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It’s Thursday and TikTok’s U.S. prospects are getting spicier by the minute. The latest bidder to vie for a shot at buying the app: the founder of OnlyFans.

Today’s News

GAME ON

Typical Gamer is the first-ever Fortnite creator to reach 1 million followers

The “Fortnite Millionaire”: For the very first time, a creator has reached one million followers on Fortnite. That new “millionaire” is none other than cross-platform star Andre Rebelo—aka Typical Gamer.

Epic Games only introduced the follower mechanic to Fortnite last November, but thanks to his established YouTube following and competitive skill level, Rebelo’s in-game fanbase has grown at a rapid pace. And that’s only one aspect of his Fortnite success: Rebelo is also a top developer of custom in-game islands. His Fortnite Creative studio, JOGO, hauled in a whopping $7 million in its first year alone.

In light of those recent accomplishments, we sat down with Rebelo to discuss his latest exploits, the importance of his high follower count, and his plans for the future. Here’s a snapshot of that interview:

Tubefilter: “There’s been a lot of talk about the ‘death of the follower’ on social media as direct fan engagement becomes a more reliable tactic for channel growth…With that in mind, what do you see as the value of a Fortnite follow?”

Typical Gamer: ”This just isn’t another passive follower. A follower in-game is showing immediate intention to play and that’s super valuable….A ‘Fortnite Follow’ means players are in-game, ready to play. In an ecosystem that rewards engagement and playing time, this is reimagining the studio’s entire marketing effort.”

Tubefilter: “Does the implementation of followers make you more loyal to Fortnite’s game creation engine? Are you interested in branching out on platforms like Roblox or, later this year, Grand Theft Auto VI?”

Typical Gamer: “Followers make finding, promoting, and investing in new maps more accessible, but in no way are we slowing down. We’ve always been dedicated to experimenting in new formats, and as a veteran GTA creator, you better believe we’re going to be all over the new launch later this year.”

Check out our full interview with Rebelo here.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

These Gen A creators turned 3 podcast episodes into 48M+ short-form video views. Here’s how they pulled it off:

The MDFoodieBoyz are blowing up online, with 48M views across platforms. The kicker: they’ve only released three podcast episodes—and they’re all 12 years old.

So, how did a group of rookie creators snag 250K followers in three months?

1. They leaned into what makes them different.
Despite the sheer number of podcasts out there, Gen Alpha creators are almost entirely absent from the space. So, MDFoodieBoyz kept things youthful: no scripts, no filters—just kids sharing their honest takes on food.

2. They leveraged OpusClip to post like crazy.
Instead of waiting for people to find their YouTube podcast, MDFoodieBoyz used OpusClip’s video clipping platform to turn 3 podcast episodes into 172+ short clips—all automatically optimized for individual platforms. Then, they posted those clips almost daily across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

3. They mixed raw and polished production.
The podcast is filmed in a neat studio with slick editing, creating a fun contrast between their casual reviews and high-quality presentation.

The takeaway: You don’t need years of experience to bring your vision to life. OpusClip makes it easy to get the most out of the content you already have—even if you’re just starting out.

Find out more about OpusClip →

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Linguana—a startup that facilitates the translation and localization process for creators—has raised $8.5 million in seed funding to scale up its YouTube-based dubbing operation. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• A “multimillion-dollar, multiple-year partnership deal” will make Meta the “official fan technology partner” of UFC, a title that will come with product tie-ins, exclusive Threads content, and more (CNBC)
  
  

• Google veteran Sissie Hsiao has reportedly stepped down from her role as the head of the Gemini team, leaving Google Labs lead Josh Woodward to spearhead the chatbot’s “next evolution.” (Ars Technica)
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• Roblox’s latest round of safety features will allow parents to block their children from communicating with certain users and/or playing specific games on the platform. (The Guardian)

UPFRONT AND CENTER

Creators like Dude Perfect want to go steady with big brands

The trend: Each week, we track every sponsored video posted on YouTube. Those branded rankings often feature prolific sponsors like NordVPN and Factor, which pay dozens of creators to blast product info to audiences on a weekly basis.

But increasingly, our brand data reflects another form of brand/creator collaboration: long-term, ongoing partnerships. Science channel Kurzgesagt—In a Nutshell, for example, has teamed up with online education company Brilliant on a frequent basis for over a year now.

The trend: According to Spotter‘s recent upfront, creators are eager to snag those types of long-lasting brand partnerships both on and offline. YouTuber Rebecca Zamolo expressed that interest during the showcase, when she introduced back-to-school programming that will run across all seven of her channels from July through September—a prime opportunity for a wide-net partnership with a single sponsor.

Dude Perfect, meanwhile, is seeking an even more expansive form of brand collaboration. According to Dude Perfect Chief Brand Officer Chad Colemon, the group is actively looking to seal long-term brand deals in eight different categories: outdoor, hydration, automotive, airlines, consumables, wireless, apparel, and financial services. So far, Dude Perfect has secured two partners (BodyArmor for hydration and Bass Pro Shops for outdoor)—but it’s looking for sponsorships that go beyond videos, too.

In addition to entertaining 60 million subscribers and generating over 100 million views per month, the five-man group is currently planning a world tour and constructing a new fan-facing HQ in Dallas-Fort Worth. To support those initiatives, Dude Perfect is asking brands to integrate into live events and possible placements at its planned headquarters.

The takeaway: Creators are pivoting to prioritize steady partnerships with companies that will support not just their video production, but also their offline products, live events, and other pursuits. And if brands are savvy, they’ll jump on the opportunity.

SHOPPING SPREE

QVC will be on TikTok 24/7 with ‘round-the-clock shoppable streams 

The announcement: A 40-year-old media brand is buying into TikTok’s rising status as a one-stop shop for global consumers.

After launching its shoppable broadcasts during the cable boom of the 1980s, QVC remained a mainstay of late-night TV throughout the ‘90s and ‘00s. In recent years, however, the rise of social shopping has changed QVC’s priorities—and now, the brand is expanding its TikTok presence with a slate of ‘round-the-clock shoppable streams.

The details: QVC introduced its official TikTok hub earlier this year with an upload featuring comedian Kevin Hart. Now, the brand plans to transform its account into a 24/7 shopping channel that will hawk products to an audience that already includes nearly 500,000 followers.

A growing selection of products will accompany that transformation. QVC first partnered with TikTok Shop last August, when the two parties inked a deal that has enabled 74,000 creators to sell QVC products through shoppable streams and videos. Now, a press release has confirmed that “an even wider assortment of thousands of brands and products” will be made available.

The context: QVC’s pivot to digital business comes amid a round of 900 layoffs, which the company framed as part of a strategy “to grow by becoming a live social shopping company.” If the media brand is going to pull off that “turnaround,” it will need to reach today’s consumers where they are—and, despite a looming TikTok ban, that means targeting viewers on Shop. Businesses are already using TikTok’s ecommerce hub to take in billions of dollars of revenue, and the average U.S. shopper now spends $700 on Shop each year.

WATCH THIS 🎙️

ASMR creators are still cleaning up on Shorts, but some bring more controversy than calm

The creator: One of this week’s fastest-rising creators is proving that ASMR is still a powerhouse on YouTube. The aptly-named “Clean Girl” channel clocked in at #30 on our latest global ranking of most-watched YouTube channels, thanks in large part to its creator’s ability to tap into tried-and-true Shorts trends.

From polishing gravestones to restoring tattered Spider-Man dolls, Clean Girl’s process involves soft, ASMR-friendly sounds, oddly satisfying paint jobs, and superhero references. In other words, she’s focusing on the categories that perform the best on Shorts. That trend-centric approach allowed Clean Girl to sweep up 359.6 million weekly views at the end of March—but her decision to bring ASMR content to cemeteries has simultaneously raised serious concerns over the ethics of her cleaning activities.

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