Hey Creatorverse readers,
It’s no secret that some of the biggest creators have borrowed their development and engagement strategies from Hollywood. But did you know that there’s an entire genre of digital-first production companies that have taken that approach to a whole new level?
Dropout, Jubilee and NowThis are three of those companies that have adapted TV’s playbook for the social media age, production companies that are more IP-focused than talent-focused. And there are some serious benefits to this approach.
“One creator can only stretch themselves so far to create so much content,” Sam Reich, the CEO of Dropout, told me.
Dropout operates on a subscription model and has over 1 million subscribers with plans to release 10 to 12 shows this year. While they partner closely with their talent, the company is not completely dependent on their creators. That means the talent just has to focus on being funny, and Dropout just has to focus on making their content go viral.
NowThis, a shortform video hub that appeals to Gen Z and Millennial women, is more hands-on when it comes to developing the followings of its up-and-coming stars. A lot of Editor-in-Chief Michael Vito Valentino’s strategy follows the strategy late night shows have used for decades.
“For a lot of our shows, what we do is just Gen Z’s take on a talk show format,” Valentino told me. “At the end of the day, everyone still has to promote a product. So they come here and they do it.”
And then there’s Jubilee, the YouTube channel with over 10 million subscribers behind such viral hits as “Middle Ground” and “Surrounded.”
“We are trying to develop shows or vehicle formats that will not just have one video that gets a million views or 10 million views, but 100 videos that can each get a million views,” Jason Y. Lee, founder and CEO of Jubilee, told me. Read more about their approaches here.
Now onto the rest.
Kayla Cobb
Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com
What’s New
Vine is back as diVine
Vine, the six-second shortform video app that was popular in the 2010s, relaunched this week as diVine. And ironically, this new reboot is being funded by the very man who killed the original Vine, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. diVine boasts an archive of 500,000 videos from the original Vine and has the mission of being “freedom from AI slop.” Over 150,000 people signed up for diVina’s day one beta, and now the app is fully available on Apple and Google’s app stores.
A lot of the creators who dominate headlines today including King Bach, Quenlin Blackwell and the Paul brothers first established their followings on Vine. Let’s see if 2.0 will have the same impact.
Ad investment in social video has outpaced connected TV for the first time ever
For the first time ever, advertising spend related to social video has outpaced CTV spend, according to the latest report from IAB. Social video hit 13% growth year-over-year thanks to AI-powered personalization and increased investment in the creator economy, while connected TVs only saw an 11% increase. Overall, advertising spending in the digital market is expected to surpass $80 billion in 2026, an 11% increase compared to last year. That’s also almost 20% faster growth than the overall ad market.
Comedy group American High partners with Netflix, and the “ShootAround” webcomic is getting a movie
American High, the production company behind Hulu’s “Pizza Movie” and “Summer of 69,” is partnering with Netflix to bring its viral shortform series “Minimum Wage” to the streamer. Netflix has given the series a 28-episode order with each episode running roughly 12 and a half minutes. “Minimum Wage” stars Grace Reiter (3.9 TikTok followers) and Julia Dicesare (417,000 TikTok followers).
In other adaptation news, “ShootAround,” the zombie horror-comedy web comic that started on Webtoon, is getting a live-action young adult film version. The movie will be produced by Lion Forge Entertainment and Webtoon Productions.
Platform Updates
Instagram is disincentivizing clipping
Instagram is about to make things a bit harder for accounts that rely on clipping. Starting next month, the platform will no longer recommend accounts that aggregate content and repost other people’s content through their photos and carousels. Instagram started cracking down on clipping on Reels about two years ago, and this is an extension of that.
“Original creators deserve to be rewarded for their work, not compete with accounts that simply re-upload it,” Instagram and Threads CEO Adam Mosseri posted. Looking for a cheat sheet on the business of clipping? I’ve got you covered.
Patreon redesigns its home feed and adds shortform videos
Patreon had a major overhaul last week. The creator-focused monetization platform redesigned its home feed, incorporated its shortform video offering called Quips into the feed, introduced collaboration posts and launched a memberships-only feed. With over 300,000 creators using the platform and close to 80 million subscribers, Patreon has long been a leader when it comes to monetizing creator communities.
Roblox is increasing its developer payouts by 42% for games designed for players 18 years and older
Roblox creators who develop games designed for players 18 years or older will see a 42% increase in the Roblox Developer Exchange, the platform’s system for converting earned in-platform currency for real money. According to the gaming platform, the number of players aged 18 to 34 years old grew by over 50% last year in the U.S., and games made for this age group monetize far better than games for users under 18. Considering that Roblox’s increased child safety protections have led to a drop in engagement, building up an older user base is a smart move.
Movers and Shakers
Disneyland hosted a Make-A-Wish celebration with MrBeast, Mark Rober, Dude Perfect and more
Last Wednesday, Disneyland hosted “Wishes Assemble,” a celebration with the Make-a-Wish foundation that fulfilled children’s dreams of meeting their favorite creators. Several major creators attended the event including MrBeast (482 million YouTube subscribers), Mark Rober (76.8 million YouTube subscribers), Dude Perfect (61.9 million YouTube subscribers), PrestonPlayz (17.4 million YouTube subscribers) and Clix (8.5 million Twitch followers). Wishes to meet creators now make up about 32% of all entertainment wishes from the foundation.
The Bucket Family is making an animated show, and the ACLU launches a YouTube children’s series
The Bucket Family (1.5 million YouTube followers) is the latest creator team to partner with former Paramount co-CEO Brian Robbins. Robbins’ Big Shot Pictures will be making an animated series about the travel channel, continuing the trend of creators diving into animation.
The ACLU is also on the animation train. The nonprofit civil rights organization launched “Know Your Rights University” on YouTube last week, an educational series designed to teach kids important lessons about civics and free expression. The decision to launch an animated show comes as children’s media is facing increased censorship under the Trump administration. Orders for children’s TV shows have also declined, and that was before the current administration’s attack on PBS.
Lital Spitzer joins Underscore Talent as the talent management firm launches a theatrical division
Lital Spitzer, who previously worked as a talent manager at 3 Arts, has moved to Underscore Talent. The creator-focused talent management firm also launched a theatrical division. She will bring her roster of talent, which include Esther McGregor, Alex Consani, Charlotte Nicdao and Esther Ming Li.
Who to Watch
Michelle Khare
Khare (5.4 million YouTube subscribers) is a bigger creator than I like to highlight in this section, but her “7 Marathons in 7 Days” series is not to be missed. The premise is right in the title — over the course of a week, the “Challenge Accepted” host ran seven marathons on seven different continents. Like with all of the creator’s videos, diving into the science and training required to tackle such a feat is fascinating. But throughout the series, Khare also interviews other athletes who are on the same journey as her. The result is one of the most inspiring and emotional shows of the year. And yes, I didn’t write “creator shows” for a reason. This latest challenge is great enough that it outpaces many of its streaming, cable and broadcast peers.
Bonus Content
- How YouTube Took Over the American Classroom (via Wall Street Journal)
- Selfie Sticks for Series A: The Rise of the Young Founder-Influencer (via Business Insider)
- Inside the World-Conquering Rise of the Micro-Drama (via New Yorker)
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This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.