It’s Thursday, and after being exiled from Meta platforms, TikTok is taking its ad spend to the competition: YouTube.

TUBE TALK

The report: The data is in on Gen Alpha and Gen Z’s preferred methods for consuming stories—and as Center for Scholars and Storytellers CEO Yalda T. Uhls puts it, “the gatekeepers have changed.”

Proof of that statement comes from the Teens and Screens Report, a survey published by the Center for Scholars and Storytellers at UCLA. After talking to 1,500 respondents between the ages of 10 and 24, the researchers found that YouTube is the top storytelling platform for consumers in that age range.

Nearly 73% of the respondents cited YouTube as the medium that can best convey a story, even when weighed against more traditional options like movies, TV, and video games. All of those mediums were dubbed viable storytelling devices by at least two-thirds of the surveyed youths.

The qualifier: The success of movies like Obsession and Backrooms—as well as Sony’s recent hires of YouTube vets Fede Goldenberg and Lauren Glaubach—shows that mainstream entertainment studios are heeding Uhls’ advice.

But as Hollywood’s creator feeding frenzy continues, caution is warranted. According to the Teens and Screens Report, Gen Z and Gen Alpha love the storytellers they find on YouTube—but they don’t necessarily want to see them in blockbuster productions.

Only 16.8% of the respondents said they would cast an influencer in a movie or TV show. Nearly 40% said they would rather cast an unknown actor. So while U.S. teens want to see their favorite YouTubers thrive, they’re happy to keep that talent concentrated online.

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

SHOPPING SPREE

The history: Nearly a decade ago, French producer/musician Dimitri Somoguy launched a 24/7 music streaming channel on YouTube. Called “ChilledCow,” it was intended to provide background music for folks studying or working.

And to keep those listeners company, ChilledCow’s streams featured a Ghibli-esque animated girl, who listened to music while taking notes, working on a laptop, or reading with her cat close by.

In 2021, Somoguy officially renamed the channel Lofi Girl. Since then, the hub’s leading lady (aka Jade) has become the central figure in a growing cast of characters, the face of an associated record label, and the name behind a set of $50,000 college scholarships awarded to ten students.

The product: Lofi Girl’s newest venture brings her iconic headphones to the brand’s online shop. The $225 product—which is described as having cream shells, red trim, and a scalloped black rim—promises up to 65 hours of listening, 30 dB noise-cancelling, and two-device pairing. Buyers can also pick up a case for $39.99 and an extra set of earpads for $24.99.

The Lofi team has introduced other physical merch in the past (including vinyl records, hoodies, enamel pins, notebooks, backpacks, keypads, and plushies) but this is the first time it’s translated a signature aspect of Jade herself into something tangible.

Releasing a branded product that’s both identifiable and specifically useful to a creator’s particular audience isn’t unusual. We’ve heard years of chatter about how creators need to move past just putting out mugs and T-shirts.

But Lofi Girl has taken an unusually long route. Instead of cashing in on the brand a few months after it went viral, the Lofi team took its time and—from what we can tell—made a quality product that competes, technically and design-wise, with other brands’ offerings.

SPORTS SPHERE

The team: Threads has announced an eight-person commentary team that will lead the app’s NFL coverage during the football season.

Ever since CazeTV dominated the World Cup, sports leagues across the world have been pivoting toward creator-led coverage. But even before FIFA’s 2026 tourney kicked off, Threads had already begun leveraging creators’ growing presence in the pro sports universe. At the most recent Super Bowl, for example, the platform set up an NFL Media Center that served as a studio space for creators and podcasters.

Now, by assembling a crew that Threads Head Connor Hayes calls “Team Threads,” Meta’s X alternative will offer comprehensive football coverage.

Podcaster Griffin Prock and Black Girls Love Football founder Adrianna Ebron will offer creator perspectives, while Brandon Marshall and Chase Daniel will share their input as former players. Reporters like Matt Lombardo and Mina Kimes (pictured above) will also lend some journalistic expertise to Threads’ game-day lineup.

The (potential) next steps: Is Threads’ push into NFL coverage a prelude to a bigger broadcast deal? Sports discussions receive outsized attention on both Threads and X, giving Meta plenty of incentive to take up more space in the world of pro athletics.

The idea of an NFL game being broadcast exclusively through Meta platforms still seems like a long shot, but if the tech giant ever does secure a deal like that, it will have a commentary team ready to go.

WATCH THIS 👀

The creator bootcamp: When the latest creator-themed episode of Jeopardy! hits YouTube tonight, fans can expect contestants Angela Giarratana, Michelle Khare, and Josh Scherer to be thoroughly prepared for the iconic quiz show.

Brennan Lee Mulligan made sure of that. A new upload on the official Jeopardy! YouTube hub shows Giarratana, Khare, and Scherer training their brains under the careful watch of the Dropout star, who claimed victory in the first volume of Jeopardy! YouTube Edition.

Will this year’s competitors make him proud? Head over to Jeopardy!’s YouTube channel at 9 PM ET to find out.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, James Hale, and Josh Cohen.