Recent Editions

Creator Don Allen Stevenson III and Mark Zuckerberg at today's event. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty.
Creator Economy

Meta Re-Ups Creator Chatbots, This Time in Video

By Rocket Drew · Sep 25, 2024 3:12pm PDT
Creators played a big role at Meta’s annual developer conference last year, when Instagram unveiled a line of artificial intelligence-powered chatbots styled after celebrities. Meta scrapped that experiment earlier this year, in favor of helping influencers make their own chatbots.Meta is now expanding these chatbots beyond text messages.... Creators played a big role at Meta’s annual developer conference last year, when Instagram...
Hulu's “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” centers on a group of eight Mormon moms who have found viral TikTok fame. Photo via YouTube/Hulu
Creator Economy

The Talent Managers Who Brought TikTok’s ‘Mormon Moms’ to Hulu

By Kaya Yurieff · Sep 24, 2024 3:01pm PDT
I’ve been binging Hulu’s new reality TV series, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” which follows the lives of eight young TikTok-famous Mormon moms who get caught up in a scandal where some of them hooked up with each other’s husbands.Even though that drama played out in real time on TikTok two years ago, the show has become a huge hit. Hulu... I’ve been binging Hulu’s new reality TV series, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” which follows...
MrBeast during the MrBeast Feastables launch car giveaway at Sydney Opera House. Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage via Getty.
Creator Economy

MrBeast Fumbles His $100 Million Amazon Deal

By Kaya Yurieff · Sep 19, 2024 2:00pm PDT
It’s been quite the summer for MrBeast—and not in a good way. The latest: He and Amazon were hit with a class action lawsuit this week from five unnamed contestants on the upcoming $100 million reality competition show “Beast Games.” They cited a wide array of complaints, ranging from sexual harassment during the production to lack of overtime... It’s been quite the summer for MrBeast—and not in a good way. The latest: He and Amazon were hit...
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Photo via YouTube
YouTube Unveils a Cornucopia of AI Tools
By Kaya Yurieff · Sep 18, 2024 2:01pm PDT
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Photo via YouTube
Creator Economy

YouTube Unveils a Cornucopia of AI Tools

By Kaya Yurieff · Sep 18, 2024 2:01pm PDT
It’s been a busy week for creator economy events, from TikTok’s day in court to LTKCon and Snap’s Partner Summit—and it’s only Wednesday!Earlier today, I attended the annual Made On YouTube presentation, where executives including CEO Neal Mohan announced a host of new features for creators. Some will probably be popular, as they copy already... It’s been a busy week for creator economy events, from TikTok’s day in court to LTKCon and Snap’s...
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel. Photo by Snap.
Creator Economy

Snap Tries for a Streamlined App—With a Lot of Features

By Erin Woo · Sep 17, 2024 3:26pm PDT
Snapchat, launched more than a decade ago, has been showing its wear. The app is a jumble of features, from TikTok-like videos (Spotlight) to Maps to its flagship disappearing Stories. With a major redesign unveiled Tuesday, it’s attempting to streamline the way its 850 million monthly users interact with the photo messaging app. Many may... Snapchat, launched more than a decade ago, has been showing its wear. The app is a jumble of...
TikTok creator Talia Cadet speaks to reporters outside the courthouse in Washington on Monday. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images.
Creator Economy

TikTok’s Tough Day in Court

By Kaya Yurieff · Sep 16, 2024 3:00pm PDT · 2 comments
Things are not looking great for TikTok. I spent the morning hearing TikTok’s lawyers present their arguments to convince a Washington appeals court that a ban would infringe on the First Amendment rights of 170 million American users, as well as creators. The response from the court—a panel of three judges of the United States Court of... Things are not looking great for TikTok. I spent the morning hearing TikTok’s lawyers present...
Photo by Bloomberg via Getty
Creator Economy

Stripe Likes Creators—as Long as They’re SFW

By Laura Mandaro · Sep 12, 2024 2:21pm PDT
For creators, getting paid comes a close second in importance to reaching fans. But we don’t often get an inside look at how the payments—from tips to subscriptions—happen. That’s why our colleague Michael Roddan’s reporting on Stripe earlier this week is a must read. Fintech companies like Stripe have leaned into a surge in online payments... For creators, getting paid comes a close second in importance to reaching fans. But we don’t...
Demonstrators hold signs in support of TikTok outside the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. in March. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.
TikTok’s Tougher Legal Fight
By Kaya Yurieff · Sep 11, 2024 2:24pm PDT
Demonstrators hold signs in support of TikTok outside the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. in March. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.
Creator Economy

TikTok’s Tougher Legal Fight

By Kaya Yurieff · Sep 11, 2024 2:24pm PDT
I’ll be in Washington on Monday, when TikTok’s legal team will argue that a new law that could shut down the app in January is an infringement on Americans’ freedom of speech. Even as the deadline to this ban gets closer, I’ve been surprised by how unfazed many people, from TikTok staff to the company’s business partners and creators, have been... I’ll be in Washington on Monday, when TikTok’s legal team will argue that a new law that could...
The New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings playing at MetLife Stadium on Saturday. Photo by Luke Hales/Getty.
Creator Economy

A Dispatch From YouTube’s NFL Party With Creators

By Sahil Patel · Sep 10, 2024 1:56pm PDT
It’s YouTube’s second year offering customers the NFL’s Sunday Ticket service, which streams every regular season game outside of a viewer’s local market on Sunday afternoons. As part of that deal, the organizations have invited some top YouTubers to shoot videos from the stadiums, as well as use NFL-owned highlights and other intellectual... It’s YouTube’s second year offering customers the NFL’s Sunday Ticket service, which streams...
Joe Rogan. Photo by SYFY via Getty
Creator Economy

The Superstar Podcast Deals of 2024

By Rocket Drew · Sep 5, 2024 2:00pm PDT
Not too long ago, it didn’t seem plausible that chatting with a friend in front of a microphone could make for a lucrative career. I hosted a weekly radio show for about eight years, starting in 2010, when no one had heard of a podcast. During that time, the most common question I received was “That’s neat, how much does it cost you?” So I... Not too long ago, it didn’t seem plausible that chatting with a friend in front of a microphone...
Creator Jack Settleman of SnapBack Sports. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty.
Creator Economy

A YouTuber Finds the Math on Shorts Doesn’t Add Up

By Kaya Yurieff · Sep 4, 2024 2:35pm PDT
Almost a year ago, I wrote about sports creator Jack Settleman’s decision to abandon a YouTube account that had nearly 600,000 subscribers and start over on YouTube. His initial channel had become popular thanks to Shorts videos, but those viral views didn’t translate over to longer videos or help build a loyal audience, he told me. Almost a year ago, I wrote about sports creator Jack Settleman’s decision to abandon a YouTube...
Sienna Mori and Dan McCormick. Photo courtesy of subjects
Create Raises $5 Million Thanks to Creatine Craze
By Ann Gehan · Sep 3, 2024 2:19pm PDT
Sienna Mori and Dan McCormick. Photo courtesy of subjects
Creator Economy

Create Raises $5 Million Thanks to Creatine Craze

By Ann Gehan · Sep 3, 2024 2:19pm PDT
For years, creatine was best known as a supplement for hardcore gym enthusiasts looking to get a workout boost. More recently, popular podcasters and health and fitness influencers like Joe Rogan and Andrew Huberman have been touting other purported health benefits of creatine, like better cognitive function and sleep.One supplement startup, ... For years, creatine was best known as a supplement for hardcore gym enthusiasts looking to get a...
Colin Kaepernick, Lumi co-founder and former NFL quarterback. Photo courtesy of subject.
Creator Economy

Colin Kaepernick Is Hiring for His New Creator AI Startup

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 29, 2024 2:03pm PDT · 1 comment
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has spent the past several years building his own media and publishing companies. The efforts showed him some of the challenges people face when trying to get their creations out into the world, from production costs to publishers shooting down their ideas.  Last month, he... Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has spent the past several years building...
Photo via Getty
Creator Economy

Influencer Marketing’s Brewing Hangover

By Julia Hornstein · Aug 28, 2024 3:32pm PDT · 1 comment
A federal court in Illinois has breathed new life into a two-year-old class action suit against a handful of creators and the makers of Blue Ice Vodka. The suit claims the Instagram influencers and the vodka maker engaged in false advertising about the “handcrafted” drink’s “health benefits” and failed to disclose their paid relationships.The... A federal court in Illinois has breathed new life into a two-year-old class action suit against a...
Photo by NurPhoto via Getty
Creator Economy

TikTok Head of Content Strategy to Leave: Memo

By Kaya Yurieff and Erin Woo · Aug 27, 2024 2:16pm PDT
It’s been a tumultuous year for TikTok employees, between a looming potential ban of the app in the U.S. to its first widespread layoffs earlier this year. Those changes have included the departures of long-time staff and senior leaders.The latest: Nicole Iacopetti, head of content strategy and policy, is leaving the company effective September... It’s been a tumultuous year for TikTok employees, between a looming potential ban of the app in...
Photos via Set Active
An Athleisure Startup’s Creator-Centric Investor Pitch
By Ann Gehan and Kaya Yurieff · Aug 22, 2024 2:00pm PDT · 2 comments
Photos via Set Active
Creator Economy

An Athleisure Startup’s Creator-Centric Investor Pitch

By Ann Gehan and Kaya Yurieff · Aug 22, 2024 2:00pm PDT · 2 comments
Ever since the pandemic trapped shoppers at home in 2020, the athleisure market has gotten crowded. Startup brands like Alo Yoga and Skims have quickly scaled up to hundreds of millions of dollars in annual sales, and retail giants like Nike and Lululemon have tried to keep up with customers’ changing tastes by adding trendier styles. One... Ever since the pandemic trapped shoppers at home in 2020, the athleisure market has gotten...
Loren Gray has a part in the upcoming Netflix film “Incoming,” which comes out on Friday. Photo: Spyglass Media Group, LLC and Artists Road, LLC/Courtesy of Netflix
Creator Economy

TikTok Queen Loren Gray on Landing Her First Netflix Role

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 21, 2024 2:05pm PDT
Loren Gray is one of the original queens of TikTok, finding early success on its predecessor app Musical.ly in 2015 when she was just 13 years old. Now Gray is the latest social media star to break into traditional acting. She was cast in Netflix’s new film “Incoming,” slated for release Friday, which centers on a group of high school... Loren Gray is one of the original queens of TikTok, finding early success on its predecessor app...
Influencer Deja Foxx spoke at the DNC on Monday. Photo by Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty.
Creator Economy

The DNC’s Creator Play

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 20, 2024 2:18pm PDT
Democrats are trying to one up Republicans when it comes to creators this election cycle. The Democratic National Convention invited more than 200 influencers to the nearly weeklong event, which kicked off on Monday in Chicago. That’s double the number invited to the Republican National Convention last month. It’s the first time either... Democrats are trying to one up Republicans when it comes to creators this election cycle. The ...
Noah Beck, a TikTok influencer who stars in a recently-sold Creator+ film. Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty.
Creator Economy

Creator+ Sells and Two Startups Find Funding

By Akash Pasricha · Aug 15, 2024 2:37pm PDT
We’ve got a trio of creator economy scoops for you today, so let’s get right to it. Creator+, a startup producing and streaming films for creators, has been acquired by Petra Media, a film production company that previously invested in the startup, according to a person familiar with the deal. The terms of its sale couldn’t be learned.... We’ve got a trio of creator economy scoops for you today, so let’s get right to it. Creator+...
President Biden appears at the White House Creator Economy Conference on Wednesday. Photo by Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty.
A Dispatch from the White House’s First Creator Conference
By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 14, 2024 2:58pm PDT
President Biden appears at the White House Creator Economy Conference on Wednesday. Photo by Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty.
Creator Economy

A Dispatch from the White House’s First Creator Conference

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 14, 2024 2:58pm PDT
I spent Wednesday at the White House’s first Creator Economy Conference, which gathered 100 people including social media influencers, talent managers and startup founders and featured a surprise appearance from President Joe Biden. Biden spoke for about 30 minutes, cracking several jokes about his age and quipping that he invited creators... I spent Wednesday at the White House’s first Creator Economy Conference, which gathered 100...