TOGETHER WITH

It’s Wednesday and Southwest is soaring onto TikTok with one goal in mind: convincing Gen Z to buy plane tickets directly through the app. Will a partnership with Snowboard Jesus be enough to get the job done?

STREAMING BIG

Donald Trump’s X livestream: 20+ false claims, 1.3M concurrent listeners, and a 40-minute delay

The stream: It’s safe to say that Elon Musk’s live stream with Donald Trump did not go off without a hitch. The former president’s triumphant return to X—which was scheduled to take place on August 13—was delayed by 40 minutes thanks to what Musk claimed was a “cyberattack.”

• That setback prevented many viewers from tuning in live—but even so, the interview managed to capture a peak of 1.3 million concurrent listeners.
  
  

• Those audience members listened in on a series of softball questions and impassioned answers related to subjects like immigration (which Trump referred to as a “zombie apocalypse”). By the end of the two-hour interview, the former president had made at least 20 false claims.

The infrastructure: Musk’s livestream with Trump might not have proven the mettle of X’s infrastructure, but it has raised significant concerns about the platform’s fact-checking resources. Despite the broad reach of the duo’s livestream, none of the inaccuracies communicated by Trump were challenged by in-app safety measures. X’s crowdsourced fact-checking system (aka Community Notes) only applies to text posts—meaning misinformation can be easily disseminated via live streams.

What’s next: Regardless of any missing infrastructure, it’s likely that Musk will continue platforming Trump on X as Election Day draws nearer (despite the president being absent on the platform since 2021). Although Musk says he has “not been very political before,” his super PAC has been accused of collecting swing state residents’ personal information under the guise of getting them signed up as voters.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

From mukbangs to fast food reviews, more creators are pivoting to culinary content. We consulted an expert to find out more:

We connected with Viral Nation Director of Culinary Kylie Frink to learn more about the opportunities within culinary content—and why so many brands and creators are embracing the niche.

Any insights about this trend and how it can benefit creators?

KF: “Every time I look up a recipe, I'm looking at TikTok, Instagram reels… These platforms give the opportunity not only for creators to expand on their community and their culture, but also for brands to reach audiences in a way that they haven't been able to previously.”

With this trend, what do you think brands should know about scouting talent for campaigns?

KF: “If it's a brand awareness campaign, it makes more sense to go into a few different niches like athletes, lifestyle…If you’re a culinary brand looking for dishes to share in marketing—then it’s a traditional recipe creator. 

A good example of culinary creators crossing into lifestyle is a campaign I had the privilege to work on: Tess Sinatro for FILA. She’s a cool kid home chef hailing from NYC. Her style is relaxed, athletic…so when FILA reached out to us, it made so much sense.”

Want to learn more from Viral Nation experts?

Take your content to new heights →

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Noel Miller is taking Tiny Meat Gang on the road as his team adjusts to the controversy-fueled departure of creator Cody Ko. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• Twitch’s latest feature will allow creators to upload 60-second video stories to its mobile app. (TechCrunch)
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• Are TikTok notifications misleading? A recent report suggests that the app’s news-style alerts may be spreading misinformation related to natural disasters, celebrities, and more. (Financial Times)
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• Paramount reportedly plans to lay off 15% of its staff ahead of its merger with Skydance. (Engadget)

DATA • U.S. TOP 50 📈

It’s not just X: millions of viewers are turning to MSNBC’s YouTube channel for political news

The trend: X isn’t the only platform feeling the benefits of rising political interest. As the electoral race picks up speed, news-based YouTube channels like MSNBC’s are seeing a significant increase in views.

• Over the course of our last seven-day count, the outlet snagged the final place in the U.S. Top 50 chart by adding 113.5 million weekly views.
  
  

• That was 12% more traffic than the amount MSNBC pulled in during the previous seven-day measurement period.

The ‘why’: Although U.S. users have a plethora of choices when it comes to political news, MSNBC offers a uniquely accessible experience. The channel posts multiple videos every single day in different formats, from long-form news recaps to humorous short-form clips featuring presidential nominees.

• While the growing importance of Shorts has likely contributed to MSNBC’s strong performance in 2024, this year’s election cycle isn’t the first time MSNBC has experienced a politically-driven viewership increase. Controversial senate hearings and candidates like Donald Trump feature heavily in the channel’s most popular videos, which have gathered millions upon millions of views over the last few years.
  
  

• Altogether, MSNBC’s consistent posting schedule and politically relevant content have earned it a lifetime view count of over 13.7 billion views—a number that’s likely to rise further as Election Day approaches.

Discover the rest of this week’s U.S. Top 50 here, or head over to Gospel Stats for data on thousands of channels, brands, and rising creators.

SLEEP STUDY

A 264-hour “no sleep stream” broke records—but should it have happened at all?

The stream: As July turned to August, a streamer named Norme proved that he was willing to risk it all for one shining prize: a Guinness World Record.

The Australian creator took to livestreaming platforms like Twitch to document his successful attempt to stay awake for 264 hours in a row—a duration he hoped would prove to be the longest someone has foregone sleep without stimulants.

• The problem: as commentator Philip DeFranco pointed out in a recent video, “this type of challenge can be so dangerous that the Guinness Book of World Records doesn’t monitor this record anymore.”

The response: The risk inherent to Norme’s 11-day stream led to bans from Twitch, YouTube, and even Kick (a platform that has gained a reputation for welcoming oft-banned streamers). The creator eventually completed his mission on the right-wing, anti-censorship platform Rumble—but not before a concerned fan called the cops to perform a wellness check.

• Neither platform bans nor police visits seem to have put a damper on Norme’s eagerness to capitalize on such a risky challenge. That determination will strike most observers as irrationally reckless (and it is) but it’s also not hard to understand what the creator found so appealing about completing a perilous long-term stream.
  
  

• Kai Cenat’s recent 156-hour Elden Ring playthrough demonstrates the profitability and reach of marathon streams, while iShowSpeed’s risky stunts have earned him the admiration of a fiercely devoted fanbase.

• Given those tangible benefits, it’s unlikely that platform bans alone will discourage streamers from embarking on dangerous challenges; instead, the high-risk, high-reward culture of streaming will likely need to be addressed head-on by top creators.

WATCH THIS 📺

Sean Evans isn’t about to waste his last meal on hot wings

The episode: Sean Evans might host the biggest hot wing-based interview show on the web, but that doesn’t mean he’s down to get spicy all the time. The Hot Ones vet drove that point home on a recent episode of Mythical Kitchen’s Last Meals, during which he chowed down on everything from Taco Bell to Chicago-style pizza.

Check out the full episode—including Evans’ last words—here.

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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