Hey Creatorverse readers,
It seems like every day a new creator has a new deal with a different streamer. The latest is King Bach (28.4 million TikTok followers), who has signed a deal with Creator TV to create an original, poker-focused series and turn his library content into a sketch show, I reported exclusively.
“Straight King High Flush” is currently in development, and the comedy-focused “The King Bach Show” will reformat Bach’s library of videos to make a sketch series. These will be available to watch on Creator TV’s free ad-supported TV (FAST) partners, which include Plex, Sling Freestream and LiveTVx
“It doesn’t matter how many followers you have or how many views you have. There’s always somebody who hasn’t seen it,” Bach told me.
I’ve covered companies like Creator TV before. Essentially, these companies take existing creator content, pair thematically similar videos to create half-hour episodes and release these repackaged series on major streaming platforms such as Sling TV or Hulu. Creator TV handles everything to make sure these shows are ready to go for streamers, ensuring that episodes are the right length, the content fits in with general standards and practices guidelines and that the music rights have been cleared. Creators get a new revenue stream without having to shoot too much new content, and the streamers get new content that’s cheaper than originally produced programming. It’s a win-win.
“[Creators] can’t quite control the platforms or the algorithms,” Charlie Ibarra, co-founder and head of content at Sabio’s Creator TV, told me. “What we’re doing is we’re building a model that creates and offers a bit more consistency in how their content and how their stories are programmed and consumed, and this creates opportunities for them to build deeper and more durable audience relationships.”
A more reliable revenue model is especially important to creators like Bach. Not only is it incredibly labor and time intensive to make comedy, but Bach is also an actor who’s starred in Netflix’s “The Babysitter” and “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” This year, he’s set to star in Oran Zegman’s “Goodbye Girl,” Ilya Naishuller’s “Road House 2” and Tommy Wirkola’s “Violent Night 2.” Deals like these help give Bach a bit of financial and creative breathing room, allowing him to fully focus on whatever product he’s currently working on.
Companies like Creator TV are working smarter instead of harder to find a way to bring TV syndication into the modern age. No industry is better at profiting off of IP than Hollywood, and right now, experienced creators are seeking out new ways to profit off their library content. Check out my full interview with Bach and Ibarra to learn more about the strategy behind Creator TV.
Now onto the rest.
Kayla Cobb
Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com
What’s New
Beast Industries is being sued for alleged sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination
MrBeast’s company Beast Industries is the target of a lawsuit from a former employee. Former head of Instagram for the company Lorrayne Mavromatis filed a civil lawsuit last Tuesday against the company, accusing it of sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination, claiming that she was excluded from all-male meetings, harassed and passed over for work opportunities in favor of men. Mavromatis’ suit also alleges the company violated the federal Family and Medical Leave Act and that she was wrongfully terminated.
Representatives for Beast Industries have already denied Mavromatis’ allegations, telling Dexerto that this is a “clout-chasing complaint” and that it’s built on “deliberate misrepresentations and categorically false statements.” The company also said it has proof refuting Mavromatis’ claims.
iHeartMedia is considering a sale to SiriusXM
iHeartMedia may be sold to SiriusXM. Since iHeartMedia’s high in 2021, shares have fallen by more than 80%, so this could be the parachute the company needs. Talks are still in the preliminary stages, but if the deal were to happen, the combined company would have more than $12 billion in sales.
Speaking of SiriusXM, last week the company signed a deal to be the exclusive audio advertising representative for YouTube in the U.S. The company will handle advertising for YouTube content like podcasts, talk shows and music. Starting this fall, advertisers will be able to buy audio ad impressions against YouTube audiences through SiriusXM Media.
Sports entertainment platform DAZN will introduce a squad of 48 creators worldwide for FIFA World Cup 2026
For the first time in history, the FIFA World Cup will feature 48 nations, and sports entertainment platform DAZN is celebrating that scope in a big way. The company is partnering with 48 creators, one from each qualifying country. DAZN began its worldwide search for creators last Friday.
“By empowering creators to tell their stories, we’re delivering a richer and more personal way to experience the tournament that reflects how football is lived and felt by fans around the world,” Quim Domenech, executive vice president of global content and editorial at DAZN, said.
Platform Updates
Kevin Hart’s LOL Network and Mansa double down on verticals
LOL Network, the production company founded by Kevin Hart, will be releasing comedy verticals. Though microdramas are often known for having romantic storylines, Hartbeat President and Chief Distribution Officer Jeff Clanagan believes there’s an audience for shortform series beyond “genre monoculture.” If you need a refresher, verticals are shortform shows that live either on designated microdrama platforms like MyDrama or on shortform platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.
Hart isn’t the only one expanding his vertical slate. Mansa, the first microdrama platform focused solely on Black stories, will release 10 original series this summer. The series will be produced through the company’s in-house studio, Mansa Studios, and Mansa plans to license and co-finance approximately 30% of the projects.
YouTube is the only platform that’s seen a notable increase in children’s viewing over the past five years
Over the past five years, YouTube is the only platform that’s seen a notable increase when it comes to children’s viewership. That’s what a new report from media cartographer Evan Shapiro and Common Sense Media found. Last year, viewership from children aged two to 11 years old accounted for 12.3% of YouTube viewing compared to the 9.1% the platform saw in 2022. The report also found that demand for children’s entertainment is up even though TV production for kids’ series has dropped 25% since 2019.
TikTok’s Add to Music App option has led to users saving over 6 billion songs
Over the past year, TikTok users have used the platform’s “Add to Music App” option to save more than 6 billion songs to the music platform of their choice. Currently, the offering works with Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. But this is a remarkable stat as TikTok has become vital to modern music discovery and fan engagement.
Movers and Shakers
Keith Lee, Bob The Drag Queen, CelinaSpookyBoo and more are coming to Tubi
As previously mentioned, Tubi is increasing its creator slate yet again. On Tuesday, the streamer announced that it will be releasing exclusive digital-first creator series from 10 creators including:
- Keith Lee (17.4 million TikTok followers)
- Bob The Drag Queen (2.2 million Instagram followers)
- Rock Squad (4.7 million YouTube subscribers)
- Sarah Dorothy Little (1.4 million TikTok followers)
- Brooklyn Queen (8.3 million TikTok followers)
- CelinaSpookyBoo (28.5 million TikTok followers)
- Sofi Manassyan (10.7 million YouTube subscribers)
- Brooke DeVard Ozaydinli (168,000 Instagram followers)
- Sick Animation (229,000 YouTube subscribers)
- ExplosmEntertainment (12.9 million YouTube subscribers)
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: No one is investing in creators like Tubi.
Podcaster Bobbi Althoff will be part of the cast of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County”
Even if you don’t think you know Bobbi Althoff, you probably do. The TikTok star (8.3 million followers) and podcast host who went viral for her interviews with Drake, Lil Yachty and Offset has joined the cast of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County.” No, Althoff is not Mormon; she is Christian. She will star alongside other creators like Aspyn Ovard (2.3 million Instagram followers), Avery Woods (2.6 million TikTok followers) and Salomé Andrea (1.6 million TikTok followers).
Curry Barker will direct “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” reimagining at A24
Curry Barker, known for being part of the comedy collective That’s a Bad Idea (1.3 million TikTok followers), will be directing a reimagining of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” with A24. Little is known about what direction Barker plans to take, but this isn’t the first time the comedy creator has tried his hand at horror. He also directed, wrote and edited the supernatural movie “Obsession,” which is set to have a theatrical release on May 15.
@littlevictorianboy Why you get distracted when your girlfriend is talking #couples @lexieshoaibi @Felder ♬ original sound – littlevictorianboy
Who to Watch
Colin Stanley
Watching Colin Stanley’s littlevictorianboy account (432,000 TikTok followers) is a bit like watching Adult Swim at 2 in the morning. You have no idea what’s going to happen at any given moment, but you can’t look away. Stanley’s sketches often mirror TikTok’s feed itself, creating a stream of reaction videos to topics as bizarre as a man who wants to turn women into cubes or activating crab mode to scare away rival hikers. It’s pure madness but in the best possible way.
Bonus Content
- Beast Games Isn’t “Mid” Anymore; It’s A Huge Flop (via Entertainment Strategy Guy)
- This Scammer Used an AI-Generated MAGA Girl to Grift ‘Super Dumb’ Men (via Wired)
- The Video Clipping Machine Behind Clavicular’s Viral Fame (via Bloomberg)
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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.
