It’s Wednesday, and another award show is saying goodbye to broadcast TV. Beginning in 2027, the Emmys will stream on Prime Video for over half a decade.

MONEY MOVES

The funding: Google.org and YouTube are delivering $2.5 million of grant funding to Class CrunchLabs, an educational channel produced and hosted by STEM creator Mark Rober.

Last year, Rober announced that he would build a science curriculum as an extension of his science kit brand CrunchLabs and give it away for free to teachers. The YouTube-famous engineer—who counts 83.6 million subscribers on his primary channel—committed $55 million to the project and locked in YouTube as a key distribution partner.

Rober planned to prepare lessons for students between the third and eighth grades, with videos available across 34 different languages. And to ensure that Class CrunchLabs would meet educational standards, he consulted with the National Science Teaching Association.

The lessons: YouTube said that the Class CrunchLabs curriculum, consisting of “more than 1,000 banger videos,” would be ready for the start of the 2026-27 school year. The platform and Rober were able to make good on that promise with the help of creator co-stars like GeoGuessr savant Trevor Rainbolt.

Now, the second round of science lessons is already up and running. The grant money from YouTube and Google’s charitable arm will support Rober as he translates his curriculum into additional languages, funds more research, and keeps Class CrunchLabs free of charge.

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

SHOPPING SPREE

The category: Twitch is owned by one of the biggest ecommerce companies in the world—and after over a decade, it’s finally taking advantage of that fact. The Amazon subsidiary is linking up with its parent company to populate a new Shopping category that showcases streamers who are selling products to their viewers.

The new category occupies prime real estate on the platform’s homepage. A button in the upper left-hand corner of the screen leads users to a directory where they can discover everything from shoes to skincare products to VR headsets.

Kotaku notes that the current faces of the Twitch Shopping category aren’t necessarily Twitch stars. Instead, Amazon Live sellers are taking up space on the platform.

The context: Since acquiring Twitch for approximately $970 million in 2014, Amazon has sometimes seemed unsure about what to do with the platform. The meteoric rise of live shopping, however, has changed the conversation. Whatnot is an ecommerce unicorn powered by broadcasts that look a lot like Twitch streams, and TikTok has credited live content as a key sales driver for luxury items.

In an attempt to keep pace, Amazon has made Twitch more shoppable. Product-linked ads have brought more conversions to the platform, sponsored campaigns have been extended to Affiliates, and in-browser demos have preserved Twitch’s gaming DNA as it pivots toward ecommerce. Now, the Shopping category could be exactly what the platform needs to challenge the competition.

GAME ON

The adaptation: The production company behind Jacksepticeye’s upcoming Bloodborne film has tapped another lore-savvy YouTuber to lead its next video game adaptation.

Lyrical Animation has partnered with MoistCr1TiKaL (aka Charlie White) and game developer Jagex to adapt long-running, beloved fantasy MMORPG RuneScape as an animated series.

White, who is well-known for his dedication to RuneScape (it’s at the top of his list as “the best MMO”), will produce the series through his company Meatier Productions. Jagex CEO Jon Bellamy unveiled plans for the adaptation at the game’s annual event RuneFest.

The process: White’s involvement in this project seems similar to Jacksepticeye’s role in the making of Bloodborne. They’re both functioning not only as producers, but as dedicated fans who can help keep adaptations in tune with established worldbuilding and player preferences.

Lyrical and White are also working together on a 2D animated adaptation of White’s comic Godslap; that film is slated for release in 2028.

WATCH THIS 👀

The outer space adventure: It’s World Space Week, and the European Space Agency is celebrating with a special Pokémon collaboration. The latest video on the ESA’s YouTube channel comes from astronaut Sophie Adenot, who gave an Astronaut Pikachu plushie “a special tour of the International Space Station.”

And honestly, is there a better way to get kids interested in space than recruiting Pokémon’s most recognizable companion?

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, James Hale, and Josh Cohen.