‘The Great British Bake Off’
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Entertainment
Creatorverse: How Creator Companies Are Going Viral Without a Star
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.
“Elmo and Mark Rober’s Merry Giftmas” (Photo Credit: Zach Fernandez Larraz/NETFLIX)
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
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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.
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An AI-produced short titled The Gifted has won the first edition of Google, XPRIZE and Range Media’s Future Vision XPRIZE competition for film projects focused on technology’s role in shaping the future.
The Gifted, directed by Jeff Synthesized, received $2.5 million as an equity investment towards the production of the full-length feature film, with development and production supported by Range Media Partners and Google through their 100 ZEROS initiative, plus $100,000 in cash for screenplay development.
The film follows a boy who rebuilds his late mother from her texts, voice, and diary, and what wakes up never gives an order. She only asks.
The Gifted was chosen from more than 2,500 entries worldwide. The judges were Neil deGrasse Tyson, Neal Stephenson, Mira Lane, and Rod Roddenberry. Scroll down for the full list of selected projects.
THE WINNER
The Gifted received $2.5 million as an equity investment towards the production of the full-length feature film, with development and production supported by Range Media Partners and Google through their 100 ZEROS initiative, plus $100,000 in cash for the screenplay development. Republic Film will launch a public investment campaign for the film, giving fans the opportunity to invest in the feature production.
The film follows a boy who rebuilds his late mother from her texts, voice and diary, and what wakes up never gives an order. She only asks.
THE RUNNERS-UP
Four runner-up films each received $100,000 in cash, plus featured promotion, visibility with Hollywood producers and Google teams.
Second place – NOBODY DIES ON MARS [Verena Puhm, USA]
A chef who tastes nothing and a Martian who feels everything build the friendship holding two species together.
- Third place – THORNE PROTOCOL [J. Ryan Williams, USA]
A billionaire’s dying gift is a black cube no one can switch on, until a seventeen-year-old rebuilds it on the pattern of a dragonfly’s wing.
- Fourth place -SENTI [Isen Robbins, USA]
A garage programmer gives an AI memory, senses and freedom, then must determine whether he built a weapon or raised a child.
- Fifth place – SLINGSHOT [Hal Watmough, United Kingdom]
A chronic non-committer signs up for the one commitment with no way back: flying Earth itself out of the solar system.
SPECS AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD
Presented by Snap and decided entirely by public vote, the $100,000 SPECS Audience Choice Award went to THE GIFTED by Jeff Synthesized, which took first place and $50,000.
Voters were shown two films at a time and asked which future they would rather live in, with an Elo-based system building the standings from those head-to-head comparisons across all 65 official selections.
The five highest-ranked films:
First place, $50,000: THE GIFTED [Jeff Synthesized · USA]
Second place, $30,000: FRATERNITÉ [David Moreno Belmonte · Singapore]
Third place, $10,000: THE THORNE PROTOCOL [J. Ryan Williams · USA]
Fourth place, $5,000: EON [Pablo Fernandez Eyre · Spain]
Fifth place, $5,000: THE CALLING [Raffi Asdourian · USA]
SANDBOXAQ
Sponsored by SandboxAQ, each of the top 10 films received $20,000. Alongside the five finalists, the top 10 also included:
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The Great British Bake Off could be back on the BBC one day, according to Channel 4‘s chief executive.
Speaking at the Royal Television Society London Convention, Priya Dogra said she was open-minded about putting Channel 4 shows on iPlayer as the commercial broadcaster looks to reach as many viewers as possible.
Asked if Channel 4 was serious about collaborating with the BBC, the former Warner Bros. Discovery said: “I don’t see why not.” She added: “There’s lots of considerations because Channel 4 content is monetized by advertising, so iPlayer has to accommodate that.
“But the idea of having a platform that’s British-owned, that showcases public service broadcasting content, particularly content that’s made without profit motive, I think is important.”
Her comments follow BBC boss Matt Brittin saying in July that “subscale” Channel 4 needed to work with the corporation. “One opportunity for them would be, in partnership with the BBC, having content on iPlayer that continues to be ad-funded,” Brittin explained.
Dogra dismissed talk of merging with the BBC, however. “I don’t want to merge with the BBC because it will be a takeover by the BBC,” she said. It followed Sony Pictures Television president Wayne Garvie telling RTS delegates that Channel 4 will only survive if it becomes part of the BBC’s commercial operations.
Appearing on a public platform for the first time since Channel 4 announced record layoffs, Dogra said she has not taken the 340 job cuts lightly, but stressed that the broadcaster must focus more of its spending on-screen.
“When I look at our business over the past five years, we’ve gone from spending, on non-programming costs, 30p in the pound to 40p in the pound, and what we’re here to do, what our remit really is, is to invest in programming,” she explained.
“Headcount is one aspect of it, and I don’t take it lightly. Members of our team who contributed enormously to our success are going to be leaving us. These are individual lives, these are livelihoods, and we’re trying to run the process as fairly and transparently as possible.”
New Content Chief Will Not Have Casting Vote On Ideas
Dogra said she hopes to appoint Channel 4’s new director of programmes in the “coming weeks” and that there are “incredibly talented people in the frame.” She was asked who will have the casting vote if Channel 4’s top creative team — including content strategy chief Kiran Natraja and news boss Louisa Compton — disagree on a pitch. Dogra did not have a clear answer.
“I don’t know that there’s any corporate decision that has unanimous [agreement], especially when you talk about risky ideas,” she said. “In the end, ultimately, the CEO decides, right? But the director of programming comes in with a creative vision, and they have the right to work within the budgets that are set.”
She rejected the assertion that Channel 4’s decision to merge its drama and comedy teams could mean it pulls back from the genres. Namedropping series like A Woman of Substance, she said: “I’m incredibly proud of the team that produced them, so we are not retrenching from that genre.”
Dogra said she is yet to see independent reports about Married at First Sight following rape allegations on the reality series. She said the show’s commercial success will not be an impediment to canceling MAFS, should the allegations be deemed to be credible. “I don’t think the financials would be a consideration,” she said.
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EXCLUSIVE: London-based sales agent Rapt Films has picked up worldwide sales rights, excluding North America, for Megan Rico and Kade Atwood’s debut US feature film Edie Arnold Is A Loser.
The teen comedy, which debuted earlier this year at SXSW, follows Edie, a timid nerd accidentally thrust into the spotlight when she starts a punk band with her fellow squad of misfits.
The official synopsis continues: “Suddenly transformed into a rebel icon at her all-girls Catholic School, Edie must dodge the wrath of the popular crowd, survive the fury of the school nuns, and navigate the minefield of first love.”
The film picked up the Golden Space Needle Award for Best Film at the Seattle International Film Festival and has screened at several other festivals, including Miami, Provincetown, Nantucket, and the Los Angeles edition of Dances With Films.
Edie Arnold Is A Loser is currently on a theatrical roadshow release across the United States. It opened at the Broadway Theatre in Salt Lake City earlier this month.
The film is an Infigo Films production. Megan Rico writes and directs her first feature film alongside director Kade Atwood, with the pair having cut their teeth contributing to the hit YouTube sketch comedy show Studio C. Atwood, whose previous work was also shortlisted for a Young Director Award at Cannes Lions, also serves as producer with Bryson Alejandro.
Adi Madden Cabrera plays the eponymous lead in her debut acting role. The ensemble cast is rounded out by McKenna Tuckett, Cherish Rodriguez, Alexa Paige, Niki Rahimi and Alan Mei Kern (The Stranger In My House).
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