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Photo: Drew Snadecki for TVU Networks
Creator Economy

The Tech Company That Powered Kai Cenat’s Streaming University

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 15, 2025 2:00pm PDT
Kai Cenat, the world’s top Twitch streamer, made a splash in late May with a four-day “Streamer University” bootcamp for aspiring creators. Cenat, who has more than 18 million followers on the Amazon-owned site, along with fellow Twitch streamer Dennis Duke and rapper and YouTuber DDG and others, offered up classes teaching streamers how to... Kai Cenat, the world’s top Twitch streamer, made a splash in late May with a four-day “Streamer...
TikTok creator Bryce Hall. Photo courtesy of "Skillhouse."
Creator Economy

A New Influencer Horror Film Shot at the Sway House

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 10, 2025 2:00pm PDT
Influencers aren’t just appearing on TV screens, but also increasingly on big screens. On Friday, a new horror film starring digital creators called “Skillhouse” will premiere in some AMC and Regal showhouses.The film follows 10 fictional influencers who are lured into a content house where they have to compete in social media challenges and... Influencers aren’t just appearing on TV screens, but also increasingly on big screens. On Friday,...
Linda Yaccarino. Photo via Getty
Creator Economy

Linda Yaccarino’s Legacy Turning X Into a Creator Destination

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 9, 2025 2:00pm PDT · 1 comment
Everyone is buzzing about Linda Yaccarino stepping down as the CEO of Elon Musk’s X after two years at the helm. During her tenure, she often referenced creators in public remarks and in posts on X. But the company has had a mixed track record when it comes to creator tools and making it a more popular destination for influencers. Everyone is buzzing about Linda Yaccarino stepping down as the CEO of Elon Musk’s X after two...
Photo via Getty
What We Know—And Don’t Know—About the New TikTok App
By Kaya Yurieff and Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Jul 8, 2025 2:00pm PDT
Photo via Getty
Creator Economy

What We Know—And Don’t Know—About the New TikTok App

By Kaya Yurieff and Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Jul 8, 2025 2:00pm PDT
On Sunday, our team scooped that TikTok is planning a new version of its app for users in the U.S. ahead of a planned sale of the app to a group of investors. The news is generating a lot of buzz—and a lot of questions—among creators, everyday users of the app and TikTok employees and business partners who weren’t aware of the plans and are... On Sunday, our team scooped that TikTok is planning a new version of its app for users in the...
Misbah Uraizee and Farah Uraizee, co-founders of Nectar Social. Image via Nectar Social.
Creator Economy

A Startup’s AI Bots Scour Web for Social Sentiment

By Alex Perry · Jul 3, 2025 2:35pm PDT · 1 comment
As you might’ve noticed from our latest Creator Economy database update, fundraising by creator startups in the second quarter dropped from the year-ago quarter as well as the first three months of the year. It’s notable though, that investments in startups focused on artificial intelligence and marketing rose over both periods. In fact, funding... As you might’ve noticed from our latest Creator Economy database update, fundraising by creator...
Chart by Shane Burke
Creator Economy

U.S. Funding for Creator Startups Falls in the Second Quarter

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 2, 2025 2:00pm PDT
The rebound for U.S. creator economy startups has once again faded.Funding for these American companies declined 8% to about $678.9 million during the quarter ending in June compared to the same period a year earlier, according to new data from The Information’s Creator Economy Database. Global funding was also down slightly, decreasing 3% to... The rebound for U.S. creator economy startups has once again faded.Funding for these American...
Photo via Adobe
Creator Economy

TikTok, Instagram May Worsen Streaming Ad Market’s Woes

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 1, 2025 2:00pm PDT
The TV streaming market is getting awfully crowded! Last week, Kalley and I broke the news that Instagram and TikTok are both working on versions of their video apps better suited for TV screens, following YouTube’s success in the living room.It’s easy to understand why these social media companies want to get in the game. Advertisers generally... The TV streaming market is getting awfully crowded! Last week, Kalley and I broke the news that ...
Unicorn co-founders Scott Dunn and Chris Gera. Photo: Unicorn/Chris Gera
A New Startup Runs a Studio to Make Hit Creator Shows
By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 26, 2025 2:23pm PDT · 1 comment
Unicorn co-founders Scott Dunn and Chris Gera. Photo: Unicorn/Chris Gera
Creator Economy

A New Startup Runs a Studio to Make Hit Creator Shows

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 26, 2025 2:23pm PDT · 1 comment
Creator management firms help creators ink brand deals, but they typically don’t also have production facilities to help creators launch projects, such as recurring shows made for YouTube or TikTok.Scott Dunn and Chris Gera are taking a different approach with their new startup Unicorn, which is part talent management firm and part content... Creator management firms help creators ink brand deals, but they typically don’t also have...
Photo by Getty.
Creator Economy

OnlyFans’ AI Skepticism Is Its Biggest Risk

By Anita Ramaswamy and Kaya Yurieff · Jun 25, 2025 2:06pm PDT
Recently, I argued that OnlyFans could sell itself for at least $30 billion, or nearly four times the price Ukrainian-American billionaire Leonid Radvinsky is reportedly considering, if only it finds an investor willing to overlook the stigma associated with porn. At the same time, though, the company faces the same threat looming over hundreds... Recently, I argued that OnlyFans could sell itself for at least $30 billion, or nearly four times...
Photo via Getty
Creator Economy

YouTube Zeros in on Subscriptions

By Sahil Patel and Kaya Yurieff · Jun 24, 2025 2:27pm PDT
YouTube may already be a behemoth in advertising, but a lot of the video giant’s attention lately has been on its subscription products. In fact, earlier this year YouTube leaders were considering hiring for a new role that could be in charge of all subscription products, as I reported on Monday. (A YouTube spokesperson declined to... YouTube may already be a behemoth in advertising, but a lot of the video giant’s attention lately...
Lisa McKnight, Chief Brand Officer of Mattel. Photo via Getty
Creator Economy

Big Brands Are Thinking More Like Creators

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 19, 2025 1:00pm PDT
Hello from the very hot French Riviera, where I’m wrapping up my time at Cannes Lions!On Thursday morning, I moderated a panel with two Mattel executives: Lisa McKnight, chief brand officer, and Jason Horowitz, global head of marketing and media. It’s striking how much brands are starting to operate more like creators. The most... Hello from the very hot French Riviera, where I’m wrapping up my time at Cannes Lions!On...
From left: Morgan Absher, Host of Two Hot Takes, “The Bachelorette” star Rachel Lindsay, Jake Shane, Host of Therapuss and Roman Wasenmüller, Head of Podcast Business at Spotify. Photo by Getty Images for Spotify.
Podcasters Want to Go Live On Spotify (Again)
By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 18, 2025 1:00pm PDT
From left: Morgan Absher, Host of Two Hot Takes, “The Bachelorette” star Rachel Lindsay, Jake Shane, Host of Therapuss and Roman Wasenmüller, Head of Podcast Business at Spotify. Photo by Getty Images for Spotify.
Creator Economy

Podcasters Want to Go Live On Spotify (Again)

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 18, 2025 1:00pm PDT
Podcasters are a visible presence at Cannes Lions this year, joining the several hundred creators in attendance. I caught up with three of them—Jake Shane, Rachel Lindsay and Morgan Ashley Absher— at Spotify’s beachfront event, and asked them what features they’d like to see Spotify roll out next. Their answer surprised me: They... Podcasters are a visible presence at Cannes Lions this year, joining the several hundred creators...
TikTok employees Khartoon Weiss, Sofia Hernandez, Kim Farrell, David Kaufman and Moritz Bartsch speak at the TikTok Cannes Lions press preview today. Photo via Getty.
Creator Economy

TikTok Wants Time on Your TV Screen

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 17, 2025 1:00pm PDT
I’m at Cannes Lions, where I spent the morning with TikTok’s marketing leaders. As YouTube has made expanding on living room screens a top priority, I’ve been curious if TikTok will follow suit. While TikTok tried launching an app for TV screens on Android a few years ago, the ByteDance-owned company hasn’t seemed to put much promotion... I’m at Cannes Lions, where I spent the morning with TikTok’s marketing leaders. As YouTube...
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel at The Information’s Future of Influence event last week. Photo by Erin Beach
Creator Economy

Snapchat Now Wants (Some) Videos to Stick Around

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 12, 2025 2:00pm PDT
Snapchat has realized the limits of disappearing content—especially when it comes to attracting creators. On Thursday, the app said users will be able to automatically save their disappearing Stories to their public profiles. That’s a big change, and it’s one that should help make the app more of a destination for creators, whose Instagram,... Snapchat has realized the limits of disappearing content—especially when it comes to attracting...
Photo via Getty
Creator Economy

From Mattel to Perplexity, What to Expect at Cannes

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 11, 2025 2:00pm PDT
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the influential advertiser conference in the south of France, is kicking off next week—and creators and artificial intelligence will be the key themes.Organizers expect a big uptick in creator attendance this year—and a much more global crowd. Most creators last year came from the U.S. and... The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the influential advertiser conference in...
Roman Wasenmüller, Spotify’s head of podcast business, speaks at The Information's Future of Influence event. Photo by Erin Beach
No, It’s Not Too Late to Start a Podcast
By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 10, 2025 2:00pm PDT
Roman Wasenmüller, Spotify’s head of podcast business, speaks at The Information's Future of Influence event. Photo by Erin Beach
Creator Economy

No, It’s Not Too Late to Start a Podcast

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 10, 2025 2:00pm PDT
Podcasting is booming, driven by the rise of video shows and podcasters’ sway during last year’s presidential election. That’s got me thinking about whether podcasting has become too saturated. It’s a question I posed to our podcasting panel at The Information’s Future of Influence event last week in Los Angeles. Spotify doesn’t think so.... Podcasting is booming, driven by the rise of video shows and podcasters’ sway during last year’s...
Dude Perfect’s Andrew Yaffe, Coca-Cola’s Valeria Herzer and John Deere’s Jen Hartmann. Photo by Erin Beach.
Creator Economy

Coca-Cola and Unilever Shift Creator Strategies

By Kaya Yurieff and Ann Gehan · Jun 5, 2025 2:00pm PDT
Agencies have long functioned as an intermediary between creators and advertisers. But they may start to get squeezed out, as major brands and creators try to build longer-term relationships with each other and take more creative risks.  “Outsourcing” relationships between brands and creators will no longer fly, said Esi Eggleston... Agencies have long functioned as an intermediary between creators and advertisers. But they may...
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel at The Information's Future of Influence event on Tuesday in Los Angeles. Photo by Erin Beach
Creator Economy

Snap’s Spiegel on Trump, Shopping and His New Role as a Creator

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 4, 2025 2:15pm PDT
OMG! What a day we had in Hollywood on Tuesday at The Information’s Future of Influence event. I loved meeting new readers, seeing familiar faces and hearing from our fabulous lineup of speakers including creators Adam W and Victoria Garrick Browne and executives from Meta Platforms, YouTube, Spotify and Substack. A big thank you to... OMG! What a day we had in Hollywood on Tuesday at The Information’s Future of Influence event. I...
Photo via Adobe
Creator Economy

Why Creators Are Inking More FAST Channel Deals

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 3, 2025 1:00pm PDT
As we send out this newsletter, we are kicking off our Future of Influence event in Los Angeles. We look forward to seeing so many of our subscribers in person! Keep an eye on theinformation.com for our latest coverage from the event, and we’ll be back with more highlights in Wednesday’s newsletter.  One of the major themes of our... As we send out this newsletter, we are kicking off our Future of Influence event in Los Angeles....
Hailey Bieber. Photo via Getty
A $1 Billion Boost to Beauty M&A
By Laura Mandaro and Ann Gehan · May 29, 2025 2:01pm PDT
Hailey Bieber. Photo via Getty
Creator Economy

A $1 Billion Boost to Beauty M&A

By Laura Mandaro and Ann Gehan · May 29, 2025 2:01pm PDT
After explosive growth, a generation of beauty brands that blew up on TikTok over the past few years seemed at risk of stalling out. Startups selling lip gloss and body creams lined up bankers last year, hoping for sales to larger consumer product companies. Then few of those deals actually happened.That is, until Wednesday, when Elf Beauty said... After explosive growth, a generation of beauty brands that blew up on TikTok over the past few...