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It’s Tuesday and YouTube is putting users to the test. Can you ace this quiz on the platform’s latest slate of announcements?

Today’s News

TWITCH TALK

Twitch users are getting TikTok-style vertical livestreaming

The announcement: Twitch announced a revolutionary change at this year’s TwitchCon—one that will allow streamers to rotate their broadcasts by 90 degrees and bring the platform’s content in line with rival platforms like TikTok.

The arrival of vertical streams will likely change the way many creators reach fans, but it won’t displace Twitch’s horizontal format altogether. Streamers will be able to go live in both orientations at once, and a partnership with Aitum Vertical will enable dual-format broadcasting through the popular app OBS. In essence, changing the orientation of the device will change the layout of the active stream; mobile Twitch viewers who want to revert to the classic horizontal mode only need to turn their phones to the side.

The context: On TikTok, vertical streams have become quite lucrative for creators. The format’s sales figures are set to jump to $77 billion by 2027—and Twitch owner Amazon wants a piece of the pie. Recent attempts to get in on the action have included the launch of a TikTok-like feed called Inspire in 2023 and a Twitch Discovery feed in 2024.

Despite those efforts, TikTok is gaining on Twitch in the streaming universe. But the introduction of vertical streams isn’t the Amazon-owned platform’s only strategy for recapturing user attention. TwitchCon announcements also encompassed the addition of 1440p to Twitch’s list of video resolutions, providing a premium option for viewers with powerful devices.

 🔆 PRESENTED BY LIONS CREATORS 🔆

LIONS Creators is the chance to connect with the creator economy’s biggest players. Will you be there?

LIONS Creators is more than just a pass to Cannes Lions—it’s the ultimate celebration of creative excellence. From June 16-20, creators will take centre stage, connecting with industry leaders, visionaries, and global executives.

The 2025 programme promises exclusive networking opportunities, including…

Creator night with Alix Earle, Yusuf Mehdi, and Copilot
Kick off the Festival at Microsoft Beach with Alix Earle and Microsoft Consumer Chief Marketing Officer Yusuf Mehdi. Enjoy music and food while networking with fellow creators and learn how to stand out in the industry with brand new Copilot experiences.

Bites and Insights: Brand Pitch Collab Lab with Robyn DelMonte 🧠
Join Robyn DelMonte—aka @girlbosstown—and brand marketers for a rapid-fire creative challenge. Team up with fellow creators, craft a killer marketing idea, and pitch it live for real-time feedback.

LIONS Creators Breakfast Club with Ambassadors Coco Mocoe, Elfried Samba, Zack Honarvar, Robyn DelMonte and Halle Alice Ihenacho 🥐
Start your day with LIONS Creators Ambassadors sharing pro tips that will set you up for a week of inspired creativity.

The Festival is less than two weeks away. Have you planned out your agenda?

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• TikTok says it has “blocked search results for #skinnytok” following backlash from European legislators. (Politico)
  
  

• In a study released by Looper Insights, 34% of consumers named YouTube as their “main source for TV or film content.” (Media Play News)
  
  

• TikTok Shop is sunsetting free shipping subsidies for U.S. sellers amid a renewed push for efficiency. (Business Insider)
  
  

• WndrCo—a venture fund launched in part by DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg—recently co-led a $15.5 million Series A round for AI video ad platform Creatify. (TechCrunch)

GOSPEL STATS 📈

Top 5 Branded Videos: Footballers, fentanyl, and fiery stunts

MrBeast is back on top in Gospel Stats’ latest weekly ranking of most-viewed branded YouTube videos—and this time around, he’s claimed both of the top two slots.

Of course, Jimmy Donaldson’s rise to the top didn’t knock one of the web’s top edutainment channels too far off course. Kurzgesagt still managed to snag a place at #4, despite coming in 96.6 million views behind Donaldson’s #1 vid.

🥇 #1. MrBeast x T-Mobile: Beat Neymar, Win $500,000 (101.8M views)
MrBeast’s latest video challenge offered civilians $500K to beat Brazilian soccer star Neymar Júnior. That exercise in humility was sponsored by T-Mobile, which has been dipping its toes in the water of YouTube sponsorships with extremely marquee clients like Saturday Night Live and Call Her Daddy.

🥈 #2. MrBeast 2 x Jack Link’s: How We Make Our Deadly Traps (12.2M views)
On MrBeast’s side channel, the creator has increasingly been posting behind-the-scenes videos of how major stunts are accomplished for his main channel. The latest video fitting that category was backed by Jack Link’s, a partner that seems to be dipping its toes in Red Bull territory by sponsoring videos involving feats of athleticism and survival.

💊 Bonus Video: #4. Kurzgesagt - In a Nutshell x Ground News: Why Does Fentanyl Feel So Good? (5.2M views)
This week’s bonus video is from Kurzgesagt, which frequently walks viewers through complicated (and occasionally controversial) topics. The edutainment channel’s latest video essay dove into the broader biology of fentanyl, offering insight into the pros and cons of the drug. That exploration was sponsored by frequent brand partner Ground News, which often pays for dozens of fact-sharing videos each week.

Check out the full branded ranking here and head over to Gospel Stats for more YouTube sponsorship insights.

GLOBAL TOP 50 👀

Shorts channels are tapping into the hype surrounding ASMR

The trend: Calming soundscapes get millions of views on YouTube by meeting the needs of light sleepers and anxious students across the globe. ASMR has long been one of the platform’s most successful genres—and as with every viral category of content, short-form channels have been eager to tap into the hype.

Often, Shorts creators repurpose ASMR trends by cobbling together reaction videos that do little to alter the original content. In some cases, however, channels will adopt the buzzwords of the genre without embracing any of its common tropes.

The channel: Take Prism Relax Vlog: of the three words in that channel’s title, two are misnomers. The most popular uploads in the hub’s extensive Shorts library are not vlogs; they’re chaotic, non-narrative videos with bright colors and quick, repetitive motions. Occasionally, that content includes the oddly satisfying visuals characteristic of ASMR—but more often than not, Prism Relax Vlog utilizes the keywords ASMR lovers search for while leaning into the chaos global Shorts viewers seem to crave.

By appealing to those two audiences, the channel managed to score 525.9 million views during the week of June 1st to reach 45th place in the Global Top 50.

WATCH THIS 📺

Is a MrBeast movie on the horizon?

The movie makers: Over the last couple years, Lucas and Curtis Nicotra have made some major waves among YouTube’s top creators. Through short films and trailers, the filmmaking duo has documented the lives of everyone from MatPat to Mark Rober—and now, they’re setting their sights on a MrBeast movie.

The journey: The brothers began documenting the latest stage of their journey to bring Jimmy Donaldson to the big screen in May, when they posted the first episode of their “Making MrBeast His Own Movie” series on YouTube. Two weeks later, Donaldson himself has already entered the picture.

We say ‘already’ because many viewers are just now tuning into the Sticks brothers’ movie-making mission. But in actuality, the Nicotras have been working towards making a film based on Donaldon’s life for four years now. Tune into the latest installment of their series to find out how they finally “pitched MrBeast” after all this time.

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