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It’s Friday and one startup is facing an unexpected problem: it’s apparently struggling to give away free TVs.

Today’s News

CREATOR COMMOTION

Can a docuseries bring “the Alix Earle Effect” to Netflix?

The docuseries: Netflix is enhancing its arsenal in the creator arms race. Shortly after announcing a pact with YouTube star Alan Chikin Chow (who will add a rare creator-led scripted show to the streamer’s library), the streamer has unveiled an upcoming creator docuseries designed to add more youth to its subscriber numbers.

The streamer’s cameras will go behind the scenes of Alix Earle’s videos to paint an intimate portrait of the 25-year-old TikTok star’s family. In an interview with Netflix, Earle said that the unscripted series will portray her “real life beyond the quick clips.” Several members of her family will find themselves in the spotlight, including Ashtin Earle, Alix’s sister and a prominent creator in her own right.

The context: This is far from the first creator docuseries hosted by a streaming service. The strategy dates at least as far back as Vine star Hayes Grier and his go90 show Top Grier, with more recent examples including Snap original Addison Rae Goes Home, Hulu’s The D’Amelio Show, and HBO’s Paul American.

Those docuseries have tended to benefit their stars more than their host platforms. Rae, for instance, has become a charting pop star, while Charli D’Amelio snagged a victory on Dancing With the Stars. Now, Earle (another DWTS alum) stands to wring more renown out of her Netflix close-up.

But what about Netflix itself? Will the streamer benefit from a docuseries focused around a social media star?

We’d be surprised if it doesn’t. Netflix has already benefited from its relationship with Jake Paul, and its latest creator partner has a similarly influential vibe. If the so-called “Alix Earle Effect” can move the needle for beauty brands, it can probably sell some Netflix subscriptions - and ads - too.

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MIP London 2026 is shining a spotlight on microdramas

In just one month, the second edition of MIP London will bring thousands of digital media professionals and 500+ buyers to London for three days of first-look screenings, one-on-one networking, and expert-led sessions. 

Microdramas are taking center stage at MIP London 2026.

The international content market’s 2026 programme will feature a main stage panel and first-time summit featuring key players from the microdrama industry, with discussion topics covering…

• Audience trends

• Platform strategy

• Monetisation models

• Creative and commercial dynamics

• Global opportunities

On February 22, the Microdrama & Vertical Content Leaders’ Summit will present a series of industry roundtables, with curated discussions focused on partnership opportunities and long-term value creation.

The next day, an expert-led panel will shed light on the inner workings of the microdrama industry. Meet the speakers: 

Timothy Oh: As Managing Director at COL Group International—which offers over 1,000 internationally distributed titles—Oh leads international strategy and growth for the company’s global microdrama business, overseeing content distribution, partnerships and market expansion.

Alex Montalvo: As Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer of the first Hollywood-backed microdrama platform, GammaTime, Montalvo leads creative strategy, partnerships, and content development.

Visit the MIP London website to learn more, and secure your spot at the market:

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Content execs Matt McDonald and Derek Scobie have launched Artie, a new platform that aims to be the middleman between rising creators and their financiers. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC (aka the joint venture taking over TikTok’s U.S. assets) has officially “been established in compliance with the Executive Order signed by President Trump on September 25, 2025.” (TikTok USDS JV)
  
  

• Substack has launched a TV app for Apple TV and Google TV, triggering protests from creators and subscribers. (Deadline)
  
  

• Vimeo is reportedly laying off “a large portion” of its staff in the aftermath of its $1.38 billion acquisition by Bending Spoons. (The Verge)

SHOW BIZ

Kickstarter itself is backing Creator Camp’s Two Sleepy People

The context: You’ve heard of projects getting backed on Kickstarter. It’s a lot rarer for projects to get backed by Kickstarter.

But that’s exactly what’s happened to Creator Camp.

The indie filmmaking initiative turned full-fledged production was founded in 2021 by digital creators Max Reisinger, Simon Kim, and Chris Duncan. Their goal: to give digital content creators funding and production support to make big-screen projects without relying on Hollywood.

Last year, after putting on a 1,000-person film festival in partnership with Patreon, Creator Camp formalized and rented a massive space to turn into a production studio. Not long after, it unveiled its debut feature-length film, which was directed and starred in by Baron Ryan and Caroline Grossman.

Two Sleepy People was written by Ryan and Grossman in 12 days and completed in 100. An initial run of the film put it in four theaters across Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City, where earnings per screen added up to around $10,500 (per IndieWire). Creator Camp then snagged a three-picture deal with Attend Theatrical Marketplace—which connects independent filmmakers with theaters and other exhibitors—and sent Two Sleepy People on a longer theater run in November.

The fresh support: Now, Creator Camp’s big film debut has caught the attention of Kickstarter. In a press release, the crowdfunding platform said it will “support the wide theatrical release of Two Sleepy People” and praised the film for being “made outside the traditional studio system and carried forward by online community support.”

Kickstarter’s support will help put Two Sleepy People in theaters across the U.S., although it’s not yet clear exactly how many screens that will be.

POLITICS AS USUAL

A group of Democratic Senators is hosting a creator summit at the U.S. Capitol

The summit: Democrats are hoping strong alliances with top creators can help them win more Congressional seats during the 2026 midterm elections

On February 11, the Democratic Strategic Communications Committee (SCC) will host a creator summit at the U.S. Capitol in D.C. to address concerns that the Dems are “losing hold of culture” (as Kamala Harris’ Deputy Campaign Manager, Rob Flaherty, admitted in a post-election retrospective).

According to Scalable, the invite list for the summit will include content creators, independent journalists, and new media voices.

The context: Democrats were once the U.S. political party with the strongest ties to digital creators. President Obama’s live-streamed conversations with YouTube stars gave younger generations unprecedented access to the Oval Office, and President Biden continued that effort by inviting creators to join him at a 2024 White House summit.

Throughout the 2024 campaign cycle, however, the Trump team turned the “influencer election” on its head. As Democrats struggled to craft a consistent message, the current president’s conversations with influencers like Theo Von and Nelk helped him gain support from Gen Z and ultimately reclaim the White House.

Since November 2024, Democrats have pursued a fresh start while acknowledging the flaws in past attempts at creator outreach. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has held “creator briefings” related to key issues, and Biden-era Director of Digital Strategy Christian Tom has launched AND Media to support creators whose political views lean to the left.

Most recently, Zohran Mamdani‘s mayoral win in New York City demonstrated that Democratic politicians could create Trump-style groundswells by harnessing the power of social media.

WATCH THIS 👀

Hello Kitty is coming to CoComelon

The character collab: In June 2025, YouTube-born kids’ brand CoComelon announced a partnership with Sanrio, the Japanese entertainment company responsible for iconic characters like Hello Kitty.

Now, the fruits of that deal are coming to, well, fruition. The duo has announced CoComelon Playdates with Sanrio Friends, a YouTube-first series that will “[bring] the beloved worlds of CoComelon and Sanrio together for playful adventures filled with music, imagination, and friendship.”

Check out a teaser for the upcoming series here.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.