Hey Creatorverse readers,
Amid all the chatter about brand deals and follower counts, the charitable side of creators is often overlooked. This past week, two major creators — MrBeast (510 million YouTube subscribers) and Jacksepticeye (31 million subscribers) — doubled down on giving back.
Though MrBeast and Jacksepticeye are the two creators making headlines right now, philanthropic efforts are baked into the work of many creators, partially because giveaways and community alignment are so core to the creator ecosystem. That focus has translated into an increase in donations from Millennial and Gen Z audiences as donations overall have declined.
MrBeast partnered with Disney and Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) on “I Granted 100 Kids Their Biggest Wish!” a video that chronicled celebrities like MrBeast, Dwayne Johnson and LeBron James granting some of the biggest dreams to children who have been diagnosed with cancer. The goal of the video is to increase awareness for pediatric cancer and raise funds for research, which naturally includes an elaborate MrBeast giveaway for anyone who donates to the charity Give Kids The World. Since being posted on Sunday, the video has accumulated over 30 million views. Those views will only increase as the video remains on MrBeast’s channel for the next six months.
“We’ve never had an opportunity like this to engage people all over the world, and certainly not through a creator platform at this scale. So, it’s truly a ‘first’ for SU2C,” Pam Williams, a member of the SU2C founders and advisors committee, told me. So far it’s a strategy that’s working. The video has been seen by people in 68 countries so far, and almost 90% of donators are supporting the organization for the first time.
As for Seán William McLoughlin, aka Jacksepticeye, last week he announced the return of his creator-led fundraising initiative, Thankmas. But this time around, the fundraising drive will run for six months, culminating in a livestream in December. Thankmas 2026 has already raised $90,000 for Make-A-Wish and has granted nine wishes. By the end of the campaign, McLoughlin hopes to grant 300 wishes.
“What we’ve seen is that content creators have an incredible ability to build communities.They create spaces where people feel connected through shared interests, and when they get behind a cause, those communities often want to get involved too,” Leslie Motter, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America, told me. “For Make-A-Wish, that’s especially meaningful because every wish relies on people coming together to make it possible. Whether it’s raising funds, sharing our mission or helping us reach new supporters, creators are introducing more people to the life-changing impact of a wish for children with critical illnesses.”
Requests to meet creators make up more than 32% of all Make-A-Wish asks, a stat that reflects how important creators are to children. Creator wishes have also doubled over the past decade as creators themselves have also become more involved in the organization. In the last year, more than 50 creators became first-time wish granters.
“Those relationships can bring joy, inspiration and a sense of belonging during a difficult time. When creators use their platforms to support Make-A-Wish, they’re not only helping create unforgettable wish experiences, they’re helping us move closer to our vision of granting the wish of every eligible child,” Motter said.
Now onto the rest.
Kayla Cobb
Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com
What’s New
“The Odyssey” press tour has creators to thank, and the Critics Choice Association is giving creators their own awards show
With $666 million globally, Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” is a certified box office hit, and some of that success likely came from the movie’s creator-heavy press tour. Reece Feldman’s, aka Guy With a Movie Camera (2.8 million TikTok followers), behind-the-scenes footage for the movie generated more than 12 million views on one video. As for Brittany Broski’s “Royal Court” (1.3 million YouTube subscribers), a video featuring Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway hit more than 2 million views, The Publish Press observed while scoring her an interview with Seth Meyers. If you’re still wondering why creators channels have overtaken legacy media in the press cycle, that’s why.
The important role creators play in the entertainment ecosystem is why the Critics Choice Association’s Creator Awardsfeel so tone deaf to me. Creators don’t need another awards show for Hollywood to ignore; there are already plenty of those. They want — and deserve — validation from the entertainment giants that they’re the future of the industry. But what do I know?
Steven Bartlett’s “The Diary of a CEO” may usurp Joe Rogan as the biggest podcast
There is a very real chance that Steven Bartlett’s “The Diary of a CEO” may become the biggest podcast by the end of the year, unseating “The Joe Rogan Experience.” That’s a big deal because Rogan has held onto that title for years. However, Bartlett’s show has grown by 2 million subscribers over the past four months and has seen strong growth.
IShowSpeed breaks a Reels record and becomes YouTube’s biggest streamer
IShowSpeed’s behind-the-scenes clip with BTS at the World Cup broke a Reels record, accumulating over 300 million views in 24 hours. There’s also a very high chance that Speed is YouTube’s biggest streamer as he has over 59.7 million subscribers (Because YouTube doesn’t rank its creators, it’s difficult to measure these things, but Speed is certainly the biggest in America). Speed’s Reels record was then broken on Monday by an AI-generated video of a wave destroying a set, but that seems like it’s a whole other, algorithm-manipulated thing.
Platform Updates
Peacock and YouTube are bundling together
Peacock Premium will be offered to millions of YouTube Premium subscribers starting in early 2027. The streaming offering will also be available as a separate add-on subscription through YouTube Primetime Channels starting this summer. This bundle further cements the creator hub as an entertainment staple. It’s also coming as NBCUniversal prepares to be spun off from Comcast over the next 12 months.
Substack will let subscribers know whether newsletters are being written by AI
Substack partnered with the AI detection tool Pangram to let readers know whether or not newsletters were written by AI. However, some users have noted that the tool isn’t exactly accurate. As AI-generated content has continued to infiltrate all corners of social media, there’s been significant pushback to the tech, specifically from audiences.
Patreon cuts 20% of its staff, citing AI
Patreon cut 20% of its staff, or 93 employees, last Thursday. AI was listed as the reason as Patreon intends to use the technology to “flatten” the organization and refocus on its top priorities. This continues the trend of massive tech companies, like Meta, cutting middle management in the AI era.
“AI has fundamentally transformed the tech industry,” CEO Jack Conte wrote in a memo to staff, noting that the pace of change in the industry has “never been more intense.”
@davejorgenson Elon Musk explains why he’s not racist. Last week, Elon Musk gave an interview at his Texas Gigafactory to Zanny Minton Beddoes, The Economist’s editor-in-chief. This is a condensed version of the 84 minute interview. The answers have not been changed. Video from The Economist.
♬ original sound – Dave Jorgenson 🕺
Movers and Shakers
Dave Jorgenson’s Local News International hits over 424,000 YouTube subscribers after a year
Remember Dave Jorgenson, the former Washington Post TikToker who left to launch his own company? It’s now been a year since Jorgenson left and Local News International (LNI) has grown to 424,000 YouTube subscribers; over 820 million views across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook; 15,000 newsletter subscribers and a Webby Award. Big congrats to the LNI team.
“SubwayTakes” is hosting a live show in Brooklyn
After scoring an Emmy nomination, Kareem Rahma is taking “SubwayTakes” to the people. The creator will host four live shows at the Brooklyn Improv in August, continuing the trend of creators hosting live events.
“I like the idea of people coming to a ticketed event, watching ‘SubwayTakes live’ and engaging with the brand in a new way,” Rahma previously told me. “And I do like the idea of being able to have another piece of content — aka the edited live show that can then exist somewhere else where people can tune into it.” Netflix’s next acquisition, anyone?
Arizona State University will offer a content creation major
Arizona State University is the latest college that will offer a creator program to its students. Starting this fall, the academic institution will offer a content creation major through its journalism school, following in the footsteps of Syracuse University. Speaking of Syracuse, will launch its Center for the Creator Economy this fall and offering a minor in the creator economy.
The Democratic National Committee is also investing in creators. The political organization is working with over 500 creators as part of its Influencer and Creative program.
Who to Watch
Zandland
Often when creators and journalists cover the odder corners of the internet, they do so with an unkind, almost jeering eye. That’s not the case when it comes to Ben Zand and his YouTube channel Zandland (95,700 YouTube subscribers). Zand’s documentaries are always filled with respect and compassion for their subjects, even when they come with grabbing titles like “I Met A Married Woman With An AI Boyfriend.”
“There isn’t a load of room in legacy media for stories that are simply about the human experience: too small for a commissioner, too quiet for a slate, impossible to pitch as a returnable format,” Zand wrote this week in his newsletter. “That’s the gap Zandland exists to fill. And the response suggests people want exactly that.”
Bonus Content
- What Happened When Meta Used A.I. to Ban Accounts on Facebook and Instagram (via New York Times)
- Some Kids Will Never Think AI Is Cool (via Wired)
- Is Manychat Ruining Comment Sections? (via Link in Bio)
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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.
