TOGETHER WITH

It's Thursday and Instagram’s Twitter rival has finally arrived. Say hello to Threads: the first strike in the battle between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.

CARDS ON THE TABLE

Kick marketed itself as a haven for gambling streamers. Now, it’s removing “unnecessary exposure” to their content.

Kick is growing fast—and making some major changes in the process. Since its co-founding by Stake.com co-founder Ed Craven, the burgeoning platform has hailed itself as a safe haven for gambling streamers and oft-banned Twitch stars. Its dealings with top creators have cemented that reputation; Kick has signed deals with both hot tub streamer Amouranth and gaming star xQc. The latter creator—who has faced frequent bans on Twitch—scored a whopping $100 million in exchange for a 2-year non-exclusive contract.

That ambitious strategy has had a significant effect on Kick’s growing user base (especially in combination with Twitch’s recent policy snafus). Over the past month, Kick says it’s grown from 5 million to 12 million signups, quadrupled its number of active streamers, and “seen $5,000,000 in subscriptions.”

Now, though, the platform seems to be rethinking its anarchistic image.

In a June 30 tweet, Craven said Kick has overall “removed some unnecessary exposure to gambling related content throughout our recommended formula’s [sic].” Three days later, the platform added two new toggles: one that allows users to block all Slots & Casinos streams, and another that blocks all Pools, Hot Tubs & Bikinis streams. Both moves are a major departure from Kick’s rampant promotion of gambling and borderline NSFW content—and likely a smart strategy for a platform hoping to gain an audience as large and wide-ranging as Twitch’s.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

What happens when YouTubers have the freedom to create without compromise? Colin & Samir joined forces with Spotter to find out.

Spotter has invested over $775 million in creators since 2019—and they’re not hitting the pause button anytime soon. In fact, Spotter’s team of experts is obsessed with helping video creators achieve financial and creative freedom. That’s why they’ve teamed up with YouTube duo Colin & Samir to figure out where creators need the most support—whether that means data-driven optimization resources, exclusive YouTube insights, or immediate capital.

Here’s what Colin & Samir discovered:

• Overall, 25% of Spotter investments have been dedicated to producing new videos 🎥

• 21% of those funds were allocated to studio purchases 🏬

• Another 13% supported brand-building initiatives and creator products 👕

• And finally, 9% of Spotter payouts went towards hiring editors 👨‍💻

The result: Spotter has helped more than 1,160 channel partners grow their brands and expand their businesses—with the full financial and creative freedom they deserve. That freedom is an integral part of every single Spotter deal, whether there’s $100,000 on the table or $50+ million. Because when YouTubers partner with Spotter, they can spend their new funds to grow their channel or business. 

Ready to join the ranks of Spotter partners like MissDarcei, Dude Perfect, and Airrack?

Fund your future with Spotter →​

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Updated guidelines from the Federal Trade Commission require creators to add “clear and conspicuous” warnings to sponsored posts—meaning hashtags like #ad and #sponsored are no longer enough. (Tubefilter)
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• YouTube icon MrBeast ranked as the #5 most-viewed U.S. channel in June, with a whopping 1.3 billion monthly views. (Tubefilter)
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• A federal judge has ruled against the Biden administration in a lawsuit that accuses the White House of colluding with platforms to “suppress disfavored speakers" on social media. (Ars Technica)
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• Twitter rival Bluesky has reportedly raised a total of $8 million in seed funds. (TechCrunch)

DATA • GLOBAL TOP 50 📈

This is one Shorts channel you probably shouldn’t watch after dark

Comedy may be king for some popular Shorts channels, but Moosa TV Info has climbed the ranks by tapping into a different genre: horror. The Pakistan-based hub’s bone-chilling videos feature everything from paranormal activity to “creepy creatures” and haunted houses.

Those nightmare-inducing clips have generated hundreds of millions of views since Moosa TV Info made its debut in 2021, but the channel also has plenty of content for viewers hoping to get a good night sleep. Fans can find videos of miraculous escapes and heartwarming moments alongside Moosa’s most-watched horror clips. That combination of sweet and scary has attracted a diverse viewership over the years; as of now, the Shorts channel claims more than 3.7 million subscribers and 2.98 billion lifetime views.

Moosa TV Info’s weekly stats are just as jaw-dropping as its horror videos.

• The Shorts hub picked up 278.7 million weekly views as the calendar turned over to July.

• That massive seven-day total landed Moosa TV Info a spot at #36 in the Global Top 50.

• Altogether, the channel increased its traffic by 77% week-over-week—bringing it one step closer to scoring 3 billion lifetime views.

WATCH THIS 📺

What’s going on with the new Grimace shake from McDonald’s?

If you’ve scrolled through TikTok or YouTube Shorts lately, then you’ve probably seena few videos on the diabolical powers of the Grimace shake. From death-by-milkshake stories to spooky footage creators have carried the joke pretty far—and made the limited-time beverage a viral sensation in the process. Jokes about the fuzzy mascot and his namesake shake have now generated hundreds of millions of views (and even a befuddled reply from Grimace himself).

But what exactly is the joke? Check out Danno Draws’ latest video to get a full rundown of the internet’s latest food craze.

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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.