TOGETHER WITH

It’s Wednesday and if you’re looking for something outside of algorithmically designed personal content recommendations, Disney+ has another option for you: a 24/7 uninterrupted channel dedicated to The Simpsons.

Today’s News

HYPHEN8

Lilly Singh is launching a network for South Asian YouTubers

The creator: Lilly Singh amassed billions of YouTube views in the 2010s under her Superwoman moniker. That online fame brought first-look deals, awards, and even a late-night show on NBC. Then, in 2018, the creator decided to take a step back from YouTube to focus on other projects.

Seven years later, Singh is back on YouTube—and setting out on a mission to arm South Asian creators with the resources she wishes she had access to a decade ago.

The network: In pursuit of that goal, Singh is going into business with diversity-focused firm Skara Ventures to launch the “first-ever” network dedicated to South Asian creators (per Entrepreneur). That network—called HYPHEN8—will handle tasks like ad sales, channel optimization, and brand partnership negotiations on behalf of creators, as well as connecting its roster of stars with South Asian brands and appropriate mentors.

The strategy: That business model could be a game changer for the creators who work with HYPHEN8, but Singh believes the network’s dedicated focus on South Asian culture will have benefits for brands, too. YouTube is a big deal in India, where local channels can reach billions of viewers per month, and the creator-turned-founder wants to harness the potential of that innate audience.

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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• A study from the Record Industry Association of America found that U.S. music subscriptions surpassed 100 million in 2024, while digital downloads dropped by 14.9% year-over-year. (The Verge)
  
  

• Over 400 entertainment industry professionals—including actors Ben Stiller, Aubrey Plaza, and Mark Ruffalo—have signed an open letter protesting OpenAI and Google’s push to train AI on copyrighted material. (The Verge)
  
  

• Meta is reportedly experimenting with a feature that would allow Instagram users to publish AI-generated comments under posts and videos. (Yahoo! Life)
  
  

• According to AdRoll’s latest State of Digital Advertising Report, the cost of TikTok ads “dropped sharply” in Q4 2024 as brands reacted to the “uncertainty of TikTok’s future in the United States.” (AdRoll)

LIVIN’ THE HIGH LIFE

Bluey is the top kids’ show on streaming—and it’s “only just getting started”

The phenomenon: There’s no question that kids around the world love Bluey. After becoming a favorite among preschoolers and their parents, Ludo Studio‘s Australian hit emerged as the most-watched show of any type in 2024, amassing 55 billion minutes of streaming traffic.

Much of that viewership can be attributed to Disney+, but associated YouTube channels played a big role in Bluey’s 2024 success, too. Last February, a star-studded web series called Bluey Book Reads arrived on the franchise’s official YouTube channel. A year later, that hub counts more than ten million subscribers.

The update: The BBC (which handles global distribution for Bluey) has taken notice of that online popularity—and it plans to capitalize on the show’s virality by launching a wave of YouTube spinoffs. Jasmine Dawson, the SVP of Digital at BBC Studios, revealed in an interview with Kidscreen that seven new Bluey digital series are in the works, with more than 80 episodes already planned. 

Thanks to the flagship show’s cross-generational appeal and wholesome storylines, those series are well-positioned for growth on YouTube. Amid a sea of low-quality “brainrot” content on apps like YouTube Kids, viewers and media companies have started championing positive, enriching fare from professional early childhood educators (like Ms. Rachel). Bluey meets the criteria for ethical children’s entertainment, a status that could prove integral to the long-term success of its upcoming series—especially now that YouTube plans to promote good-for-you kids’ content through its new Youth Digital Wellbeing Initiative.

Keep reading to learn more about the platform’s new kid-friendly initiative ⤵️

TAKING INITIATIVE

YouTube, Moonbug, The Wiggles, and more want to stop kids from watching internet slop

The context: YouTube is the top platform for young viewers, with kiddos aged 2-12 watching an average of 106 minutes of YouTube content per day (per Precise TV and Giraffe Insights). In total, the video giant’s viewership share for that age group is more than double broadcast TV’s.

But the stuff kids watch on YouTube isn’t always good for them; in fact, it often falls into a category the platform deems “low-quality.” Take Elsagate: in 2017, videos of characters like Elsa from Frozen began showing up on kids’ recommended feeds. The clips appeared normal on the surface, but often had disturbing content buried within.

YouTube responded by enhancing efforts to flag inappropriate content, age-restrict videos, and demonetize channels. It also began pushing young users toward the family-friendly version of its platform—aka YouTube Kids—and instituting more widespread demonetization of kids’ content. In 2021, it started coming down even harder on “low-quality content.”

The next step: Now, YouTube is taking things up a notch. In a statement, CEO Neal Mohan revealed that the platform is joining forces with nearly 20 kids’ content creators and distribution companies—including Pinkfong, WildBrain, The Wiggles, and Cocomelon owner Moonbug—to form an initiative dedicated to “the development of high-quality, age-appropriate content for young people.”

YouTube says the Youth Digital Wellbeing Initiative intends to “actively [limit] the reach of low-quality content.” At the same time, the platform will institute builtin features and directly support the creation and distribution of “content that promotes media literacy and digital citizenship.”

The takeaway: It’ll be interesting to see what emerges from a direct partnership between YouTube and some of the world’s biggest producers of kids’ content. As the single largest content destination for children, YouTube’s efforts to protect young viewers could set a standard for fellow industry giants like TikTok…if it can make good on the initiative’s intentions.

WATCH THIS 🎙️

Clix is the latest creator to drop into Fortnite

The icon series: Fortnite has a knack for courting creator fandoms. From MrBeast to Ninja, the battle royale platform has introduced skins for some of the biggest YouTubers and Twitch stars in the biz.

Cody Conrod—aka Clix—is the latest creator to join the club. The pro Fortnite player and Twitch streamer announced the upcoming arrival of his icon series in a video posted on Monday. In addition to introducing in-game items like a Clix necklace and teddy bear get-up, the teaser served as a reminder to viewers that no matter where the creator economy takes him, Conrod will always be a gamer first.

Check out the video here.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.