgNv0Ns9vK1Nu) ——————————————————————————— ## 🎤**YouTube’s Podcasting Ad Play ** **YouTube** on Thursday announced a new “top podcast lineup” for advertisers, which allows them to buy video podcast ads across topics including sports, news, true crime and comedy. It reminds us of YouTube Select, which bundles top performing channels into a premium package for advertisers. It’s also similar to how YouTube’s ad sales team positions sports packages to advertisers. “Selling podcast content like the rest of YouTube in some ways doesn’t make as much sense,” **Steve McLendon**, product lead of podcasting at YouTube, told us. That’s because podcasting “doesn’t necessarily look like the rest of YouTube.”  A dedicated podcast ad product also puts YouTube more in line with how podcast ad buyers already purchase ads on other platforms, McLendon said. That could help direct more podcast ad spending to YouTube, as advertisers often bucket YouTube and podcasts separately. ——————————————————————————— ## **Creator Moves** 🛟**”Baywatch” **is getting a reboot on** Fox** and it’s tapping social media stars including **Noah Beck**, model **Brooks Nader **and actress **Shay Mitchell**. Their casting is helping generate buzz online and media coverage.  **Jake Paul** interviewed **President Trump**. He teased the interview in [a short-form video](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVwuJKnjfpM/?igsh=MWhnamo1eTVkM3Qzaw%3D%3D) of the two of them dancing.   **Whalar Group** announced the launch of **Lighthouse Studios**, a new creator-led entertainment studio. The company sits within The Lighthouse, Whalar’s physical campus for creators in Los Angeles and New York. **Akshay Mehta**, formerly of Bron Ventures and CAA Media Finance, will be CEO of Lighthouse Studios. (Scalable is a joint venture with The Lighthouse.)  First up for Lighthouse Studios: a new joint venture with **Cole Bennett**’s media company **Lyrical Lemonade**. Bennett, a music video director and record executive who has worked with Eminem and Justin Bieber, will build out a video network as part of the deal. Mehta [told Variety](https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/lyrical-lemonade-cole-bennett-lighthouse-whalar-akshay-1236683156/) it plans to do similar deals with other big creators. ——————————————————————————— ## **Bookmarked** [Ari Emanuel Made His Name as a Talent Agent. Now He’s the Talent](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/business/ariel-emanuel-agents-podcasts.html) [In Defense of Influencers](https://time.com/article/2026/03/09/in-defense-of-influencers/) [When Life Gave Her Ageism, She Created The Oldster Newsletter](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/style/oldster-substack-sari-botton-aging.html) [Netflix Just Got an Extra $2.8 Billion. Here’s What It Should Spend On](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/netflix-spend-creator-economy-1236525755/) Grab your ticket to the Scalable Summit here (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/a-creator-company-isnt-going-to-be-the-next-disney

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! -------------------- _We’re excited to announce that Visa CMO _**_Frank Cooper_**_ will be speaking at our first _[_Scalable Summit_](https://scalablepod.com/summit)_** **__on _**_May 6 _**_in Los Angeles! He joins a stellar lineup that also includes executives from _**_TikTok_**_, _**_Instagram_**_, _**_OpenAI _**_and more. Grab your early-bird tickets _[_here_](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795?aff=oddtdtcreator)_ before prices go up! We can’t wait to see you in person soon._ _Now on to today’s column… _ ----------For an influencer, going on a trip with a brand used to feel like the ultimate status symbol. For brands, it was a way to generate buzz, loyalty and social content at a relatively low cost. That was until these trips started going awry and generating disastrous headlines. Now, it seems companies are swapping trips for in-person events that give them many of the same benefits, but with less risk of going viral for the wrong reasons. More than half (53%) of enterprise brands worked with creators on live events last year, up from 34% in 2024, according to influencer marketing firm **Linqia**’s annual report. Just in the past few weeks, **Spotify** hosted a Galentine’s Day party for female podcasters where they made custom jewelry while a Polaroid photographer snapped candid photos. **Substack**, meanwhile, put on a spelling bee event emceed by Cazzie David featuring celebrities and other newsletter writers.** **In the fall, **Ocean Spray** invited creators to its annual bog harvest outside Boston.  Several high-profile controversies helped push brands in this direction. **Shein**, for instance, in 2023 flew US influencers to China on an all-expenses-paid trip, which included a factory tour. The influencers praised the working conditions in short-form videos, with one creator going viral for saying workers “weren’t even sweating.” Then there were the many lavish trips hosted by** Tarte** and** Revolve**, which were criticized for not including diverse women, as well as feeling out of touch for the average consumer, especially during a time of economic uncertainty. While these trips haven’t completely ended, extravagant one-off trips have become less common in the past few years. **Tarte**, for example, invited creators to Turks and Caicos last December, while **Kiehl’s** sent a group of creators to Finland in early 2024. But Kiehl’s has also entered a partnership with Ikon Pass and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to be its official skincare partner, bringing creators to the resort to create content as part of this larger campaign. We’re calling them “low-lift” influencer trips. The shift coincides with IRL events roaring back to life in the years since Covid lockdowns eased, from major conferences and more intimate dinners hosted by brands to creators themselves going on tour. It also fits in with the broader marketing trend of bringing online experiences to life in physical locations, including at shopping malls. At last year’s **South by Southwest** in Austin, **Gorton’s** took over one of the buildings for a cookout, music and recipe demos. The legacy seafood brand invited many influencers to the event, including local Austin food creators including [Jane Ko](https://www.instagram.com/atasteofkoko?igsh=eHlmajR5YjIxY2Zj). (More on this year’s SXSW below.) Ditching trips comes with a tradeoff for brands. They could generate a ton of attention as dozens of influencers posted from the same place to their combined millions of fans. While creators post content from these smaller events, they don’t have the same propensity for virality as an exotic trip to Bora Bora or St. Barths.  But these in-person bring much better optics and more control for brands. They often bring together creators, customers and others in a more controlled setting, while still allowing creators to share their experiences. “Sometimes that works hardest for us because it’s not manufactured. We’re not dictating what they say or don’t say. We just invite them into our world and let them tell those stories,” **Eliza Sadler**, Ocean Spray’s head of brand elevation, [told us](https://scalablepod.com/p/how-ocean-spray-turned-a-viral-tiktok-moment-into-a-strategy) about the bog harvest event.  Such events can also be logistically easier and cheaper to coordinate, especially when brands don’t have to fly a group of creators somewhere—and if they were planning to host an event anyway.  We’ll be on the lookout this weekend for interesting examples in Austin. _In related news…_ ## 🤠**What to Expect at SXSW ** For the first time in more than 30 years, the annual arts and tech festival **SXSW** will take place outside of the Austin Convention Center. The convention center is being rebuilt, forcing the organizers to get creative and map out the major event across the city, including at hotels and physical “clubhouse” spaces themed around topics. In the past, SXSW scheduled music programming on separate days from tech, with films running throughout the week. This year, everything is combined into a shorter, seven-day program. “We’re doing everything together all at once,” **Greg Rosenbaum**, head of programming for SXSW, told us.  The move is a reflection of how much the lines are blurring between entertainment industries and tech, much of which is driven by the rise of the creator economy. “It touches so many industries. Artists and filmmakers are creators in their own right, and are learning so much from a traditional content creator,” said **Katie Perera**,** **SXSW’s conference director. Creators are also being included as expert voices on panels outside of creator economy topics, like health.  We’re excited to be back at SXSW, especially because the idea for Scalable came after we hosted a panel together there last year. (We talk more about that on Thursday’s podcast episode!) One year later, we’ll be recording a special live version of the Scalable Podcast at the **Podcast Movement Evolutions **event this Friday at 7:15 pm local time. We’ll be joined by special guests: Spotify podcasting exec **Jordan Newman**, as well as **Cherie** and** Jean Luo**, the co-hosts of “Tiger Sisters,” a top business podcast.  You can register [for free here](https://evolutions.podcastmovement.com/), regardless of whether you have a SXSW badge. The Podcast Movement Evolutions will also include appearances by actress Maya Hawke, singer Andy Grammer and “Gossip Girl” star Penn Badgley.  Elsewhere at SXSW, Kaya will be moderating [a panel](https://schedule.sxsw.com/2026/events/PP1162648) about why creators are flocking to podcasting with creator **Tefi Pessoa **and executives from **YouTube** and **Vox Media**. She’ll also [sit down](https://schedule.sxsw.com/2026/events/PP1148511) with long-time YouTubers **Rhett & Link** and Agentio CEO** Arthur Leopold **to unpack next-generation creator brand partnerships.  Jasmine will discuss [the future of newsletters](https://schedule.sxsw.com/2026/events/PP1150060) and how to turn small audiences into a big business with Beehiiv CEO** Tyler Denk** (who has also promised to drop some news!) She’ll also [moderate a conversation](https://schedule.sxsw.com/2026/events/PP1162247) about how creators are reshaping Hollywood both on screen and on the red carpet with **Julian Shapiro-Barnum**, host of “Recess Therapy” and executives from **Doing Things Media** and **Dick Clark Productions**. Let us know if you’ll be in town—we’re getting our cowboy boots ready! ## **The Round Up** **Uncensored**, the independent media company founded by **Piers Morgan**, raised capital and appointed former MSNBC president **Rashida Jones** as CEO. The amount of funding wasn’t disclosed, but came from investors including **Raine Ventures**, **Antenna Group** and** Reuben Brothers**.  **YouTube **will expand a tool aimed at identifying deepfakes to a group of politicians, political candidates and journalists. The company first launched the feature last year for creators in its partner program.  **X** is testing a new type of ad that shows a recommendation directly under posts mentioning a company or its products, [TechCrunch reported](https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/06/x-is-testing-a-new-ad-format-that-connects-posts-with-products/). The company’s head of product **Nikita Bier **confirmed the test, writing on X that it’s “trying to make an ad product that isn’t an ad.” (We’ve heard that one before. Ahem: Make TikToks, not ads). **Wasserman Agency** rebranded to “The·Team” amid its sale process following founder **Casey Wasserman** appearing in the Epstein files. The agency, which represents digital creators, has recently lost several high-profile clients. **Beehiiv**, the newsletter publisher, rolled out on-demand ads that writers can include in their newsletters. These new ad opportunities refresh every hour, while previously writers had to wait until Sunday for new offers each week.  ## **Regulatory Woes (And Wins) ** The teen social media bans keep on coming. The latest: [Indonesia](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg50168ddgo) and [Karnataka](https://www.reuters.com/technology/indias-tech-state-karnataka-bans-social-media-children-under-16-2026-03-06/), a state in **India** that includes the tech hub Bengaluru. Both have decided to ban social apps for those under 16. Their decisions follow Australia’s historic teen social media ban in December, which has had [ripple effects across the world](https://scalablepod.com/p/what-s-really-at-stake-with-australia-s-social-media-ban). Democratic Senator **Cory Booker** told us recently [he’d support such a ban](https://scalablepod.com/p/senator-cory-booker-wants-democrats-to-post-more) in the US.  **President Trump** and Attorney General **Pam Bondi **are being sued over violating the TikTok ban. “By flaunting the law so publicly, I think the president is trying to send a message that he is quite literally beyond the reach of the courts, beyond the reach of Congress, beyond the reach of the rule of law,” **Brendan Ballou**, CEO of The Public Integrity Project, the new nonpartisan firm behind the lawsuit, [told NPR](https://www.npr.org/2026/03/05/g-s1-112605/tiktok-deal-lawsuit-trump-bondi). The White House hasn’t provided a comment to media outlets.  **TikTok** is allowed to operate in** Canada **again, the country’s government said Monday after it completed a national security review. In November 2024, Canada told TikTok to [wind down its operations](https://www.theinformation.com/newsletters/creator-economy/tiktoks-canada-problem?rc=haoyux) in the country citing national security risks. Despite this, the TikTok app, which has 14 million users in Canada, was still allowed to operate in the country. ## **Creator Moves** “Paul American,” the reality TV show on **HBO Max** following YouTubers Logan and Jake Paul and their family, was not picked up for a second season, according to** **Logan Paul. In a podcast clip, the older Paul brother [said](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVemk2AkpDZ/?igsh=MWRuZDNqM2Jkd2Vkcg==) he spent $4 million on his wedding thinking it would make for a good season finale but he ended up “eating that cost.” **Jay Shetty**’s three-year deal with **iHeartMedia** for his popular wellness podcast “On Purpose” is ending after the two parties couldn’t agree on renewal terms, [Variety reported](https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/iheartmedia-ends-deal-jay-shetty-on-purpose-podcast-1236681432/).  ## **Talent Tracker** **Billy Parks** is the first head of **FOX Creator Studios**, a new division of Fox Entertainment launched earlier this year. Parks will be responsible for identifying talent, developing new formats and shows for linear, streaming and other digital channels. He will report to Fox Entertainment CEO **Rob Wade**.  Previously, Parks was a partner at Slow Ventures where he invested directly in creators and their businesses. Before that, he was executive vice president of production and programming at The Chernin Group. His background suggests more M&A is coming at Fox, which also owns streaming service Tubi and podcasting firm Red Seat Ventures.  **Darren Chait** is the first chief marketing officer at newsletter publisher **Beehiiv**. The move comes as the company has been working to position itself as more than a newsletter company, expanding into video and paid digital products. It’s also competing against Substack, which has become synonymous with newsletters. Most recently, Chait was vice president of growth at Calendly, the meeting scheduling software. **Simon Pompan **is stepping down as co-CEO of **Fanfix **and chief product officer of its parent company SuperOrdinary. **Dylan Harari** will become the sole CEO of the fan membership platform for creators. Popan co-founded the company with Harry Gestetner in 2020.  ## **Bookmarked**  [For Some Influencers, Epstein Conspiracy Theories Are Big Business](https://www.wsj.com/us-news/epstein-files-conspiracy-theories-influencers-3127f51c) [DoorDash Is Tapping Ziwe and Rob Rausch for Social Ads People Actually Like](https://www.wsj.com/cmo-today/doordash-is-tapping-ziwe-and-rob-rausch-for-social-ads-people-actually-like-a4a493fc) [Roblox Is Minting Teen Millionaires](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-06/roblox-s-teen-millionaires-are-disrupting-the-gaming-industry?cmpid=tech-in-brief&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=260309&utm_campaign=tech-in-brief&embedded-checkout=true) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/irl-events-are-the-new-influencer-trips

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! ----------As the race to develop AI shopping tools continues to heat up, creators are getting caught in the cross hairs. AI chatbots like ChatGPT rely heavily on creator content to make shopping recommendations. But creators generally [don’t get credit](https://scalablepod.com/p/what-chatgpt-ads-could-mean-for-creators)—or a cut of revenue—when those recommendations lead to a sale. One creator commerce company is aiming to change that. Last week, **LTK** launched a new AI chatbot for shoppers called LTK AI. The chatbot is integrated into LTK’s app, which allows people to browse and buy items featured in shopping content from creators. LTK says it drives about $6 billion in annual sales and creators earn a commission from sales of products they promote. “What people expect today is a chat interface,” **Amber Venz Box**, co-founder and president of LTK, told Jasmine about the decision to launch the new chatbot on the latest episode of the Scalable podcast.  LTK AI surfaces product recommendations based only on content from verified creators on its platform. It also takes into account context like weather and location to answer questions like “What should I wear to a bachelorette party in Nashville?” Creators get credited and earn a commission from those sales. The catch is that they have to be registered on LTK and post content there. Data on how many people use AI for shopping is mixed. The IAB, for example, estimates that 38% of Americans used AI to shop as of October, with almost half of those AI shoppers saying they do so “most or every time.” But that doesn’t mean that AI chatbots are the first—or the only—place where people are shopping online. And many people don’t fully trust AI recommendations, meaning that they’ll often consult other sources, including creators, friends and real customer reviews. The same IAB report found that 62% of shoppers trusted social media more than AI, for example. That’s one reason why we believe AI won’t replace social and creator commerce. (Tune into our podcast below for more.) Youtube: AI Transforms Creator Commerce and Dubai Influencers React to Drone Strikes (https://youtu.be/aRN4fcWNiiY?si=iCpEYyPfcNRDwnep) Plus, the type of shopping that people do on AI chatbots is generally different from the more serendipitous type of shopping that happens on social media.  While both help people discover new brands and products, people who go to AI chatbots to shop likely already have a specific purchase or use case in mind, like a recipe or a certain outfit. Or they may be doing other shopping-related things, like comparing prices. On the other hand, most people aren’t going to social media specifically for shopping. Instead, they stumble across an ad or creator post as they’re scrolling through their feeds that inspires them to buy.  That’s the kind of discovery LTK AI is aiming for. As Box put it: the idea is to “get you into the discovery flow where you [find something] you didn’t know you actually wanted.” The lack of shopping intent has been a challenge for social platforms as they’ve tried to build out their commerce efforts. Just look at Meta backtracking on its commerce features. Even TikTok, which seems to have finally [turned a corner with TikTok Shop](https://scalablepod.com/p/tiktok-shop-isn-t-just-for-cheap-stuff-anymore), has struggled to build shopping into a habit. One key difference between LTK and major social platforms is that LTK is built on commerce and creators, meaning that people are already going there to shop. That could give LTK AI an edge over other chatbots, including the new AI shopping tool that Meta started testing in the US this week. But LTK, which launched in 2011 as RewardStyle, also has to compete with a flurry of newer creator-driven shopping platforms. That includes **ShopMy**, which was valued by investors at $1.5 billion in October. As for what Box thinks of these new rivals? “Other point solutions that have popped up have given us ideas, they’ve sharpened us. I don't know that I would have had serious urgency to do major innovations like we've just done if there wasn't such momentum in the market,” she said. Jasmine also spoke to Box about LTK’s new brand platform, the company’s recent partnership with** Apple** and the last purchase she made from LTK. (It’s not what you think!) Tune into the full conversation, out now anywhere you get your [podcasts.](https://podcasts.In) _In other news…_ ## **Creators Who?** Kaya here. This week, I spent time at **MWC Barcelona**, formerly known as Mobile World Congress. It’s one of the largest tech conferences in the world, attracting more than 100,000 attendees.  As I walked through giant pavilions where tech companies showed off dancing robots, wearable devices and their latest AI breakthroughs, one thing was notably missing: creators. It feels like virtually every major conference has added a creator economy track these days, including CES in Las Vegas, which has also traditionally focused on tech advancements and new gadgets. That wasn’t the case at MWC, where I couldn’t find a single panel or physical booth related to the creator economy.  Some tech-focused creators attended the conference though, according to the event’s app. That includes San Francisco-based **Delia Lazarescu**, an ex-Google engineer with more than 380,000 Instagram followers who posts mostly about AI using the handle @tech.unicorn. Other tech conferences, such as WebSummit Qatar last month, have attracted a wider variety of creators with different niches.  One crop of notable creator attendees at MWC: Representatives from **MrBeast**’s holding company Beast Industries, including CEO **Jeff Housenbold**. Given the YouTuber’s recent acquisition of teen-focused fintech firm Step and his plans to launch a mobile phone company, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised! ## **The Round Up** **Amazon** [told customers](https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/amazon-shutting-down-wondery-app-wondery-plus-1236678387/) it would shut down **Wondery**’s podcasting app and subscription offering. In August, the company laid off more than 100 Wondery employees and moved some of the podcasting unit’s programming under its Audible brand. Last month, we spoke to Wondery founder **Hernan Lopez** about the [sale to Amazon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcHdF2vqg5E&t=179s). **Fixated **acquired creator management firm **Elevate**. It’s the talent management company’s second deal this year after buying gaming-focused agency **Ellify** in January. Fixated announced $50 million in new funding in December, which was partly earmarked for M&A. **Bath & Body Works **plans to recruit “thousands of influencers” to post about the brand as part of a broader strategy to revive sales. “We know [what works] from having seen this playbook run with other competitors,” CEO **Daniel Heaf**[told Glossy](https://www.glossy.co/beauty/bath-body-works-is-leaning-on-content-creators-reworking-packaging-and-formulations-to-recoup-sales/). ## **Regulatory Woes** **Elon Musk **[testified on Wednesday](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7433dz4ykwo) that investors “read too much” into his posts on social media. He was in court defending himself against Twitter shareholders who allege he made false and misleading statements that pushed down the company’s stock price before he bought the social media platform in 2022.  **TikTok** kicked off its defense in Irish court over whether the company is allowed to transfer the personal data of Europeans to China. This is a major test case for Europe’s privacy laws and how it protects European data from China’s invasive surveillance laws, [according to Politico](https://www.politico.eu/article/tiktok-fights-to-keep-its-ties-to-china-in-europe/). The Irish Data Protection Commission is Europe’s most powerful privacy regulator. ## **Startup Spotlight: Devotion** The pitch behind **Devotion**, a new influencer marketing agency,** **is a reminder of just how much social media has shifted from followers to algorithms.  “Audiences have an enormous appetite for niche, highly-relatable creator content,” Devotion co-founder **Jon Kroopf**, told Scalable. “A post from a nurse in Ohio can have the same algorithmic upside as a macro influencer.” That means brands have also had to change how they approach their work with creators. Kroopf, a former TikTok executive, and his co-founder **Cami Téllez**, who previously started buzzy underwear brand Parade, saw an opportunity to build a new type of “AI-native agency” to address what they see as a major reshaping of the creator economy. The New York-based company has raised $4 million in funding led by **Basecase** and **Will Ventures**.  But Devotion is joining a crowded field of influencer marketing firms, which are competing for brand dollars. Many of them are integrating AI, sometimes building their tools [from the ground up](https://scalablepod.com/p/what-omnicom-s-takeover-of-ipg-means-for-influencer-marketing). Big agency holding companies are also [snapping up smaller agencies](https://scalablepod.com/p/why-influencer-marketing-m-a-isn-t-slowing-down), making it harder for independent influencer agencies to compete on scale. Devotion thinks its combination of custom AI tools, such as agents and automations that handle tasks like evaluating creators and managing payments, and experienced team will give it an edge. The company said it’s tapped engineers with AI and machine learning backgrounds from companies like Palantir. It also hired** Lauren Lambert**, who spent seven years as an executive at influencer marketing firm Village Marketing, which is owned by WPP.  “Most brands don’t have the tools or teams to operate creator programs at this scale where they are engaging thousands of creators a month, and traditional agencies aren’t structured to support that level of volume,” Kroopf said when asked about his company’s biggest differentiator. “We bridge that gap.”  ## **Talent Tracker** **Kevin Sabbe** joined** Dude Perfect **as the first chief content officer. Most recently, Sabbe was senior vice president of film and TV at **Down Home**, the Tim McGraw-founded media and marketing company. His hiring follows other executive additions to Dude Perfect’s team. **Andrew Yaffe** became CEO in September 2024 after more than 8 years as an NBA executive.  **Marshall Lewy**, the former chief content officer of Wondery, is now head of Amazon’s **Audible** content for North America. His [new role](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/audible-wondery-content-slate-1236512399/) includes overseeing podcasts, audiobooks and investigative series. **Billy Parks **announced he left **Slow Ventures** where he invested directly in creators and their businesses. He hasn’t yet shared what’s next.  **Gap **is [hiring](https://www.gapinc.com/en-us/jobs/w80/34/vice-president,-development) a vice president of development in Los Angeles to develop and produce original content for the company’s brands, including Old Navy and Banana Republic. The role reports to Pam Kaufman, Gap’s newly appointed chief entertainment officer.   **Noah Nusinow** was promoted to chief financial officer at **Propagate Content**. Before that, he was senior vice president of finance and corporate development. The company, which recently raised $50 million, produces shows like “Chopped” and owns talent management firms including Select Management Group.  **Sofia Hernandez**, the global head of marketing at **TikTok**, announced she’s leaving the company after six years. In a LinkedIn post, Hernandez said she’s taking a break before deciding what’s next. ## **Bookmarked** [The Power Brokers Behind the $250 Billion Influencer Economy](https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/uta-influencer-managers-ali-berman-raina-penchansky-alix-earle-5094867f) [Variety’s 10 Creators to Watch](https://variety.com/lists/creators-to-watch/) [The Parenting Creator Who Built a $34 Million-A-Year Business](https://fortune.com/2026/02/27/dr-becky-kennedy-good-inside-revenue-leadership-playbook-for-parenting-34-million-a-year-business/#) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/why-ltk-launched-an-ai-chatbot

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: ----------Hello! We are so excited to host our first-ever Scalable Summit on **May 6** in Los Angeles! We’d love for you to join us. We know that IRL events are back in a big way and people’s calendars are busy. So we wanted to take a moment to tell you about our vision for the event—and why you should be there. Unlike major conferences that have added creator tracks to their programming, our event is focused solely on the business of the creator economy. We’re bringing a curated and intimate experience with a high-quality group of attendees who are just as impressive as those on stage. This event is hosted at The Lighthouse, a Soho House-like physical campus for creators in the old Venice Post Office, rather than at a massive convention center.  Our goal is to bring together leaders from different parts of the industry who normally don’t talk to each other (think marketers and investors) for a full day of panels, fireside chats and networking focused on what matters most. This isn’t just a celebration of the creator economy. While the industry has come a long way, we know there is still a lot of work to do: There’s more money flowing into the space, but it’s not always being evenly or wisely distributed. At the same time, the creator economy is getting more crowded, making it harder to break through. And AI is already changing how the industry operates, bringing both challenges and opportunities.  The conversations you’ll hear on stage at the Scalable Summit will be candid, thought-provoking and designed to help us all better navigate this fast-moving space. To that end, we have a stellar lineup of speakers who reflect all of the different areas that the creator economy now touches, from sports and marketing to AI and Hollywood, as well as creators themselves.  Our first speaker lineup includes** Twitch** CEO Dan Clancy; Tessa Lyons, a long-time product executive at **Instagram**; Frank Cooper, the CMO of **Visa**; and David Duxin, a partnerships and strategy lead at **OpenAI**, who’s been at the core of some of Sora’s biggest deals. Our other speakers include top creators like Hannah Stocking who commands an audience of more than 71 million on social media, as well as executives from the** NFL**, **Adobe**,** Pinterest** and more.    We’ll also host a series of tactical sessions focused on how to build sustainable creator businesses, from developing a successful YouTube strategy to best practices for investing in creators and related startups. One piece of feedback we’ve heard from other events is that these types of hands-on, practical sessions provide real value that attendees can take back to their everyday work.  We’ll also have plenty of time for networking throughout the day, giving a chance for people to chat and learn from each other—and maybe even strike some deals! The Scalable Summit’s confirmed attendees already include leaders from companies like Warner Bros. and TikTok and executives working at venture capital firms, banks, creator-led studios and influencer marketing firms. Our early bird tickets ($299) are available only for a limited time! You can snag your ticket [here](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795?aff=oddtdtcreator). Visit [our event website](https://scalablepod.com/summit) for more information.  We’re so grateful for your support and can’t wait to see you soon! –Kaya & Jasmine ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/join-us-in-person-at-the-first-scalable-summit

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello, ----------Dubai’s appeal as a hot spot for influencers is under threat.  Over the weekend, the US and Israel launched a massive attack on Iran, and Iran retaliated with its own strikes across the Middle East, including in Dubai and Doha. That’s put cracks in the image of these cities as safe havens within a volatile part of the world and could have a ripple effect on their efforts to establish themselves as global creator hubs. Dubai, for example, has launched a $40 million fund to attract international influencers and opened Creators HQ, a physical space for creators located in the center of the city’s financial district. The UAE is also offering foreign creators the ability to apply for a golden visa to live and work in the country. These moves are all part of an effort to diversify the Middle East’s economy beyond oil and position the region as a modern place to do business—and as a driver of culture and innovation. The strategy has been working. MrBeast headlined a creator economy conference in Dubai in January. A few months earlier, the mega YouTuber opened a temporary theme park in Saudi Arabia. Startups and investors are also doing more business in the region: Earlier this year, investment firm **Guggenheim Brothers Media** partnered with Abu Dhabi-based Ethmar International Holding on a new up to $75 million fund to [back creator economy startups](https://scalablepod.com/p/a-guggenheim-heir-creator-economy-bet).  It’s still too early to know what the long-term effects will be. But in the short term, the unrest could deter people from traveling to the region for conferences and business meetings, while creators may rethink moving there.   We’ve spent time in Dubai and Doha this year, speaking to creators, founders and other expats based in the region. The common benefits we heard: safety and economic opportunity. With tax-free salaries, foreigners can earn much more money than in their home countries. The costs of childcare and other services are also lower than in the US, making it an attractive place to raise a family.   At the same time, people have to balance that with some of the other restrictions in the UAE. It wasn’t until 2020 that unmarried couples could live in the same apartment or share a hotel room, for example.  In the immediate aftermath of the strikes, top influencers and founders in the UAE shared largely positive messages on social media. Others said very little about the situation or played it safe by not taking sides. Dubai-based **MoVlogs**, who has about 12 million YouTube subscribers, posted an Instagram Story saying: “Our hearts are with everyone across the UAE and the region.” **Joelle Mardinian**, a Lebanese beauty creator who also lives in Dubai, reposted an Instagram Story with a UAE flag and the text: “We chose this country and we stand with it.” That post was sandwiched between stories promoting her TV show and her beauty salon. As the situation has developed, we’ve noticed some influencers expressing shock and confusion. But our Reels feeds have been mostly full of videos trying to quell fears and paint a picture of calm in Dubai. “I feel safe here,” one person with 10,000 followers [posted](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVVW5rRDN84/?igsh=MWtrcG8xY25zamE5Zw==).  Others [shared videos](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-03/uae-president-takes-casual-stroll-at-dubai-mall-to-restore-calm) of the president of the UAE at the iconic Dubai mall. “Having coffee in Dubai mall while the region talks about tension. That’s how you reassure a nation without saying a word,” one [post read](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVZAljVE_qi/?igsh=MXBuM3ZkZXd3cHlkdQ==). Criticism of the UAE government is illegal. Many of the people we have spoken to on the ground as of Tuesday also say they now generally feel safe and have continued on with their usual lives. Still, comments on one viral video we saw have gone so far as to allege these influencers are being paid by the government. And some international influencers are already thinking about a plan B. **Will Bailey**, a UK fitness influencer who had only arrived in Dubai this past Saturday said his plan to relocate his coaching business to the city is now up in the air following the strikes.  “I don’t know if I will stay here or I will go back to the UK,” Bailey [told BBC Arabic.](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c875rjd990go) “All we can do at the moment is stay undercover, wait it out, and see what happens.” _In other news…_ ## **The Round Up** **Meta **is rolling out an experimental AI shopping research tool to some users in the US, [Bloomberg reported](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-03/meta-tests-ai-shopping-research-tool-to-rival-chatgpt-gemini). When a user asks for product recommendations, the chatbot will show product images and pricing, as well as a link to the e-commerce website and information about the brand. On Thursday’s episode of Scalable, we’ll go deeper on AI’s impact on social commerce.  **Instagram** said it will begin to alert parents if their teen repeatedly tries to search for terms related to suicide or self-harm within a short time period. The announcement is the latest in a series of new features and updates the company has rolled out as it’s faced criticism for the app’s impact on young people’s wellbeing.  **YouTube** is testing ways to “remix” some Shorts using AI. YouTube said a small group of English-speaking creators will be able to insert items into a scene in a video using either suggested or custom prompts. They can also create a new video from a single frame from the original video. New Shorts created with these tools will link back to the creator’s original video. **Dots**, a payouts startup that helps marketplaces and service-focused businesses pay gig workers, sellers and creators, raised $8.9 million in Series A funding led by** DCM. ** ## **Creator Moves** **Jesse Riedel**, the creator better known as **Jesser** who has over 37 million YouTube subscribers, partnered with the **Chicago Bulls** to host its first-ever creator takeover game at the Kid Nation Game on Sunday. Jesser covered the event in real time, posting content on his social media accounts. During a shooting challenge in the second quarter, Jesser made a half-court shot on his first try, which gave two kids $10,000 toward higher education.  **Oxford Road**, a podcast advertising agency, is launching its [own awards shows](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/podcast-agency-oxford-road-creator-awards-show-1236516133/) for independent podcasts and creators. The show, which will be hosted by podcaster and rapper **Killer Mike**, is happening on** March 15**. It’s the latest in a string of new creator-focused awards shows, including from TikTok and Snapchat.  The Independent Podcast and Creator Awards is part of the larger **Podcast Movement Evolutions **event at **South by Southwest**, the annual tech and arts festival in Austin. As part of the event, we will also be on stage for a special live version of our Scalable podcast at 7:15 pm local time on **March 13**. Let us know if you’ll be in town! ## **Talent Tracker** **Digital Brand Architects **[promoted](https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/digital-brand-architects-promotes-talent-alix-frank-1236672418/) five team members, including **Alix Frank**, who represents “The Home Edit” founders Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin. Frank is now executive vice president of talent. **Ali Wald** and **Haley Walsh **were both promoted to vice presidents of talent, while **Sasha Mixon** and **Sophie Fox **are now directors of talent. **Olivia Owens** was promoted to head of product marketing and partnerships at** Teachable**, a platform for selling online courses, coaching and other digital products. Previously, she was associate director of creator partnerships and business development. (Owens is also one of the speakers at our upcoming **Scalable Summit**! More info [here](https://scalablepod.com/summit).) ## **Bookmarked**  [How to Win Slots and Influence People](https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2026-stake-drake-crypto-casino-adin-ross-gambling/?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc3MjIxNTk2NiwiZXhwIjoxNzcyODIwNzY2LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUQjRFV0JLR0NUSVEwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJDQjhERDAxRjBGMEU0MkE1QkUyREM4NEU5MUUyRDAwRSJ9.0IIBIoFsc71RjvG-X_UcAYOI0r_bFW3lxUipRhdhogM) [A Sports Frenzy for the Most Valuable Influencers](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/arts/sports-influencers-content-creators-nfl-nba.html) [Instagram Has Its Own Finsta](https://www.milkkarten.net/p/i-found-instagrams-finsta) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/in-wake-of-iran-strikes-dubai-influencers-present-filtered-calm

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! -------------------- _We’re excited to announce that creator _**_Hannah Stocking_**_ will be speaking at our first _[_Scalable Summit_](https://scalablepod.com/summit)_ on _**_May 6_**_ in Los Angeles! Originally a Vine star, Stocking now commands an audience of more than 71 million with nearly 2 million views on YouTube alone. Her career also transcends far beyond social media: She’s starred in the Netflix rom-com “The Wrong Paris” and _[_an upcoming microdrama_](https://scalablepod.com/p/why-hannah-stocking-could-be-a-game-changer-for-microdramas)_, walked in a Hugo Boss fashion show and was the first creator to earn the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Award at the United Nations._ -------------------- _Grab your early-bird tickets _[_here_](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795?aff=oddtdtcreator)_—our special debut pricing is only available for a short time! _ -------------------- _Now onto today’s column…_ ----------**Kaz Sawyer** was just trying to drum up some awareness for his wedding photography business and clothing brand.  In 2019, he started posting on social media hoping to go viral and translate some of that attention to grow his businesses. He threw anything at the wall that might stick, filming challenge videos and pranks with his friends. One video, involving a “staged Viagra prank,” broke through, gaining him 30,000 followers on TikTok overnight.  As he continued to post similar videos, Sawyer quit his job as a barista and started delivering for DoorDash as he turned his focus to social media. Now 24, Sawyer has about 8.7 million followers apiece on YouTube and TikTok, and 1.6 million on Instagram. He still creates plenty of viral videos, but his next move involves teaching business owners how they can better use social media to grow their businesses. He teased the new business, called EMP, or Elevate Media Partners, on stage with Kaya at** WebSummit Qatar** earlier this month.  The business includes a pre-recorded course, one-on-one mentorship and group sessions. Sawyer said he’ll share the detailed systems that have allowed him to grow his following, including templates for creating viral videos and how he organizes his own operations, including through productivity software Notion. Sawyer declined to share EMP’s pricing publicly, but said it would be a flat fee rather than a subscription. A lot of founders are “so focused on building the company in the back-end that they’ve missed really understanding social media,” Sawyer said. ---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/979a2602-4807-4d3f-ac9b-b2cfd7ed4207/55074817777_838d5c1615_k.jpg?t=1772114019) Caption: Kaya interviews creator Kaz Sawyer on stage in Doha earlier this month. Photo by Paul Devlin/Sportsfile for Web Summit Qatar ----------After his trip to Doha, Sawyer jetted off to India for a real-life case study of his offering. He planned to pick a “random stranger” to see if he could help them “take over the internet” with his strategy. Sawyer also shared more about his team and business, including the messy logistics of filming videos and managing props. (A recent brand partnership with a robot vacuum cleaner involved “buying a bunch of stuff to make a mess” from Walmart.) He also shared his take on how AI will impact the creator economy, why physical white boards were key to his early success as a creator and what he thinks it really takes to make it on social media.  Watch the full interview, embedded below. And check out the full episode of Scalable, which also includes an inside look at **Dhar Mann Studios** and whether we think branded microdramas like those from Crocs and Procter & Gamble are a fad or here to stay. The episode is available now on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXUDrKxnlUk), [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/4whNOV5bbQp4XelF71Axvv) and wherever else you get your podcasts. Youtube: Kaz Sawyer on 'failing forward' and his new business venture (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O4LRQ44IJU) _In other news…_ ## **🛍️ LTK’s New AI Chatbot ** **LTK**, a creator commerce company, launched LTK AI, a new AI chatbot built into its app. The chatbot is trained on creator content and provides shoppers with personalized recommendations to their shopping queries, like what to wear to an event or what to pack for a trip. That includes surfacing creator videos and posts from across the app so users can see the items being recommended. The chatbot stops short of allowing users to checkout, instead directing buyers to a retailer site to complete a purchase. Creators get credited and earn a commission from those sales. That’s likely [a selling point for creators](https://scalablepod.com/p/what-chatgpt-ads-could-mean-for-creators), given that most AI chatbots often summarize creator content without attribution or bury their links. Jasmine spoke more about this and how creator commerce is changing in the age of AI with LTK co-founder and president **Amber Venz Box** during a fireside chat at **SoCom** on Thursday. Box will also join us on next week’s podcast to share more about her journey as a founder and why she believes creators will remain critical to the path to purchase. ## **The Round Up** **TikTok **expanded its global partnership with the** MLB**, including giving select creators access to MLB’s current and archival content to use in their videos. During the 2025 World Series alone, MLB’s international accounts saw views jump 426% in Japan and 710% in Korea year-over-year.  **Twitch **is revamping its policies for streamers who break its rules. Rather than losing complete access to Twitch for any type of temporary suspension, creators who commit less severe violations of policies will only lose access to specific features. For example, if a user violates Twitch’s chat rules, they’ll be suspended from chatting but still able to stream or watch content. **Instagram **is bringing its new TV app to **Google TV** devices in the US. Read more about social media’s battle for the living room [here](https://scalablepod.com/p/instagram-enters-the-race-for-the-living-room).  **Pinterest **has kicked off several “code red” projects to revive growth, including ramping up work on existing features aimed at improving key metrics like user and revenue growth, [The Information reported](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/code-reds-ai-debates-pinterests-two-front-battle?rc=haoyux). Pinterest CTO **Matt Madrigal** told the outlet that so far, these projects and updates to its ad recommendation systems have improved advertisers’ return on their spending by almost 10%. **YouTube** is now available on visionOS, the operating system of **Apple**’s Vision Pro headset. YouTube CEO** Neal Mohan **[said](https://x.com/nealmohan/status/2026765400495763603?s=46&t=DnPqmmDjk5n_PiJB3i3RCg) the move gives YouTubers a “new spatial canvas” to share their work and connect with fans.   **Visible Things**, a **WME**-repped fan engagement platform founded by veteran TV producers **Billy Cooper**, **Andrew Greenberger** and **Willis Robertson**, launched a new subscription hub for celebrities, creators and brands. It’s debuting the feature with actress and TV host **Valerie Bertinelli**, who will offer new original videos, podcasts and livestreams for fans.  ## **Deals, Deals, Deals** **Whop** raised $200 million in new funding at a $1.6 billion valuation from blockchain platform **Tether**. The marketplace allows people to get paid for creating and clipping content. Creators and small businesses can also buy and sell memberships and other digital services. Clipping longer videos, including podcasts, into shorter segments has exploded on social media and has become a lucrative business for companies and individuals doing the work. **Koah**, a startup building the Google AdSense for AI, [raised](https://www.adweek.com/media/koah-adsense-for-chatgpt-series-a/) $20.5 million in Series A funding led by **Theory Ventures**. The San Francisco-based company embeds sponsored ads directly into AI chatbots.  ## **Regulatory Woes** **Artem Kaptur**, an editor for **MrBeast**, was [suspended](https://www.npr.org/2026/02/25/nx-s1-5726050/kalshi-insider-trading-enforcement-actions) from the prediction market platform **Kalshi **and reported to federal regulators for insider trading related to bets on the YouTuber’s videos. “Our surveillance systems flagged his near-perfect trading success on markets with low odds,” Kalshi wrote in [a press release](https://news.kalshi.com/p/kalshi-trading-violation-enforcement-cases).  **Reddit **was slapped with a nearly $20 million fine (£14.5 million) from UK regulators over [child privacy issues](https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2026/02/reddit-issued-with-1447m-fine-for-children-s-privacy-failures/).  ## **By The Numbers** Americans now listen to podcasts more than talk radio shows, according to [a new survey](https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/25/americans-now-listen-to-podcasts-more-often-than-talk-radio-study-shows/) from **Edison Research**. What’s most surprising about this research is the durability of traditional radio talk shows, given all the hype around podcasts. In the fourth quarter of 2025, 39% of Americans ages 13 and up listened to talk shows over AM/FM radio, compared with 40% who listened to podcasts. (This data excludes listening to music on the radio).  ## **Creator Moves** **Sofia Franklyn**, the former co-host of “Call Her Daddy” with Alex Cooper, [will release a memoir](https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/sofia-franklyn-memoir-daddy-issues-podcast-fallout-1235521893/) about her exit from the podcast and the public fallout. The book, which will be published by Simon & Schuster, will be out in November. Franklyn also signed with talent agency **Verve** for representation. **Snapchat **announced its first-ever awards show for Snapchat creators called **The Snappys**. It will be hosted by **Matt Friend**, a creator and comedian best known for his impressions of politicians and celebrities. The event is happening on **March 31** at Snap’s Santa Monica headquarters.  **Substack** put on a [spelling bee event ](https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/substack-spelling-bee-cazzie-david)in Los Angeles hosted by actress and writer **Cazzie David**, who recently launched her own newsletter on the platform. Participants included **Nicole Richie**, stylist **Jamie Mizrahi **and podcaster** Jason Stewart**. **Jill Wintersteen**, the celebrity astrologer and author, will [host a new podcast](https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/business/iheartmedia-whalar-group-jill-wintersteen-podcast/) called “The Spirit Daughter Podcast,” with** iHeartMedia** and Whalar Group’s **The Lighthouse**, a physical campus for creators. (The Lighthouse is also our business partner.) ## **Talent Tracker** **Scott Greenberg** and** Brett Coker**, the Hollywood veterans who founded Bob’s Burgers animation studio **Bento Box Entertainment** and sold it to Fox Entertainment, are joining **Chronicle Studios**, which works with about 50 YouTube channels, [The Ankler reported](https://theankler.com/p/discovery-is-broken-this-startup?utm_medium=email&hide_intro_popup=true). Over the past year, the company has been developing AI tools to help YouTube channels grow.  **Hamish McKenzie**, co-founder of **Substack**, is releasing a book called “How to Save the Media,” about the evolution of journalism and the state of the media. It’s out on October 6.  **Dylan Wells**, a national political reporter at the **Washington Post**, is expanding her coverage to include a newsletter about the creator economy on Beehiiv called Verified. She’s part of the Washington Post’s new Creator Network initiative.  ## **Bookmarked**  [The Creator Who Wants to Bring ‘Looksmaxxing’ Mainstream](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/style/clavicular-looksmaxxing-braden-peters.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share) [TikToker Khaby Lame's $975 Million Deal Is Riding on a Crashing Stock](https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktoker-khaby-lame-975-million-deal-riding-on-falling-stock-2026-2?_bhlid=318e73a717b52341c420e39b5f63cb7b058ce0a0) [Podcasts? TV Talk Shows? Netflix Just Hopes They’re Hits](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/25/arts/television/podcasts-netflix-pete-davidson.html) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/the-creator-teaching-businesses-about-social-media

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! ----------**Stanley 1913** is arguably best known for its TikTok-famous Stanley cup. Officially called the “Quencher,” the 40-ounce insulated, stainless steel water bottle has become a staple among millennial and Gen Z women, inspiring countless dupes and other kinds of trendy water bottles.  “Before that product, you just didn’t see people walking around with these huge hydration vessels and straws,” **Kate Ridley**, chief brand officer of PMI WW LLC Brands (Stanley 1913) told us in an interview for our podcast. The Quencher has also cemented itself as part of online culture, with countless videos of women “[packing them](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZThpPxFuX/)” or taking them on hot girl walks, while other videos have [poked fun at their size](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DL61enXPQZ6/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==). Now the more than 100 year-old brand is moving into its next chapter. That includes launching new products, eyeing international growth and diversifying its audience. A big part of its strategy includes partnerships with creators and celebrities from different parts of the world.   To that end, the company has partnered with **Lionel Messi**, the Argentine soccer star who now captains Inter Miami, as well as European soccer leagues including **Arsenal**, **Paris Saint-Germain** and **Juventus**. It has also inked other high-profile partnerships with the likes of **Post Malone**, **Olivia Rodrigo**, **Lainie Mulvey **and **Barbie**.  The multi-year partnership with Messi, with whom Stanley created a special collection of water bottles and mugs, could give the brand an edge during the **FIFA World Cup** this summer: Messi brings a giant audience, including many sports and fitness fans.  “We know what an incredible appeal he has to so many young men,” Ridley said. “Going into the World Cup, we know that we’re going to have fantastic engagement with that product.” The company has also launched a new product line called Vitalize, including backpacks, totes and a shaker, which has a compartment at the bottom to store protein powder or supplements.  “Being single-mindedly associated with mommy bloggers is a thing of the past for Stanley,” Ridley said. Her comment was in reference to the company working with a group of Utah moms, which kickstarted the success of the Quencher—and the brand’s creator strategy— just before the pandemic. Those moms, who run the recommendation website The Buy Guide, were “the first group of influencers that made this light bulb go off that there are people who love our products and really want to spread the word for us,” she explained. But as it expands, Stanley isn’t forgetting where it came from. Launched in 1913, the brand’s products were originally intended to be a way for male workers to take their lunches to work, which was revolutionary at the time. In the 1950’s, its hammertone green Stanley products became associated with campers and hikers. The new products in the Vitalize line are available in the traditionally feminine colors that the company of the 2020’s is best known for, in addition to traditionally masculine colors. Stanley is also still working with creators and influencers focused on health and well-being that took the brand’s popularity to new heights. One thing that Ridley says has remained the same is the product quality. The brand’s founder William Stanley Jr. was an inventor who patented the all-steel vacuum bottle, allowing items to stay hot or cold. That’s also been a proof point for the company on social media. A few years ago, a TikTok user named Bibiana Gonzales posted a video explaining how her car had just burned down but her Stanley cup survived and the ice inside of it remained frozen. The video quickly went viral. In response, Stanley’s then-president posted a response video “saying how sorry he was” and the company bought her a new car.  The larger lesson for brands is not to be “too precious,” Ridley said, when weighing whether to respond to something happening online. “That’s what people want today,” she said. “They don’t want to hear necessarily what you think about your brand. They want to share what other people think about it.”  We’ll be watching to see how this strategy plays out for Stanley in its next chapter and whether the Vitalize products hit the same as the Stanley cup.   Tune into our full conversation with Ridley, embedded below, including who the brand wants to partner with next. Hint: “We’ve been sending a lot of product to Taylor Swift,” she told us. And check out the full episode of Scalable, which goes live on Thursday. Youtube: What's next for Stanley after the TikTok-famous 'Stanley cup' (https://youtu.be/xOoXfuB3gcg?si=RNkQ4wOXIvG0APzH) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/what-s-next-for-stanley-after-tiktok-famous-cup

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! ----------On Saturday, more than 250 creators descended on the 125,000 square foot lot operated by mega YouTuber **Dhar Mann**. Mann, who has nearly 27 million subscribers on YouTube, invited the group of mostly-aspiring creators for a full-day training camp, hosted in partnership with** Adobe**. Of course, the event also served as a way for Mann to showcase his facilities and business, which only recently started including brand deals. Located just down the road from Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Calif., Dhar Mann Studios was buzzing with creators eager to learn, mingle and film content with some of social media’s biggest stars. As part of the partnership with Adobe, creators were also trained on its tools, such as Photoshop and Firefly. The event included 24 creators with more than 1 billion followers combined.  “It’s very difficult to make [being a creator] a full-time career, especially now when this space is more crowded than ever,” Mann told Jasmine in an interview conducted on a set designed for his new podcast, which debuts in March.  It was the first time Mann opened the doors of his studios for an event like this. But he doesn’t intend for it to be the last. “If we partnered with a fashion brand, there’s no reason that we couldn’t bring 24 of the biggest fashion creators together and help aspiring fashion creators learn the trade,” Mann said. “Beauty, lifestyle, food, DIY, any category, I think could become its own event.”  Inside two of the three studios on the lot, film sets served as content stations manned by creators like magician **Justin Flom** and family and kids content creators **Rebecca Zamolo **and **Matt Slays**.** **More creators including **Adam W** and partner managers from Meta and YouTube hit the stage for panels throughout the day. But Mann was naturally the star of the show. He delivered a keynote speech before hopping on a golf cart with his wife to lunch, which later turned into an impromptu outdoor dance party. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/f0ff1192-3861-46e6-b1c4-15091112836d/IMG_0862.PNG?t=1771960527) Caption: YouTuber Dhar Mann poses with other creators at his event on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Dhar Mann Studios While sponsorship deals with brands tend to be the most common way creators earn money, those with Mann’s scale can often rely purely on ad-revenue sharing programs from YouTube and other platforms to make a living.  Still, programs like AdSense can only get creators so far. Brand deals are highly lucrative and hard to resist forever. Now Mann is starting to dabble in them, announcing high-profile deals with the **NFL** and** Old Navy** in recent weeks. Mann said he’s also open to brand takeovers of his many sets, which range from a courtroom and movie theater to a part of a real airplane and a Target-style supermarket stocked with fake fruit and other items.  One thing Mann says he isn’t planning on doing is charging creators to use the space. Mann credited his recent deals to three things: his CEO **Sean Atkins**, who helped build a brand partnerships division after joining in September 2024, brands’ willingness to do longer-term deals and his own desire to do “more ambitious projects.” That includes a new deal with** Fox Entertainment **to develop 40 vertical microdramas, which Mann described as “90 minute feature films broken down into 1 minute chapters.” He expects each project to take about 30 to 45 days to go from “script to screen.” Mann didn’t share names, but said he’s already been approached by some of the “biggest companies in the world,” including fashion brands, to sponsor these shows. That may seem surprising given that microdramas are often written off as cringey or low brow. But the interest in Mann’s microdramas also makes sense given the recent buzz around the format and branded entertainment in general. Companies from **Crocs** to **Procter & Gamble** have developed their own vertical short-form shows, while **Gap** has brought on its first “chief entertainment officer.” Creators are often part of these projects and strategies. We share more from Jasmine’s conversation with Mann, as well as what to make of the branded microdrama trend on [this week’s podcast](https://scalablepod.com/podcast), publishing on Thursday. _In other news…_ ## **Introducing the Scalable Summit** In case you missed our announcement last week, we are so excited to be hosting our first conference on **May 6** in Los Angeles!  The inaugural **Scalable Summit **will gather founders, creators, marketers, investors and other industry leaders who are shaping the creator economy for a full day of fireside chats, panels and networking. Our goal is to connect different people working in this industry, especially groups who often don’t get to talk to each other (think investors and marketers).  We’ll dive into some of the most pressing topics happening in the industry today from the future of Hollywood to the rise of AI and the intersection of sports and creators, and so much more. We’ll also have tactical conversations about what it takes to build a sustainable business in the creator economy. Plus, we’ll have plenty of time for networking—and cocktails!  Our speaker line up so far includes Twitch CEO **Dan Clancy**; long-time Instagram product executive **Tessa Lyons**;** Khartoon Weiss**, general manager of global business solutions at TikTok; and **David Duxin**, a partnerships and strategy lead at OpenAI, who’s been at the core of some of Sora’s biggest deals. We’ll also have executives from **Adobe**, **Pinterest**, **Tubi**, **Teachable**, and Issa Rae’s branded entertainment studio** Ensemble**. We’ll be announcing more speakers—including creators—soon! Tickets are live now and selling fast! Snag your early-bird ticket for $299 [here](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795?aff=oddtdtcreator), or visit [our website for more information](https://scalablepod.com/summit). You can also nominate a speaker using [this form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdq1UXKKvHUaBVMUBlnNRrQAhA30kTLvcgTV7Un4hemGdJAAg/viewform)—we still have limited speaking slots available. If you’re a brand interested in partnering with us, please reach out to [brandpartnerships@scalablepod.com](mailto:brandpartnerships@scalablepod.com). We hope to see you soon! ## **The Round Up** **Facebook** worked on developing an app for teens called Bell in 2018, but never launched it, [according to court filings](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/facebook-designed-app-teens-bell-court-records-reveal-rcna260315) tied to a landmark social media addiction lawsuit involving parent company **Meta Platforms**. The internal plans demonstrate how young users have long been important to the company, in part as gaining teens early could keep them on Meta apps in the future.  A Meta spokesperson [told NBC](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/facebook-designed-app-teens-bell-court-records-reveal-rcna260315) the Bell app was developed as an early exploratory idea and it would have relied heavily on the company’s content moderators.  **Lightricks**, the company behind editing apps including Facetune, is separating its consumer app business from its generative AI video platform LTX, creating two different units, [Reuters reported](https://www.reuters.com/business/facetune-creator-lightricks-split-into-two-units-ai-premium-outpaces-traditional-2026-02-23/). **Wishlink**, an Indian creator commerce startup, raised $17.5 million in Series B funding led by **Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India**. **GameSquare Holdings**, the parent company of **FazeClan**’s esports and gaming brand, is acquiring **TubeBuddy**, an AI software tool providing SEO, keyword, and thumbnail products for YouTubers from influencer marketing firm** BENlabs**.   ## 🎿**The Winter Olympics (TikTok) Winners** **Alysa Liu**,** **the figure skater who won the first US women’s figure skating gold in 24 years, was also arguably the gold medalist of the Winter Olympics on social media.  Liu brought in 57.3 million total views and 19.1 million average views on her Olympic-related posts on TikTok during the Games, according to new data from **Dash Social**. Her following on Instagram also skyrocketed to more than 5 million. In second place in Dash Social’s ranking was **Jutta Leerdam**, a speed skater from the Netherlands, who averaged 12 million views on TikTok. After setting an Olympic record, Leerdam sparked debate by flashing her Nike sports bra despite strict advertising rules. “The mix of record-breaking performance, controversy and an established audience made her one of the most-watched creator athletes of the Games,” Dash Social noted. Leerdam, who is engaged to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, already had a large following going into the Olympics. The third spot went to **Eileen Gu**, the American-born freestyle skier representing China, who notched about 2.4 million average TikTok views. Gu has been sharing a mix of get-ready-with-me videos and competition footage. It’s also notable that seven of the 10 most-watched Olympic creator-athletes measured by Dash Social were women. The Olympic Village also took on a dual purpose as a content studio, where athletes taped food reviews, moments with their roommates and other behind-the-scenes content. Major brands like **Procter & Gamble **also [set up studios](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DU-9HfyFfca/?igsh=MWpoOTg0MG1ya3M0Nw==) in Milan where creators and athletes shot interviews, while also discussing how they used various P&G products during the Games, including Secret deodorant and Tampax tampons. ## **Creator Moves** **Vivian Tu**’s personal finance book “Rich AF” is being developed into a series for **Amazon MGM Studios**. Tu, a former trader turned social media creator, will be an executive producer on the show.  **David Begnaud**, a long-time CBS News correspondent, announced his own independent media company called **Do Good Crew**. It will include a weekly newsletter on Beehiiv, a podcast and live events. Begnaud will also remain a contributor to CBS. The structure is part of a rise in hybrid business models and other arrangements we’ve been tracking in the creator economy that hedge some of the risks of going solo.  **Peter Attia**, a popular wellness influencer, [resigned](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/well/peter-attia-cbs-epstein.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20260223&instance_id=171517&nl=breaking-news&regi_id=295966374&segment_id=215704&user_id=e576fbbc1d8acc41a2c108284204e0e9) from his new contributor role at CBS after appearing in the Epstein files. Earlier, he also resigned his position as chief science officer of protein bar company David.   ## **Talent Tracker ** **Rahul Titus** joined **Publicis Groupe** as global influencer lead. Previously, he spent 12 years at WPP, most recently as global head of influence for Ogilvy.  **Rollo Goldstaub **was promoted to **TikTok**’s global head of sport. Goldstaub, who is based in London, previously led the app’s sports partnerships.  **Aaron Morrissey **is now the head of social media for **Synthesia**, a UK-based AI avatar and voiceover startup for businesses. He’s previously created content for other brands, including sales software provider **Clay** and **Hootsuite**.  ## **Bookmarked**  [Salish Matter, Teen Mogul](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-02-17/salish-matter-youtube-star-and-sincerely-yours-founder-is-coming-to-netflix?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc3MTYxNzI5OSwiZXhwIjoxNzcyMjIyMDk5LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUQUxURzRLSVAzTTEwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJDQjhERDAxRjBGMEU0MkE1QkUyREM4NEU5MUUyRDAwRSJ9.vihpfKk7Nt972MwybyFgGTw3tGWM4XdA8RFWE4iVAVA) [The Wellness Guru Jay Shetty Has Raised Some Doubts. Including His Own](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/21/magazine/jay-shetty-wellness-influencer-interview.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share) [Kids Show Us What They’re Into, From Pokemon to Pop Stars](https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2026-gen-alpha-rooms-obsessions/) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/dhar-mann-opens-the-doors-to-his-studio-and-more-brand-deals

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! -------------------- _Before we get into today’s exclusive, we’re excited to announce our first __**Scalable Summit**__, taking place on __**May 6**__ in Los Angeles. The event will gather founders, creators, marketers, investors and other industry leaders who are shaping the creator economy for a full day of fireside chats, panels and networking. _ -------------------- _Our first wave of speakers includes Twitch CEO _**_Dan Clancy_**_; long-time Instagram product executive _**_Tessa Lyons_**_; _**_Khartoon Weiss_**_, general manager of global business solutions at TikTok; and _**_David Duxin_**_, a partnerships and strategy lead at OpenAI, who’s been at the core of some of Sora’s biggest deals. We’ll also have executives from _**_Pinterest_**_, _**_Adobe_**_, _**_Tubi_**_, _**_Teachable_**_ and Issa Rae’s branded entertainment studio _**_Ensemble_**_. _ -------------------- _You can read more about the event _[_here_](https://scalablepod.com/summit)_, or snag your early-bird ticket for $299 _[_here_](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalable-summit-2026-tickets-1982997463795?aff=oddtdtcreator)_, with our special debut event pricing._ -------------------- _Now on to the news…_ ----------**Cannes Lions** is [partnering](https://www.canneslions.com/festival/experiences/lions-creators) with** Adobe** on its 2026 creator program. It’s also moving and expanding its dedicated event space for creators to a prime spot on the beach, Scalable is first to report. The premier international advertising festival, which takes place every June in the South of France, has expanded over the years to include creators as they’ve become a bigger part of marketing.  Cannes Lions first introduced its dedicated creator program and event space, dubbed LIONS Creators, in 2024. For the past two years, LIONS Creators has been located on the rooftop of the Palais des Festivals, a key venue and landmark in the city where awards are also given out. But that location is tucked away from the majority of the action on the beach and boardwalk.  Every year, companies including Meta, Google, Spotify and Pinterest transform outdoor restaurants along the beach into large pop-up activations, where celebrities and creators such as **Paris Hilton** and podcaster **Jake Shane** drop in. They also host parties, including concerts featuring big names from **Cardi B **to **Dua Lipa**. The new beachfront event space for LIONS Creators will include a stage, content studios and an editing suite, where creators can also try out Adobe’s tools. The linkup with Adobe makes sense as the software company has emerged as a key player in the creator economy. Creators ranging from social media influencers to filmmakers use its products, such as Photoshop or AI tools like Firefly, in their work. **Ed Davidson**, chief growth officer of LIONS, said the move to the beach is symbolic of what’s happening in the broader marketing industry. “Creators and creator marketing [are] just an absolute core component of creative marketing now,” he told us. He also said it’s necessary as more creators have started coming to the festival. “In terms of capacity of the space, it wouldn’t have been okay for the numbers that we’re seeing for this year.” Cannes Lions doesn’t share how many creators attend the festival, but we’ve also noticed a marked increase in the past two years. For creators, the festival is a chance to meet with major brands to broker sponsorship deals or even get face time with CMOs. But the cost of traveling to and finding accommodations in the South of France during peak tourism season is hefty. In some cases, a brand or social platform will cover those costs for a creator who’s speaking at the event. LIONS Creators also offers discounted passes for creators. Davidson said the lower priced ticket for creators is an effort to make it more affordable for them to attend. This year, creator passes will cost €1,245, or about $1,465 compared to a “classic” ticket that costs €4,465 ($5,254). LIONS Creators also plans to host lunches and other networking events to help get creators in front of brand leaders. New this year is also a special two-day event focused on the business of sports, another huge area of growth and excitement for brands, creators and streaming companies. The festival has seen “a burgeoning community of sports folks,” said Davidson, including sports teams and individual athletes who are building their own media businesses or platforms.   On our podcast this week, we spoke to Davidson more about the Adobe partnership and what else to expect at Cannes Lions this year. (Hint: lots of talk about AI and creators.) Tune into our latest episode below for the full conversation, or listen on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/4whNOV5bbQp4XelF71Axvv?si=9tznI8j6SoOSzD6jwNgpkg&nd=1&dlsi=94c71e663a6a404a)—or wherever else you get your podcasts. Youtube: Cannes Goes Big on Creators; AI Copycatting Surges and Podcasters Descend on the Nancy Guthrie Case (https://youtu.be/_LKINnlfM58?si=3lFOs-2iWTPvJn_2) _In other news…_ ## **Deals, Deals, Deals** **Substack** announced a partnership with **Polymarket** to make it easier for people to share and discuss prediction market data on the newsletter publishing service. The move comes as sites like Polymarket and Kalshi have exploded in popularity, but also are facing legal backlash over alleged insider trading.  **Dolphin Entertainment**, a production firm, [partnered](https://variety.com/2026/biz/news/dolphin-dealmaker-capital-raise-creators-influencers-1236665032/) with online capital raising platform **DealMaker** to offer celebrity and creator consumer brands an alternative to raising venture capital.  **MS NOW**, formerly MSNBC, [inked a deal](https://deadline.com/2026/02/ms-now-crooked-media-deal-1236726903/) with progressive media firm** Crooked Media** to bring its progressive podcasts, including “Pod Save America” and other work to the network with a weekly compilation show. “Crooked on MS NOW” will air on Saturdays at 9 pm ET starting Feb. 28. The move follows a flurry of Netflix-podcast deals, as well as a deal between CNN and podcast network Lemonada to bring some of its shows to CNN’s new streaming offering.  **Court TV**, a digital broadcast network owned by E.W. Scripps, was [acquired](https://deadline.com/2026/02/court-tv-acquired-by-dan-abrams-law-and-crime-1236713288/) by **Law&Crime**, a true crime production company and YouTube channel. Court TV was a long-time fixture on traditional TV, so it’s notable that it’s being acquired by a YouTube channel.  ## **Regulatory Woes** **Mark Zuckerberg **took the stand in a landmark social media addiction case in California on Wednesday. The Meta Platforms CEO struggled to defend his company from allegations that it targeted young users and claimed that internal documents and communications were mischaracterized by lawyers, [according to the BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y42znjnjvo). **David Greene**, a veteran NPR host, is [suing](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/02/15/david-greene-google-ai-podcast/) **Google **for allegedly violating his rights by building a product that replicated his voice without payment or permission. Greene claims that the male voice used in Google’s AI tool NotebookLM, which creates on-demand podcasts, has an “uncanny” resemblance to his. Google has denied the claims.  We also covered the rise of creator copycatting by AI [on our podcast](https://youtu.be/_LKINnlfM58?si=3lFOs-2iWTPvJn_2) this week, including takes from attorneys Rachael Connelly and Tyler Chou. **Spain** will [investigate](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/world/europe/spain-investigate-social-media.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share) **X**, **Meta** and **TikTok** for allegedly spreading AI-generated child pornography. The companies declined to comment or didn’t immediately provide a comment.  ## **Talent Tracker ** **Charles Porch **is joining **OpenAI** as its first vice president of global creative partnerships as the company looks to forge more relationships in the entertainment industry. Porch is a 15-year veteran of Instagram and Meta, where he helped [onboard celebrities to the app](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/openai-hires-instagram-celebrity-partner-charles-porch-1236508895/).  **Andreessen Horowitz **is hiring for a variety of roles for its new media team, including a chief of staff, head of podcasts, a CMO and chief communications officer.  **MrBeast** is [hiring](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/mrbeastyoutube/jobs/5706893004?gh_src=114e62fd4us) for a head of TikTok to lead strategy on the app and scale the mega YouTuber’s “presence to new levels.”  **Patrick Harris** joined **Roku** as senior vice president of global media revenue. Previously, he was president of the Americas for Snap and beforethat spent more than 11 years at Meta.  **Jeremy Lewis** is now vice president of business development at **Fixated**, a creator management and monetization company. Most recently, he was the co-founder of Right Swipe Entertainment, the production company behind his former podcast with his wife **Lauren Riihimaki**, the creator better known as LaurDIY.  ## **Creator Moves** **Spotter**, best known for offering upfront financing to YouTubers, [willhost its second](https://www.tubefilter.com/2026/02/18/spotter-showcase-2026-new-york-creator-tv-upfront/) “Spotter Showcase” to help creators broker deals with advertisers. The event, which will take place in New York on March 4, will include creators such as **Dude Perfect**, **Kinigra Deon**, **Airrack** and **Michelle Khare**. It also comes just a few weeks ahead of the annual Newfronts, where platforms like YouTube will make their [pitch to advertisers](https://youtu.be/-NbSSNLbDLM?si=LTVOuoroziSZ5pZc). ** ** **TopFan**, a company behind fan sites and apps for Warner Bros., the Denver Broncos and Maroon 5, is [expanding its platform](https://www.axios.com/2026/02/17/topfan-creator-platform-launch) to include creators.  **Paige Spiranac**, a golf influencer and former pro, partnered with** Pro Shop**, the golf media firm behind Netflix’s docuseries “Full Swing,” to launch a new media venture, [Axios reported](https://www.axios.com/2026/02/17/paige-spiranac-golf-paigeco-pro-shop). The joint venture will focus on creating new shows and branded products, with Pro Shop managing production, distribution, sales, merchandising and marketing. **Alex Cooper **will interview **Miley Cyrus** in front of a live studio audience as part of **Disney+**’s “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special” next month. ## **Bookmarked**  [Chatbots Are the New Influencers Brands Must Woo](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/technology/chatbots-influencers-brands-marketing.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share) [Reddit’s Human Content Wins Amid the AI Flood](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y4zl0w062o) [Parents Who Blame Snapchat for Their Children’s Deaths Protest Outside Its HQ](https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-02-13/parents-who-blame-snapchat-for-their-childrens-deaths-protest-outside-companys-headquarters)  ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/exclusive-cannes-lions-goes-even-bigger-on-creators-partners-with-adobe

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! ----------We were on Capitol Hill last week to sit down with New Jersey Senator **Cory Booker**. Our conversation centered on the push he’s leading to make **Senate Democrats** be more active on social media and ramp up their work with creators. But the scope quickly broadened.  We got Booker’s take on the new US **TikTok**, whether he supports social media bans for teens and what he thinks about California Governor **Gavin Newsom**’s social media strategy, which regularly trolls and parodies President Trump. (Booker called the approach “creative” and “hilarious.”) Big picture, Booker said Senate Democrats weren’t “keeping up” with the explosion of the creator economy, which is “dominating more and more” and “growing exponentially.”  The 2024 presidential election was a reality check. “The Democratic Party was losing out and they didn’t understand where media was moving and didn’t find ways to really lean into those platforms,” Booker told us. He also said he told Senate minority leader **Chuck Schumer** that Democrats were “getting shellacked.” Now Booker is trying to change that. One issue is that the median age of senators is 64.7, per data from Pew Research Center, and he said many of them weren’t comfortable using social apps. In some cases, Booker went to individual senators to convince them to get on board with posting more.  The push has been working. Between 2024 and 2025, engagement on Senate Democrats' own social media accounts grew 430%, according to data from the Strategic Communications Committee, which Booker chairs. But there’s still more work to do. Democrats still lag Republicans when it comes to influencer strategies and using social media. Booker said that he hopes that a new generation of younger politicians, as well as new platforms and technology like AI will present more opportunities. (Read [our recap](https://scalablepod.com/p/inside-the-senate-democrats-creator-summit) of last week’s summit on Capitol Hill for more on this.) The rise of social media and creators also comes with plenty of downsides, from the spread of misinformation to the negative impact on young people. That’s what prompted Australia to ban social media use for teens in December. Some European countries have since followed with bans or restrictions of their own. Booker hopes such a ban will come to the US for teens under 16. “I think there should be a flat ban somewhere around those mid-teen years and definitely before,” he said. “We're going to look back on this era as the same era that they used to let young people smoke cigarettes,” Booker argued, saying these platforms “have a really dark side.” He’s also concerned about the new US TikTok, which is majority owned by US investors. “I have concerns when billionaires like Elon Musk or what-have-you get massive ownership stakes and then change the algorithm in ways that make them less free, fair platforms.” He added that social apps should be compensating creators fairly for their work.  We also asked Booker how his own social media strategy has changed since his days as mayor of Newark, which creators he personally follows and who he thinks will be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2028. Tune into the full interview in our special episode of Scalable published on Wednesday. Plus, hear our takeaways and some of the behind-the-scenes moments of the interview, including Booker telling us he uses his Oura ring as his wedding band, which apparently is [part of a bigger trend](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/sickness-health-wellness-obsessed-techies-adopt-oura-rings-wedding-bands?rc=haoyux). You can watch on [YouTube](https://youtu.be/qN6i_nyqCfw?si=csx1OxpoDlt4R78Y) and [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/4whNOV5bbQp4XelF71Axvv) or tune in anywhere you get your podcasts.  Youtube: How Senator Cory Booker Convinced Democrats to Post More on Social Media (https://youtu.be/qN6i_nyqCfw?si=g0tTrMAuuQI3PdQc) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/senator-cory-booker-wants-democrats-to-post-more

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! ----------Quarterly earnings calls are a good way to get a pulse on what big tech companies are focused on. But what executives don’t say on those calls is often just as important as what they do say. Take **Meta Platforms**. Executives didn’t mention creators once during the company’s fourth-quarter prepared remarks or in the question and answer session with analysts. AI, however, was mentioned nearly 50 times. Compare that to the second quarter of 2021, when “creator” was said roughly 35 times. That suggests creators have taken a backseat to AI, at least in Meta’s messaging to investors. To see how—and why—the company’s messaging around creators has changed over time, we went through earnings call transcripts stretching back to the first quarter of 2020. We also compared the number of times that the word “creator” appeared in Meta’s calls with YouTube’s parent company Alphabet, Netflix, Spotify, Pinterest and Snap. We found that mentions of creators fluctuate from quarter to quarter. Looking just at year-end reports since 2022, **Alphabet** has been the most consistent and vocal, with the word ‘creator’ appearing between 15 to 20 times. But in mid-year reports, the number of mentions often dropped to single digits. Quarterly earnings reports are, of course, a snapshot in time and what executives choose to stress on the calls often has to do with what’s going on in the broader market or business.  In **Netflix**’s first quarter 2025 earnings call, for example, the word creator appeared more times than in Alphabet’s. That coincided with **YouTube**’s rise to be the No.1 TV distributor in the US—and Netflix was likely laying the groundwork for its upcoming creator push. (We excluded traditional film and TV creators in our Netflix analysis.) What executives discuss also depends on what questions they are asked by analysts on the calls. In Netflix’s case, much of the chatter around creators in the first quarter was in response to analysts’ questions rather than from its prepared presentation.  ---------- Annualizing these figures paints a more holistic picture of how companies have shifted their messaging around creators over the years. As you can see from the chart below, conversation around creators peaked in 2021. That year, the word “creator” was said a whopping 72 times across Meta’s four earnings calls—which is more than any other company in any other year—compared to just five mentions in 2025. -------------------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/142cc297-ebb4-4d7b-9ead-a88e2b363c5f/Final_Q4_earnings_chart.png?t=1771335701) Caption: ----------Even companies that aren’t as top of mind when it comes to the creator economy were vocal about creators in 2021: **Pinterest** mentioned creators 60 times, on par with** Snap**. Meanwhile, creators came up roughly 40 times in **Spotify**’s earnings calls. (We counted Pinterest’s mentions from its shareholder letter, which often serves as prepared remarks, as transcripts for its 2021 calls weren’t available). This makes sense as 2021 was the height of the creator economy boom. TikTok was rising fast and venture capitalists were throwing money at creator startups. Big tech platforms were trying to figure out their creator strategies, while fielding tough questions from analysts and shareholders about how their investments in creators could translate to revenue. It’s easy to interpret the decline in overall mentions from then to now as a bad sign. But we see it as a signal of how much the market has matured.  The creator economy is no longer a shiny new object or as uncharted as before, meaning that investors likely view big tech’s bets on creators more as a given than a gamble. In Meta’s case, Wall Street is more concerned about what the company is doing in AI than if it can compete with TikTok on creators. It’s already [showing that it can](https://scalablepod.com/p/instagram-reels-is-good-now). At the same time, the industry is also expanding. Creators are now a key strategy for companies like Netflix that few would have associated with creator content in 2021. For more on how we approach earnings reports and what we made of YouTube’s fourth quarter results, tune into our latest podcast episode, available now on [YouTube](https://youtu.be/-NbSSNLbDLM?si=kLHDHu_vGXgnS6Zi), [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3IcLm4nXNvtcbFCbpDMmeF?si=2I46ySb6Q-GFdjI6A4qjcQ) or wherever else you get your podcasts. _In other news…_ ## **AI Creator Copycatting ** More creators are reporting that their content is being ripped off. This time, it’s by AI. Earlier this month, a micro-creator with roughly 3,000 Instagram followers [said](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUZzN1KE9h2/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==) an AI influencer posted an almost exact copy of her video, down to her facial expressions and the calculator on her desk. That follows an NPR [report](https://www.npr.org/2025/07/10/nx-s1-5461427/tiktok-creators-copy-ai-fakes) from last year showing that AI was being used to create realistic avatars of real-life creators and repeating word-for-word what they said in their videos. Drawing inspiration from others is a common practice for creators, especially on short-form apps that are focused on trending content. But blatant copying is a major faux pas that directly hurts creators’ ability to grow an audience and generate income. Social platforms have tried to crack down on AI slop and are focused on promoting original content. But as the AI dupes get more realistic and more rampant, it’s harder to tell which posts are real—and who gets the credit. Laws around AI are still evolving. But creators can ask platforms to take the content down or send a cease-and-desist letter. “Creators may need to start thinking a bit more proactively—implementing measures such as watermarking their content, signing up for monitoring services to police their content and other digital enforcement tools could become highly valuable, especially if content is highly monetized,” said **Rachael Connelly**, a practicing attorney in Los Angeles. We’ll have more of her thoughts in Thursday’s podcast. ## **The Round Up** **Apple **is taking on Spotify and YouTube by embracing video podcasts, including the ability for users to easily switch between listening and watching a show in its Podcasts app and download episodes to watch offline. Apple will also allow creators to insert video ads, including ads read by hosts, into their episodes.   **Wasserman **is for sale following fallout from founder **Casey Wasserman **appearing in the Epstein files. In a memo to staff on Friday night, Wasserman said he’d “become a distraction” from the talent agency’s operations. Some high-profile clients have [dropped the agency](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/weyes-blood-chappell-roan-leave-wasserman-agency-epstein-1235514583/), which also represents digital creators, after the documents were released.  **Night**, a talent management firm representing creators like streamer Kai Cenat, raised $70 million from investors including **StepStone Group**, **Founders Fund** and **K5 Global**. The company said it would use the funding to expand, including to build, operate and acquire businesses “embedded in internet culture,” such as those related to music, sports, gaming, podcasting, live events and other categories. **Snapchat **is testing creator subscriptions, where fans pay for access to exclusive content, similar to existing offerings from Patreon, Substack, YouTube and Meta. Snap is likely betting that the success of its existing subscription products like Snapchat+ will translate to creators and help further diversify its revenue: Creators will get roughly 60% of revenue from subscriptions, which range from $4.99 to $19.99 per month. That’s a steeper cut than some of its peers like YouTube, which pays out 70%, and Instagram, which lets creators keep 100% of subscription earnings. **LTK **laid off some staff, including engineers and employees who work with creators, a spokesperson confirmed to Scalable. The spokesperson said it wasn’t a broad-based layoff, but a “strategic realignment.” The move comes as LTK is focused on building its brand platform, which allows companies to set up profiles on the app, work with LTK creators and access data or insights.  **Vox Media** expanded its “Language, Please” [project](https://languageplease.org/), which launched in December 2020 as a resource and style guide for journalists and local newsrooms covering sensitive and complex topics. Now the company is adding special tools for creators.  “As more people rely on creators for news coverage, it is imperative that they have access to journalistic tools to ensure thoughtful, accurate content,” said **Chris Clermont**, Vox Media’s head of diversity, equity and inclusion.  ## **Soundbite** “I’m sick of watching ‘reporting’ grifting, insane speculation, lies, and BS by random wannabe journalists and YouTubers who have now caused more harm than good…Please GO HOME,” **Alma Hernandez**, a Democratic member of the Arizona House of Representatives, [wrote on X](https://x.com/almaforarizona/status/2022897740913713635?s=46). That’s in reference to the influx of creators and true crime podcasters who have inserted themselves into the investigation of **Nancy Guthrie**’s disappearance in Tucson. People are also compromising the crime scene, a retired FBI agent complained, [according to the New Yorker](https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-disappearance-of-nancy-guthrie), saying “people touched things without gloves on” and “trampled over everything.” At one point, a Domino’s pizza delivery driver also showed up with food for an influencer. The sheriff’s department had to ask people not to order takeout to a crime scene. ## **Today in TikTok** **• ByteDance**,** **TikTok’s parent company, has created a new AI model called Seedance 2.0 which can generate a high-quality video with a story line, characters and different scenes based on one text prompt. The new model is making waves in China, but sparking copyright issues in Hollywood, the [Wall Street Journal reported](https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/tiktoks-chinese-parent-has-an-app-to-replace-hollywood-7b31c6df). A ByteDance spokesperson [told the BBC](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/16/tiktok-bytedance-ai-video-tool-disney-seedance-tom-cruise-brad-pitt) it’s “taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property and likeness by users.”  • The new US **TikTok** [started rocky](https://scalablepod.com/p/the-fallout-of-tiktok-s-us-deal), but third-party data suggests things are stabilizing. Deletions of the app surged after TikTok announced its joint venture on January 23. But the average number of daily active users in the US remains around 95% of its usership compared to the week of January 19-25, according to **Sensor Tower** data [cited by CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/16/tiktok-us-joint-venture-user-data-no-mass-exodus-oracle-mgx-silver-lake-larry-ellison-trump.html). (We predicted the backlash would settle in [our podcast](https://youtu.be/8NunEWvw63g?si=6__3PmXUIq6cmE0x) discussing the sale.) **• **TikTok** **announced a local feed to show what’s happening in a user’s area, including events, restaurants and shopping. It also shows posts from small businesses and local creators.  ## **Brand**** ****Buzz** **Hasbro Entertainment **and family-friendly media company **Animaj **launched Lumee, a joint venture focused on ad sales and partnerships for kids content. Kids content is among the most popular genres on YouTube, but there are strict restrictions on advertising to kids and many brands have chosen to steer clear. That has also made it challenging for YouTube and its kids creators to earn revenue from that content. **Crocs** is getting into [microdramas](https://scalablepod.com/p/why-hannah-stocking-could-be-a-game-changer-for-microdramas). The shoe company worked with **CAA** to release a scripted, short-form series called “Charmed to Meet You.” **Procter & Gamble **also [recently launched](https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/procter-gamble-soap-opera-microcontent-golden-pear-affair-1236659034/) a 55-part “microsoap” called “The Golden Pair Affair,” which also promotes its products. Last year, **JC Penney **worked with **TelevisaUnivision** on [a five-episode series](https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/microdramas-advertisers-televisaunivision-short-form-1236595920/) aimed at Spanish speakers. **Jake Shane** was named chief creative officer of **Katjes**, a major German candy company that makes licorice and fruit gummies. As CCO, Shane will lead creative strategy, brand messaging and marketing campaigns as the company seeks to expand its presence in the US, [per Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexyork/2026/02/11/podcast-star-jake-shane-named-chief-creative-officer-at-german-candy-company-katjes/). ## **Creator Moves** **Jay Shetty**, the host of the podcast “On Purpose,”** **announced a new production company called **Perfect Strangers Media** and two deals with** Netflix **for an unscripted and a scripted series. Shetty’s company didn’t provide further details on the shows. **Moose Toys**, the company behind MrBeast’s Lab toy products, announced partnerships with YouTubers **Mark Rober **and **Salish Matter**, who both also have deals with Netflix. Rober, a former NASA engineer, already has a STEM subscription box company called CrunchLabs, which will work with Moose Toys on STEM toys. It’s unclear what type of toy line the company will release with Matter. ## **Bookmarked**  [Why Internet Stars Are Chinamaxxing](https://www.gq.com/story/why-internet-stars-are-chinamaxxing) [Meet the American Girl Doll Influencers Protesting ICE](https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/american-girl-doll-influencer-ice-1235514789/) [Are Pop Stars Having the Conversations They’ve Always Wanted on Substack?](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/pop-star-substack-charli-xcx-doechii-troye-sivan-1235510641/) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/big-tech-is-hot-and-cold-on-creators

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! ----------On Wednesday, we spent the day at the US Capitol where Senate Democrats hosted their first-ever creator summit.  The full-day event, which gathered just under 100 creators, independent journalists and other creator economy insiders, came as Democrats have acknowledged they’re behind compared to Republicans when it comes to working with influencers. During the 2024 presidential election, New Jersey Senator **Cory Booker** said his colleagues were running to CNN and other cable networks “thinking they were communicating.” But Booker said young men, for example, get most of their news and information from podcasts.  “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,” he told attendees. The summit was hosted by the Senate Democrats’ **Strategic Communications Committee**, which is chaired by Booker. Minnesota Senator **Tina Smith **is the vice chair. It’s also part of a larger effort by the SCC to encourage Senate Democrats to become more active on social media themselves. Democratic Senators **Elizabeth Warren** and **Jon Ossoff **also dropped by to say a few words and take photos with attendees. The event took place in the historic Kennedy Caucus Room, opened in 1909, which has been the stage for major Senate investigations, including the sinking of the Titanic, Pearl Harbor and Watergate. Senators framed the effort as being pro-democracy, rather than pro-Democrat. “It’s not about party,” Smith said, describing social media and creators as some of the most important tools in the pro-democracy movement. The call for unity was clear. But the unwillingness of Democrats to position their efforts as partisan is emblematic of why the left has struggled to recreate the success of Republicans on social and with new media. Right-wing influencers and politicians aren’t afraid of drawing hard lines or saying things that will offend others, while the left is more likely to tread carefully. One exception is California Governor** Gavin Newsom**, who frequently uses social media to troll and parody President Trump. The event also demonstrated how much the news and media landscape has shifted. Former CNN anchor turned independent journalist **Don Lemon**, who was [recently arrested](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/us/don-lemon-arrest-minnesota-church-protest.html) for filming ICE protesters in a Minnesota church, addressed this in his speech. “I was at the top of the cable news chain. This is a completely different era,” Lemon told attendees, saying he’s shifted his new independent show to be less like cable TV by recording it at his home with his dogs in the background. “People want to get information from people they trust [and] like and with as few filters as possible,” he said.  That includes online personalities who are neither journalists nor political creators. Some attendees were even hesitant to call themselves creators despite having social media followings. One attendee, for example, works full-time as a doctor but speaks out online about children’s issues.  Booker, on the other hand, wasn’t shy about it. “I actually think of myself as a creator too,” he told us during an interview in his hideaway office in the US Capitol. He also grabbed Jasmine’s phone and took several selfies with us. ---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4058f089-abc1-45b3-a971-85ca8009ad5e/tempImageUuxAUD.jpg?t=1770909740) Caption: Kaya Yurieff and Jasmine Enberg interview New Jersey Senator Cory Booker at the US Capitol. ----------Tune into our full conversation with Senator Booker, where we got his take on how Democrats can catch up to Republicans' influencer strategies, what he thinks about social media bans for teens, the new US TikTok and more, publishing as a special episode next week.  _In other news…_ ## **No, Not Every Journalist Can Just Launch A Substack** After the **Washington Post** laid off about one-third of its staff last week, there was a lot of online chatter about how these reporters should start their own newsletters or podcasts. While some have and more will, many of them can’t or shouldn’t.  Going independent is risky—and depending on the nature of the reporter’s work, they may find it really hard to earn a sustainable living. Take investigative journalism for example, which takes a lot of time, resources and legal support. That’s challenging to pull off without the support of a big media company.  All independent reporters also have to compete in a crowded field of newsletters for people’s time, attention and money, as well as ad dollars.  Last year, at The Information’s “Future of Influence” event hosted by Kaya, Substack CEO **Chris Best **shared that more than 50 creators on the platform earn more than $1 million per year. That’s a huge feat for those creators. But they account for less than 1% of the roughly 50,000 publishers that earn money on Substack, which also include brands and traditional publishers, not just independent voices. Kaya gives her take on all of this and the risks that come with the rise of news influencers without journalism backgrounds on Thursday’s [podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/4whNOV5bbQp4XelF71Axvv?si=xBUujkyLSp22_uJwZpBGTQ&nd=1&dlsi=9faaa6a44c914a37), embedded below. We also spoke to **Brian Albert**, managing director of **YouTube** media partnerships and creative works, about the company’s plans for NewFronts, why it isn’t planning to [return to original content](https://scalablepod.com/p/why-youtube-should-bring-originals-back), and more. Youtube: Inside YouTube’s pitch to TV advertisers and why not every journalist can start a Substack (https://youtu.be/-NbSSNLbDLM?si=y9vmI49mFWdStkbZ) ## **Regulatory Woes** **Instagram** head **Adam Mosseri** on Wednesday [testified](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/technology/adam-mosseri-instagram-addiction-trial.html) that social media is not “clinically addictive,” as part of a landmark case about tech addiction.  **Texas **filed a lawsuit against** Snap **for failing to “adequately warn” parents and users about “inappropriate material” on Snapchat, as well as its “addictive” design. Snap did not immediately provide a comment. ## ** **💸**Money Matters** **MrBeast**’s holding company** **acquired **Step**, a financial app that markets itself as a way to help teens and young adults build credit, invest and save. The app is backed by fintech giant Stripe, VC firms and celebrities and creators like Charli D’Amelio, Josh Richards and Will Smith. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition follows other moves by MrBeast into fintech, including filing a trademark for “MrBeast Financial.” **Tax season** is now in full swing. Tax preparation company **H&R Block** launched Creator Suite, a customized tax filing platform for content creators. Taxes have been a [major pain point](https://scalablepod.com/p/youtuber-jon-youshaei-talks-boring-stuff-new-mrbeast-docuseries) for many creators. ## **Deals, Deals, Deals** **Propagate Content** [raised $50 million](https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/propagate-content-50-million-investment-ares-1236660006/) in funding from** Ares Management**, which it will use to expand creator-focused content. The company produces shows including cooking competition series “Chopped” and “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” which follows a group of TikTok-famous moms. The company—co-founded by **Ben Silverman**, the executive producer of “The Office”—also owns talent management firms including **Select Management Group** and **Authentic**.  **Red Seat Ventures** acquired** Supercast**, a subscription platform for podcast creators. Red Seat Ventures was acquired by **Fox Corp. **last year and is now part of Tubi Media Group. The digital media and podcast company works with independent creators including right-wing personalities like **Megyn Kelly **and **Tucker Carlson** and true crime hosts including** Ashley Flowers**. **Candle Media**, the Blackstone-backed media company that owns brands such as Moonbug and Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, sold a majority stake in digital media company **ATTN:** back to its co-founders **Matthew Segal **and **Jarrett Moreno**, [Axios reported](https://www.axios.com/2026/02/10/candle-media-sells-attn).  **Snapchat **partnered with** Gucci **on its first sponsored AI lens with a luxury brand.  ## **Sports Desk** The** NBA** is tapping [more than 200 creators](https://variety.com/2026/biz/news/jesser-nba-all-star-weekend-creators-los-angeles-content-1236657802/) for its All-Star weekend events in Los Angeles this week. It’s the latest sports league [to turn to creators](https://scalablepod.com/p/creators-touch-down-at-the-super-bowl) as it tries to reach younger audiences. **Publicis Groupe** [launched](https://digiday.com/media-buying/publicis-forms-new-influential-sports-squad-to-hone-its-skills-in-the-white-hot-sports-media-arena/)** Influential Sports**, a new division to connect brands with sports fans. The holding company acquired influencer marketing firm Influential in 2024. ## **Creator Moves** **Amelia Dimoldenberg**, the host of YouTube show “Chicken Shop Date,” is developing and will star in [a romantic comedy](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/chicken-shop-date-amelia-dimoldenberg-star-produce-rom-com-1236657969/) for Amazon MGM Studios’ **Orion Pictures**.  **Jake Shane **will make his Broadway debut on Feb. 17 in “All Out: Comedy About Ambition.” He’s the latest social media creator to appear on Broadway, following Whitney Leavitt, Dylan Mulvaney and Abigail Barlow. **Olivia Ferney**, who shows the behind the scenes of her work as a “concierge” for billionaires, is getting [a scripted show](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/olivia-ferney-travelwithlivii-adapted-fifth-season-series-1236500549/) developed by **Fifth Season**. Her @travelwithlivii social media channels have about 1.5 million followers.  **Matt Friend**, a creator known for his comedic impressions of celebrities and politicians, will host the **Oscars**’ [red carpet show](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/matt-friend-oscar-red-carpet-live-kelly-and-mark-2026-1236496335/) for “Live With Kelly and Mark.” He’ll also join Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos’ broadcast the next morning to recap the event’s top moments.  **Abby Wambach**, the former professional soccer player, is the latest to announce she’s leaving talent agency **Wasserman**. This follows founder **Casey Wasserman**’s correspondences in the Epstein files. Last month, Wasserman said he is “terribly sorry for having any association with either of them,” referring to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.    ## **Talent Tracker ** **Whitney Glassberg **is now leading studio partnerships at **OpenAI**, where she will work with film and TV studios, creatives and other partners. Previously, she was Meta’s director of public figure and entertainment creator partnerships.  **Dakota Rae Lowe** joined **Nordstrom** as head of brand social and influencer. Before that, she was vice president of social strategy at Edelman.  **Bryon LaBumbard** was promoted to senior vice president of podcast partnerships at **Vox Media**.  **Marina Mansour **was promoted to president of beauty, wellness and luxury at influencer marketing firm **Kyra**. She started at the company more than eight years ago focused on fashion and beauty.  ## **Bookmarked**  [Under the Mormon Influence](https://www.thecut.com/article/mormons-pop-culture-secret-lives-bachelorette.html) [Daytime TV’s Big Problem](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/talk-shows-daytime-tv-video-podcasts-1236502423/) [The Booming Business of Luxury Grocery Stores](https://www.wsj.com/style/luxury-grocery-stores-erewhom-meadow-lane-happier-grocery-9d654a14?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqeDDM0GcNbDmFSDDnM2JKVeM7GhU7aFx4aNztAJAwM5usV5tuFtKUATz1C4XOw%3D&gaa_ts=698cb0cb&gaa_sig=uZUKkOIxWRxc0a0JBipgozqD6vB4iX_EtppiqttPss4H2sJxC2kQ9Cwkw17DcBvYADpe8mpLNZqQP_wJZ1gSPA%3D%3D) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/inside-the-senate-democrats-creator-summit

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! -------------------- _We’re in Washington, D.C. this week to attend the Senate Democrats’ _[_first-ever conference_](https://scalablepod.com/p/scoop-senate-democrats-to-host-creator-summit)_ for creators and independent media at the Capitol. We’ll bring you our takeaways from the event later this week. We’re also interviewing Senator_**_ Cory Booker_**_, who is behind the effort._ -------------------- _Now on to today’s column…_ ----------For viewers, **YouTube** might be TV. But for most TV advertisers, it isn’t. Last week, YouTube reported that it generated over $60 billion in total revenue in 2025, marking the first time that the company has released combined ad and subscription revenue. The fourth quarter was also YouTube’s biggest ever for ad sales, coming in at roughly $11.4 billion. That makes YouTube’s revenue larger than **Netflix**, which generated roughly $45 billion last year. YouTube has also [surpassed Netflix](https://scalablepod.com/p/why-a-netflix-warner-bros-deal-puts-the-heat-on-youtube) in time spent and is now the No.1 TV distributor in the US, according to data from Nielsen. But there’s a few things that Netflix—and traditional TV— have that YouTube covets.  One is big TV advertisers. Many of YouTube’s advertisers are small and medium-sized businesses that don’t generally advertise on TV, as [Jasmine wrote](https://www.emarketer.com/content/youtube-influencer-marketing-2025) in August and this Wall Street Journal [article](https://www.wsj.com/articles/some-brands-arent-spending-like-youtube-is-the-new-tv-c2fc31d5?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqfB_PYemF9p6s_uv4rhBhNVKKS_QxtaHpmAcq9sq8DIKLfJLm3n9dO5S_qM_H8=&gaa_ts=698b38bd&gaa_sig=7Rzaf8JQk4PV77DrBiwKy-c9So9pNtPxf-Tf_JpJBrHgeTxgkoSG2ZfHM7_cgTNw12Kb-LnGctetJYncLsDUvA==) recently pointed out. That makes its ad business more similar to Meta Platforms and TikTok than TV. The other is prestige. Netflix has managed to elbow its way into Hollywood, winning multiple Oscars and Emmy awards for original movies and shows like “Roma” and “Adolescence.” This year, YouTuber Ms. Rachel was nominated for an Emmy—but only after her show went to Netflix. “It’s a powerful start, but we need to see more recognition like this,” YouTube CEO **Neal Mohan** said about the nomination [in his annual letter](https://blog.youtube/inside-youtube/the-future-of-youtube-2026/). ---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2f5289ff-d441-456f-83e6-2a41b5f208e5/GettyImages-2214491825.jpg?t=1770756566) Caption: YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Photo by John Nacion/Variety via Getty ----------YouTube has been ramping up its efforts to court big TV advertisers and gain legitimacy as a premium entertainment platform. That includes nabbing the rights for the Oscars starting in 2029 and introducing premium ad packages such as “Cultural Moments” that allow brands to sponsor YouTube activities around events like the Super Bowl or Black Friday. To supercharge its strategy, YouTube could give original content another go. A slate of original creator-led programming would give YouTube more premium, predictable content to sell to TV advertisers—and carve out a place in Hollywood. YouTube shuttered its “Originals” program in 2022, which provided funding to creators to develop content for the platform. Executives have since said it won’t return to original content.  But it’s all about timing and execution. Now, YouTubers like **Dhar Mann** are developing and distributing more scripted, serialized content on their own, while series like “Hot Ones” and “Good Mythical Morning” have become akin to TV talk shows. People are also watching YouTube videos on TV screens, including during primetime viewing hours. It’s also no longer unthinkable that top creators could leave YouTube. Under the terms of Netflix’s deal with Spotify, for example, podcasters can no longer post full episodes on YouTube, putting pressure on the company to retain its stars. Most importantly, legacy brands and media companies now want to be on YouTube as they seek to expand their audiences and be part of culture. **The BBC**, for example, just [struck a deal](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0q4521pg28o) with YouTube to develop original content for the platform. YouTube also exclusively streamed an NFL game in Brazil in September.  A big part of that is helping brands get closer to creators. “There’s just more and more appetite from our clients to work with creators. It could be casting creators as talent in ads. It could be integrating into creator shows. We're also helping our clients navigate top creators as they seek to forge long-term creator partnerships,” **Brian Albert**, managing director of YouTube media partnerships and creative works, told us.  Of course, funding original programming is expensive and finding enough YouTube creators who make or could make suitable content will be a challenge. But there are other ways that YouTube could approach original content, including exclusive or licensing deals with big creators or backing independent studios, instead of developing individual shows. And if there was ever a time to try again, it’s now_._ (For more from our interview with Albert, including the company’s pitch to TV advertisers and why the company doesn’t want to revisit original content, tune into [our podcast](https://scalablepod.com/podcast) on Thursday.) _In other news…_ ## **⛷️Creators Hit the Winter Olympics ** While **Alix Earle** and** MrBeast **were in the stands at the Super Bowl, a different crop of creators jetted off to another major sporting event: the Winter Olympics.  **Cleo Abram**, the creator behind the tech YouTube channel “Huge if True,” is one of 25 creators invited by **NBCUniversal** to attend the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games. She’s been posting a steady stream of content, from an [in-depth video defending curling](https://youtu.be/p60I9LNHNxg?si=oA8YjueOucRc-yQn) to a selfie of her watching speed skating. It’s an effort by NBC, which airs the Olympics, to reach fans “everywhere.”    But it’s not just creators who are posting. As we’ve seen from past Olympics, athletes competing in the games have been [breaking out](https://www.theinformation.com/newsletters/creator-economy/the-paris-olympics-is-minting-new-creators) as influencers themselves. This time, some of them are being _asked _to post like creators.  Both the **Professional Women's Hockey League** and the **NHL** are encouraging players to spend more time creating content on the ground, the business of sports publication [Sportico reported](https://www.sportico.com/business/media/2026/olympic-hockey-players-nhl-pwhl-video-content-creators-1234883772/?fbclid=PAVERFWAPz8XNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAadh5b57cuK4kcJoPqRl3K3knd3yU8SClioez0avamOZutgEQHdXSdjwVFFX7g_aem_d8F1BfBxXzJ3cgWQTxUcIg). The PWHL, for example, has given its player pointers for how to create engaging content on Instagram and TikTok, including recommending they film tours of the dining hall, their rooms and the athletes’ village.  It seems every sport is trying to find the next **Ilona Maher**, the [US Rugby player](https://www.forbes.com/sites/andyfrye/2025/10/06/ilona-maher-gets-her-own-barbie-doll/) whose career and social media following skyrocketed following the 2024 Summer Olympics.  ## **The Round Up** **Spotify **stock jumped about 15% on Tuesday after reporting better-than-expected earnings for the fourth quarter. Monthly active users also rose 11% to 751 million while premium subscribers grew 10% to 290 million compared to a year earlier.   **Chappell Roan**, the pop singer, said she is no longer represented by **Wasserman** after the talent agency’s founder Casey Wasserman was named in newly released documents about sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Last month, Wasserman said he is “terribly sorry for having any association with either of them,” referring also to Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.    **Instagram** is testing a disappearing photo feature called “Instants” that's similar to **Snapchat**, a Meta spokesperson confirmed to Scalable. It’s also working on an internal prototype for a standalone app of Instants, though it’s not testing it currently. The test was first spotted by reverse engineer **Alessandro Paluzzi** who often finds unreleased features from major companies.  **TikTok** [signed a deal](https://news.broadcastmediaafrica.com/2026/02/06/tiktok-and-qatar-commit-to-a-global-creator-ecosystem) with **Qatar**’s government communications office to establish a multi-year program to “identify and support global creative talent.” It’s the latest move by a Middle Eastern country to [expand into the creator economy](https://scalablepod.com/p/dubai-influencer-tax) as the region looks to diversify beyond oil. (To hear Kaya’s takeaways from **WebSummit Qatar**—and watch her attempt to ride a camel—check out [last week’s podcast)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG0JCsynhy8).  **Runway**, an AI video startup, [raised](https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/10/ai-video-startup-runway-raises-315m-at-5-3b-valuation-eyes-more-capable-world-models/) $315 million in Series E funding led by **General Atlantic **at a $5.3 billion valuation. ## **Regulatory Woes** The **European Union **preliminarily found that **TikTok**’s “addictive” design is illegal, including its never-ending feed, push notifications and its hyper-personalized recommendations. Regulators said TikTok needs to change the basic design of its service or it will face large fines. TikTok said it plans to challenge the findings.  ## **Brand Buzz** **Microsoft** and **Google** have offered creators between $400,000 and $600,000 for sponsorship deals extending several months to promote their AI tools, [CNBC reported](https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2026/02/06/google-microsoft-pay-creators-500000-and-more-to-promote-ai.html). Microsoft, for example, has tapped top creators like Alix Earle to plug its Copilot chatbot. But other creators have turned the offers down, per CNBC.  **American Eagle **[launched](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/american-eagle-offers-creators-rewards-to-keep-content-flowing/811374/) a new ambassador program which allows creators to earn points by completing weekly and monthly challenges, such as posting videos of how to style clothing. Creators can then redeem points for rewards such as products and gift cards.  ## **Talent Tracker**  **Kathleen Grace** was [appointed](https://deadline.com/2026/02/lionsgate-ai-kathleen-grace-1236710403/) as** Lionsgate**’s first chief AI officer. Previously, Grace was chief strategy officer at **Vermillio**, an AI startup that licenses and protects IP and likeness. **Eve Konstan** is the new chief legal officer of **SiriusXM**. Most recently, Konstan was general counsel at Spotify.   **Amit Puntambekar**, an alum of Meta and Atlassian, is **Reddit**’s new executive vice president of consumer engineering. **Jim Squires** was promoted to chief marketing officer and **Laura Nestler** to executive vice president of community. Reddit’s previous CMO **Roxy Young** left in July.  **Kecia Steelman**, CEO of Ulta Beauty, was appointed to **Pinterest**’s board of directors.  **Christopher Erb** is [joining](https://deadline.com/2026/02/caa-video-game-marketer-christopher-erb-brand-consulting-1236713439/) **CAA**’s brand consulting division. Erb is the founder of video game marketing consultancy **Tripleclix**. Staffers from his firm will also join CAA.  ## **Bookmarked** [A Celebrity Doctor, the Epstein Files and The Lie Propping Up Big Wellness](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/opinion/peter-attia-epstein-health-influencer.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share) [Can Europe Get Kids Off Social Media?](https://www.ft.com/content/cf465c21-4789-490b-b328-41f6383567d7?sharetype=blocked) [Podcasting Is Now A Key Part Of The Olympics](https://www.forbes.com/sites/frankracioppi/2026/02/09/podcasting-is-now-a-key-part-of-the-olympics/) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/why-youtube-should-bring-originals-back

---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ec66bf5d-5fa3-4c20-8cb4-5c7f84fd85d1/Neon.png?t=1761182608) Caption: -------------------- Hello! ----------Creators have emerged as a key strategy for the** National Football League **as it tries to broaden its audience beyond hardcore football fans in the US.  That strategy will be on full display at the **Super Bowl **on Sunday. The NFL invited a whopping 160 creators to the big game this year in the San Francisco Bay Area. Working with creators isn’t [entirely new](https://www.theinformation.com/newsletters/creator-economy/inside-the-nfls-creator-strategy?rc=simxn1) for the NFL. But the league is ramping up its efforts, including by partnering with creators who don’t typically focus on sports, to reach Gen Z audiences. That includes fashion influencers who post what they’re wearing to the game and food creators who share their tailgating recipes.  The league has also been trying to expand its audience internationally by hosting games in countries like Brazil and Germany—and inviting local creators to attend. This year, the NFL said it will play nine international games across four continents and seven countries, up from seven games in 2025. Last year’s game in Brazil was also streamed globally on YouTube. **Max Klymenko **is one of the international creators who will attend the Super Bowl. The Ukrainian creator, who lives in London, is best known for his “[Career Ladder” series](https://www.tiktok.com/@maxklymenko?lang=en) on social media where he tries to guess people’s jobs while standing with them on a ladder.  Klymenko is a fan of sports in general and has had athletes on his show, but it’s not the focus of his videos. He attended an NFL game for the first time in London in October. “If you want to broaden your audience as a sport, you can’t just work with NFL creators,” Klymenko told Kaya at **WebSummit Qatar **earlier this week.  This was also evident in the NFL’s choice to pick **Dhar Mann **as its “Chief Kindness Officer.” Mann is [best known for his scripted videos](https://www.theinformation.com/newsletters/creator-economy/dizzying-rise-dhar-mann) on YouTube, where he has more than 26 million subscribers. It’s tempting to dismiss the honorary C-Suite title as an attention grab, but Mann’s partnership with the NFL goes deeper than that. During Super Bowl week, Mann will lead a series of digital, social and in-person activations, including NFL Honors and YouTube’s flag football game.  The idea is to have a guaranteed source of social content to engage younger people, who may not be watching the main event on traditional channels—or at all.  “Sports content is exploding and diversifying, including sports journalism, alternative leagues and sports-adjacent content from creators,” **Zach Miller**, president of sports apparel company **Bucketsquad**, told Jasmine on stage this week at the **IAB**’s annual leadership meeting in Palm Springs, Calif. “As linear TV audiences age, this type of ‘shoulder content’ is a relevant way to engage young sports fans and their families.” Bucketsquad is owned by basketball creator** Jesser**, who recently partnered with the NBA to be the “honorary commissioner” of its esports league NBA 2K. The NFL said as much in a recent press release: “We have the unique opportunity to give creators the key to one of the biggest cultural events in the world, empowering them to create and distribute original NFL content to young audiences all over the world.” As for Klymenko, he wouldn’t spill the details on his Super Bowl content plans, but said they would be “fire.” And, of course, he’ll be there with his ladder. ---------- View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/6d32238e-0e15-4bf9-a420-64b71b73ed53/IAB_3544.jpg?t=1770322583) Caption: Jasmine interviewing Zach Miller, President of Bucketsquad, at the IAB’s ALM on February 3, 2026. ----------_In related news…_ ## **MrBeast’s Super Bowl** Super Bowl** **viewers will also be able to catch **MrBeast** on their screens this weekend. The mega YouTuber has partnered with live shopping startup **Whatnot** to host a livestream on Sunday as part of the company’s “Big Game. Big Deals” event. During the 60-minute show, MrBeast will give away over [$1 million in prizes](https://people.com/mrbeast-giving-away-1-million-dollars-in-prizes-during-super-bowl-livestream-exclusive-11899601), including 2026 Super Bowl tickets and a Lamborghini Spyder. It will be hosted exclusively on the Whatnot app. Last week, MrBeast also posted a video teasing his upcoming Super Bowl ad with **Salesforce**, saying “if you see the commercial, you might become a millionaire,” a nod to his over-the-top giveaway and game show content. With 30-second spots costing up to [$10 million this year](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-29/super-bowl-ad-rates-hit-10-million-for-30-second-spot-nbc-says?embedded-checkout=true), nabbing high-profile stars is a common strategy for advertisers. In recent years, that has increasingly meant social media creators. ## **Brand Buzz: Oreo Edition** **Oreo** may be the most popular type of cookie in the world, but not if you ask ChatGPT.  The cookie brand only shows up in about 10% of responses from large language models when users ask questions like, “What’s the best cookie for a kid’s birthday party?” said **Jennifer Mennes**, global head of digital marketing, strategy and innovation at Oreo parent company **Mondelez**, during a session at the IAB meeting this week. That means legacy brands can no longer rely on their incumbent advantage to stay top-of-mind as AI changes how people shop. It also means they need to lean into the platforms and people those answers are being pulled from, including YouTubers and users on Reddit. We dove deeper into what this means for brands in our latest podcast episode, embedded below. You can also watch on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4OVTTHlVnpiznA0TKsnryM)—or listen wherever else you get your podcasts. Youtube: Why the NFL is all-in on creators and where influencer marketing M&A is headed next (https://youtu.be/bG0JCsynhy8?si=zZPYySPHRaaO1n-j) ## **Tech Round Up** **YouTube** surpassed $60 billion in ad and subscription revenue in 2025, the first time the company has broken out total revenue for the video platform. Creators are key to keeping up YouTube’s revenue growth in 2026: “We’re working really, really hard to further connect brands and creators, scaling sponsorships and enabling advertisers to showcase their products… during high-visibility spotlight moments,” Philip Schindler, senior vice president and chief business officer at parent company Google, said on a call with analysts after the company reported earnings on Wednesday. 🎂Happy 22nd birthday to** Facebook**! The app has fallen out of favor among the college kids it was originally intended for, but parent company **Meta Platforms **is an ad powerhouse. Meta’s revenue crossed $200 million in 2025, per the company’s fourth quarter earnings report, though much of its success is now [thanks to ](https://scalablepod.com/p/instagram-reels-is-good-now)**[Instagram](https://scalablepod.com/p/instagram-reels-is-good-now)**. **Snap**’s revenue grew by 10% in the fourth quarter of last year, beating analyst expectations. But executives faced tough questions from analysts on the company’s earnings call about how teen [social media restrictions](https://scalablepod.com/p/what-s-really-at-stake-with-australia-s-social-media-ban) could affect the business. **Twitch**’s first official podcast episode aired on Wednesday. The new show, called “Let’s Chat,” is hosted by the livestreaming platform’s CEO **Dan Clancy**. His first guest was **Cameron Skattebo**, a New York Giants running back who also livestreams on Twitch. **Pinterest** fired several engineers who created an internal tool to track layoffs at the company, CNBC reported. The move comes after the company announced that it would lay off 15% of its staff by September as it moves resources to AI. A Pinterest spokesperson declined to comment [on the firings to CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2026/02/03/pinterest-ceo-puts-staffers-on-blast-who-created-tool-to-track-layoffs.html).   **Spotify** will start selling physical books on its app through a partnership with Bookshop.org. Audiobooks are one of the fastest-growing content formats on the app, with the number of people listening to an audiobook rising by 36% year over year in the third quarter last year, per the company. Spotify and Pinterest report fourth quarter earnings next week. We’ll give you our full analysis of tech earnings once all the numbers are out. ## **Deals, Deals, Deals** **ElevenLabs**, a voice AI startup, raised $500 million in a new funding round led by **Sequoia Capital**. That brings its valuation to $11 billion, almost double from a year ago.  **Netflix** is continuing its deal spree. YouTuber **Jordan Matter** and his 16-year-old daughter Salish [signed an exclusive deal](https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/salish-matter-jordan-netflix-1236650905/) to develop new and existing content into scripted, unscripted and animated shows. They’ll also work with Netflix on consumer products.  **Hulu** is getting into podcasting. The streamer [inked an exclusive licensing deal](https://deadline.com/2026/02/were-here-to-help-podcast-streaming-hulu-february-1236707677/) for the comedy advice podcast “We’re Here to Help” hosted by **Jake Johnson **and **Gareth Reynolds**. The show will start streaming twice a week on Hulu beginning Feb. 10.  ## **Regulatory Woes** **Netflix** co-CEO **Ted Sarandos** name-dropped YouTube several times during an antitrust hearing about its proposed megamerger with **Warner Bros**. Netflix has long made the case that the market it competes in is much bigger than just streaming TV and that YouTube is [its No.1 rival](https://scalablepod.com/p/why-a-netflix-warner-bros-deal-puts-the-heat-on-youtube). In its fourth quarter earnings, Netflix also directly named Instagram as a competitor, partly to illustrate the breadth of its competitive market. ## **Creator Moves** **Hank **and **John Green** have donated their shares in their digital production company **Complexly** and turned it into a nonprofit. The company develops educational videos, including shows like Crash Course and science-focused SciShow.  “It’s never been easier to find information, but it’s also never been harder to know what to trust,” Hank Green said in a [YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eziN5NJBI5U&t=180s) explaining the decision. The Green brothers, who are OG YouTubers, were the sole owners of Complexly. YouTuber **Markiplier**’s self-financed and distributed horror movie “Iron Lung” earned $21.7 million at the global box office during its opening weekend. That’s only about $10 million behind Disney’s “Send Help", showing [traditional studio executives](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/markiplier-iron-lung-box-office-youtube-interview-1236493943/) that there might be a place in the cinema for social media creators after all. **Sassy Chap Games**, a creator-led gaming studio founded by two voice actors, signed with **CAA**. ## **Talent Tracker** **Joanna Stern**, a longtime tech columnist at **The Wall Street Journal**, is leaving the company to launch her own media company focused on consumer tech. Stern is the latest in a wave of [journalists going independent](https://scalablepod.com/p/why-news-outlets-cant-ignore-the-creator-economy). **Lucy Quick **joined **LinkedIn** as senior creator monetization manager. Most recently, she was head of marketing, creators and agency success at creator membership startup Passes.  **Rebecca Plotkin** joined **LinkedIn** as a senior creator manager. Before that, she was creator marketing and community lead at Yahoo.  ## **Bookmarked**  [Some Brands Aren’t Spending Like YouTube Is the New TV ](https://www.wsj.com/articles/some-brands-arent-spending-like-youtube-is-the-new-tv-c2fc31d5) [The First Gen Z Mascots at The Olympics ](https://www.npr.org/2026/02/02/nx-s1-5621915/winter-olympics-mascots-milo-tina) [What Everyone Is Actually Watching on Netflix](https://puck.news/what-is-everyone-actually-watching-on-netflix/) ---------- _Thanks for reading Scalable! We’d love your feedback, tips and ideas. You can respond directly to this email! If you think someone would enjoy this newsletter, please FWD it to them._ ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://scalablepod.com/p/creators-touch-down-at-the-super-bowl

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