TOGETHER WITH

It's Wednesday and Snapchat is the latest app to roll out a year-end recap. The app’s personalized replays are launching today, so keep an eye out to catch your snappiest memories of 2023.

IRONMOUSE X RAZER 🎧

Ironmouse is teaming up with Razer for an unprecedented brand deal

After becoming Twitch’s most-followed English-language VTuber and the first-ever VTuber to win Content Creator of the Year at the annual Game Awards, Ironmouse is adding another accomplishment to her resume. The creator has teamed up with Razer for a first-of-its-kind sponsorship deal that will change the very face of her channel.

As part of that sponsorship deal, Ironmouse has updated her signature demon-girl model to include a pink, cat-ear Razer headset and plans to add Razer branding throughout her channel. The VTuber’s 1.8 million followers will also have a chance to replicate her model’s new look in real life: a physical version of Ironmouse’s virtual headset is already for sale on Razer’s website.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

2023 is almost a wrap. Here are four Viral Nation creators you should know by 2024:

From features in Time and People to red carpet appearances, 2023 has been a big year for Viral Nation creators. Now, four of those talented influencers are gearing up for another unforgettable year.

Here are four Viral Nation stars to watch in 2024:

Lindsay Nikole 🦠
Lindsay is a passionate biologist with a knack for fascinating her 1.3 million YouTube subscribers—but it’s her edgy style that makes Lindsay a favorite among young audiences. 

Dani DMC 🔥 
Dani DMC is a plus size model with more than a million fans across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Viewers can count on Dani to continue championing diversity in fashion throughout 2024.

Everything Just Baked 🍰
Justin Ellen is a beloved baker with a strong entrepreneurial spirit. After competing on Netflix’s Is It Cake? and partnering with Adobe and Oreo, Justin is ready to expand his brand—and Viral Nation’s industry-leading marketing and PR team is there to make it happen.

Cale Brown 🪩 
Cale’s incredible dance moves have inspired 7.1 million TikTok followers and earned him major partnerships with brands and celebs like Abercrombie & Fitch and Ciara.

Check out Viral Nation’s website to learn how the world’s #1 influencer agency can expand your brand in 2024.

​​Learn more about Viral Nation →

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• YouTuber, Twitch streamer, and Dream SMP alum TommyInnit has announced his first U.S. tour. (Tubefilter)
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• Viral Nation has launched a new Ventures unit to co-develop commercial products alongside TikTokers like TheBlondeBrewer, The Salad Lab, and Yuri Lambasella. (Tubefilter)
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• Netflix will begin sharing streaming data on “99% of all viewing on Netflix” through a bi-annual “What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report.” (Gizmodo)
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• YouTube has reportedly cut out a piece of code that “publicly disclosed whether a channel receives ad and subscription payouts.” (Wired)

DATA • GLOBAL TOP 50 📈

This creator reminds viewers not to judge a video by its thumbnail

ToRung is willing to do whatever it takes “to bring delightful laughter to viewers”—even if ‘whatever it takes’ involves homicidal fish and mud-covered mermaid costumes.

Since joining YouTube in 2017, the Vietnam-based comedian has entertained fans by engineering some seriously sticky situations. The most popular of those videos also seem to be the most painful: ToRung’s top clip, for instance, has scored more than 130 million views by demonstrating exactly how excruciating a catfish bite can be.

ToRung isn’t always the target of those painfully funny Shorts.

Every once in a while, the comedian takes a break from high-stakes Shorts to play practical jokes on viewers. Check out this video to get a handle on ToRung’s personal sense of humor (and then let us know how long it took you to realize the Short in question is an endless loop).

Luckily for ToRung, fans don’t seem to mind being subjected to the occasional prank.

• In fact, ToRung’s rising popularity earned the channel 330.3 million weekly views during our last seven-day count.
  
  

• That total was the highest sum among all East Asian channels this week, and added up to a 74% week-over-week viewership bump.
  
  

• The result: ToRung’s comedy hub scored the #8 spot in our Global Top 50 chart.

HOLD THE PHONE

2/3 of teens are on social media almost all the time. But which app is the main attraction?

Starting next year, Gen Alpha will begin infiltrating the ranks of teenagers worldwide—but for now, Pew Research Center’s surveys of 13-to-17-year-olds still focus entirely on Gen Z.

Pew compiled its latest social media-centric study by querying 1,453 respondents between the ages of 13 and 17. The resulting data reveals some key insights into Gen Z’s social media habits—and the platforms that rule their online lives.

Here are a few of the highlights:

• Teens are online pretty much all the time. 46% of Pew’s respondents reported that they use the internet “almost constantly.” A lot of that activity is focused on TikTok: according to Pew, the Bytedance-owned app is the platform used “almost constantly” by the greatest percentage of teens (17%).
  
  

• YouTube still has the widest reach among teens. 93% of Pew respondents reported having used YouTube, while 63% said the same of TikTok. Snapchat and Instagram were next in line (but among those four platforms, only Snapchat saw its usage percentages rise).
  
  

• WhatsApp and Facebook scored minor gains. In addition to Snapchat, WhatsApp and Facebook saw their usage go up slightly. Discord and BeReal (both of which are newer additions to Pew’s research studies) also claimed significant shares.

Want more info on the internet habits of Gen Z teens? Check out Pew’s full four-page report here.

LISTEN UP 🎙️

Will TikTok Shop’s $500 million bet pay off?

TikTok isn’t letting the holiday shopping season pass it by. As part of its Black Friday/Cyber Monday campaign, the app made a deal with TikTok Shop sellers: as long as they discounted their products by at least one penny, it would subsidize discounts of up to 50% off orders over $100.

That’s a pretty risky plan—especially given the ecommerce hub’s reported $500 million loss this year. But will it work out?

Tune into the latest installment of Creator Upload to find out what industry experts have to say about TikTok’s big gamble. It’s all right here on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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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.