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- FaZe Clan acquired
It's Monday and this week is all about odd PC giveaways. Here’s an impossible choice: are you craving a coffee-themed computer, or would you prefer a system infused with human blood?
SQUARING UP
Can a new majority owner save FaZe Clan?
It’s been a rough year for FaZe Clan. From a disastrous public offering in September ‘22 to the ousting of CEO Lee Trink last month, the esports company has spent the last several months grappling with infighting, layoffs, and plummeting stock prices. Now—just weeks after falling to a record low of 23 cents per share—FaZe has been acquired by another esports firm: GameSquare.
In a recent press release, GameSquare described the acquisition as an “arm’s length all-stock transaction” that will allow FaZe Clan to continue operating as an independent entity.
“The acquisition of one of the biggest names in gaming serves as a perfect illustration of how we have built a powerful infrastructure with expansive scale that we can use to leverage the full spectrum of resources within the GameSquare ecosystem.”
GameSquare’s involvement will bring significant changes to FaZe Clan’s leadership structure—including the reinstatement of several original members. Post-acquisition, Richard ‘FaZe Banks‘ Bengtson will replace interim CEO Christoph Pachler, trick shot innovator Thomas ‘FaZe Temperrr‘ Oliveira will serve as President, and Yousef ‘FaZe Apex‘ Abdelfattah will become COO.
GameSquare hopes to shake up FaZe’s financial situation as well. According to the former org, the two companies generated a combined revenue of $138 million in 2022. Post-acquisition, GameSquare aims to save over $18 million by eliminating redundant costs.
HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰
Mulleted gaming icon DrDisRespect—aka Guy Beahm—has surpassed iShowSpeed to become the most-watched North American streamer on YouTube. (Tubefilter)
Twitch has announced a policy change that will allow creators to “simulcast on any live streaming service.” (Gizmodo)
Netflix added 8.76 million new customers during the third quarter of 2023. Now, the streamer is raising subscription prices. (Tubefilter)
Twitch’s off-service conduct policies have been updated to include a ban on doxxing and swatting. (Engadget)
DATA • MILLIONAIRES 📈
These creators juggle it all: school, work, parenthood, and 4 million followers
About three years ago, Shelby began watching family influencers on TikTok. It wasn’t long before she realized that her husband’s dramatic reactions and over-the-top expressions would be a hit on social media.
“If I get to witness Dylan, everybody else gets to witness Dylan.”
The idea was hard to shake, so Shelby mentioned it to her husband (aka Dylan)…and then she mentioned it again, and a few times after that. Dylan could tell how excited she was by the prospect of starting their own family account, so he posed a challenge: they would post one video a day for an entire month, and then see how things went from there.
As it turns out, things went very, very well.
The couple’s TikTok account hit 100,000 followers within 30 days—and it wasn’t only Dylan’s expressive mannerisms that viewers loved. Fans were just as obsessed with Shelby’s entertaining voice-overs, the duo’s shopping hauls, and their comedic chemistry.
Nowadays, Dylan and Shelby share their content with over 4 million followers while simultaneously juggling full-time work, graduate school, and parenthood. That may seem like a lot to handle (and it is!), but Shelby and Dylan have a knack for flying by the seat of their pants—and they’re not planning to slow down anytime soon.
HELLO, SUNSHINE ☀️
Streamer Rachell 'Valkyrae' Hofstetter is on board as a member of the Hello Sunshine Collective’s first cohort
Reese Witherspoon’s media company is launching a collective for top female creators
A “hands-on, bespoke talent incubator” will bring together a superstar group of female influencers and entrepreneurs. According to Reese Witherspoon (the founder of Hello Sunshine Media), the Hello Sunshine Collective aims to serve as “rocket fuel” for 15 women who collectively claim over 59 million followers on social media.
You probably already know the names of Hello Sunshine’s iconic mentees.
Among other top creators, the collective’s first cohort includes YouTubers Yolanda Gampp (How To Cake It) and Joanne Molinaro (The Korean Vegan), top streamer Rachell ‘Valkyrae‘ Hofstetter, lifestyle influencer Rachel Martino, TikToker Kat Stickler, and Unofficial Bridgerton Musical co-creator Emily Bear. Those six stars and their fellow mentees will receive support in areas like marketing, strategic partnerships, and direct-to-consumer retail.
“To truly change the story for women, you need to change the storytellers. As we grow our Direct-to-Consumer offerings at Hello Sunshine, building a hands-on, bespoke talent incubator was the perfect next evolution for how we empower women in this space.”
The Hello Sunshine Collective kicked off with a launch party on October 20 and will continue offering support to mentees throughout the year. In the meantime, Witherspoon’s company has a few other social media-first endeavors up its sleeve—including a production deal with TikTok that will result in multimedia adaptations of #BookTok’s favorite titles.
LISTEN UP 🎙️
This week on the podcast…
It’s been an eventful few days in the creator community—and the latest episode of Creator Upload covers it all. Tune in to hear industry experts Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen break down Patreon’s big acquisition, MrBeast’s 200-million-subscriber milestone, Dude Perfect’s new streaming service, and Sam and Colby’s spooky theater run.
It’s all right here on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. Drew Baldwin helped edit, too. It's a team effort.