TOGETHER WITH

It's Tuesday and Walmart is leveling up its Roblox experience by giving teen and adult players the ability to buy IRL products directly from its virtual store.

IT’S BINGE-WATCH TIME

Full seasons of Last Week Tonight are coming to YouTube (for free)

The drop: On Sunday, HBO made a move that both shocked and delighted Last Week Tonight’s 9.5 million YouTube subscribers. In one fell swoop (or around 24 clips), the television company uploaded the show’s entire first season to YouTube. And it’s only getting started:

The context: HBO is balancing the scales after upsetting long-time fans of a show that owes much of its early success to accessibility on YouTube. Earlier this year, the company announced that it would delay YouTube uploads of Last Week Tonight to encourage more traffic on Max—a decision that garnered disapproval from the show’s own host (aka national treasure John Oliver).

• HBO’s latest move is something of a compromise. While fresh Last Week Tonight content will still hit Max first, YouTube viewers will now be able to peruse past seasons for free.

The bigger picture: On a surface level, HBO’s decision to drop full seasons on YouTube isn’t unusual. Owners of subscription-based services often attempt to drive paid sign-ups by posting free episodes on platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Depending on how it’s deployed, that approach has the potential to either drive paid traffic or leech views from subscription-based services.

• HBO is taking a slightly less conventional route to account for Last Week Tonight’s devoted social media fanbase—meaning the performance of its free-to-watch YouTube uploads will likely offer a valuable case study for fellow streaming giants.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

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Creating compelling content requires careful planning and creative dedication. Spotter’s team of creator economy experts understands how much effort YouTubers pour into that process—which is why they’ve invested over $800 million to provide creators with the resources they need to succeed.

Now, Spotter has teamed up with Colin & Samir to launch a brand-new resource for creators: Title Exploder.

Developed in partnership with top creators and industry experts, Title Exploder is the ultimate tool for crafting captivating video titles. It works by analyzing insights from your most successful content and YouTube's top videos, so you can generate attention-grabbing titles backed up by in-depth data.

That’s just the beginning.

Title Exploder is only the first resource to come out of Spotter’s full suite of creator-focused AI software. Their innovative array of tools will be dedicated to everything from ideation and packaging to creative storytelling—and you can be among the first to gain access.

In fact, creators who sign up for updates by registering for Title Exploder will receive exclusive access to more features, plus invitations to events with industry experts.

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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Jellysmack and StyleHaul alum Chas Stahl has joined GEM Studios, the digital content production wing of influencer-focused marketing agency Get Engaged. (Tubefilter)
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• 78% of U.S. adults surveyed by Pew Research Center said that social media companies have “too much power and influence in politics today." (TechCrunch)

• Meta is reportedly running a “limited-time, invite-only” bonus program for creators on Threads. (TechCrunch)
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• Bob Bakish has stepped down from his role as Paramount CEO ahead of a rumored merger with Skydance Media. (The Verge)

COLUMNS • GOSPEL STATS 📈

Top 3 Branded Videos: MrBeast scores 10x more views than his closest competitor

There are two kinds of weeks in YouTube’s branded ecosystem: the ones that include a brand-new MrBeast upload and the ones that don’t. The third week of April fit neatly into that first category—meaning even an eight-digit view count couldn’t bring Jimmy Donaldson’s closest competitor to the top of the rankings.

Here’s how Gospel Stats’ Weekly Brand Report shook out:

🥇 MrBeast x Samsung, Top Troops: Ages 1 – 100 Decide Who Wins $250,000
For his latest video, MrBeast teamed up with Samsung and Top Troops to offer challengers of all ages a chance to win $250,000. That cross-generational competition brought in over 111 million views during the third week of April—ten times more than the nearest runner-up.

🥈 DAZN Boxing x Autozone: THREE KNOCKDOWNS | Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia Fight Highlights
DAZN Boxing didn’t quite match MrBeast’s stats, but it still brought plenty of action to the ring. The broadcaster appealed to its 4.1 million sports-obsessed fans by uploading a fight recap sponsored by Autozone. The weekly tally: 11 million views.

🥉 Kurzgesagt – In A Nutshell x Ground News: There Are Thousands of Alien Empires in The Milky Way
Kurzgesagt can thank our extraterrestrial neighbors for its latest appearance in the Branded Top 5. As the channel points out, aliens in general don’t seem all that interested in Earthside affairs—but luckily for Ground News, Kurzgesagt’s human fans have a curious streak.

FYI: This report represents only a sliver of the in-depth data available on Gospel Stats. Check out the full site here for up-to-date info on branded partnerships, rising creators, and more.

WATCH THIS 📺

FaZe Clan just cut more than 50% of its creator roster

The Purge: FaZe Clan is cleaning its creator roster. On April 27, FaZe Banks (aka co-founder Richard “Banks” Bengston) dropped a list of 14 members on X—and bluntly announced that “everyone else is out.”

• According to Kotaku, that bombshell reveal was preceded by “the purge of 17 members” (including FaZe Clan’s only female creator, Kalei, and veteran member Bloo).
  
  

• Now, one of the creators who made the cut is speaking up. FaZe Jez (a long-time member who rarely weighs in on matters related to FaZe Clan) addressed the big reboot in a recent video.
  
  

• When it comes down to it, the streamer says, he feels “sad for every single person that got kicked”—but he’s still pretty psyched for “what FaZe is planning.”

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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.