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MatPat steps down 💔

MatPat steps down 💔

And 'The Sopranos' returns.

Emily Burton
January 10, 2024

TOGETHER WITH

It's Wednesday and ChatGPT is answering the call of Uncle Sam by helping government employees in Pennsylvania generate code, create copy, and more. What could go wrong?

STEPPING DOWN

MatPat is leaving Theorist videos behind after 13 years on YouTube

MatPat is “ripping the bandaid.” Thirteen years after his YouTube debut, the creator is retiring from his long-time role as host of Game Theory, Film Theory, Food Theory, and Style Theory.

The big announcement: MatPat announced his retirement in a 25-minute video posted yesterday, in which he explained to viewers that he’ll be stepping down on March 9 following the release of nine new theories and an epic going-away celebration.

That decision has been in the works for a while now. According to his announcement video, MatPat and partner Stephanie (aka “the business half of Game Theory”) laid the groundwork for his exit by staffing up Theorist Media and selling the company to Lunar X in late 2022.
The strategy behind MatPat’s departure echoes that of another YouTuber: Kwebbelkop. While Kwebbelkop has been preparing viewers for his own (eventual) retirement by replacing himself with a virtual avatar, MatPat has similarly transitioned Theorist’s channels to operate without relying on any one creator—an attribute that undoubtedly made it an appealing acquisition for Lunar X.

Next steps: MatPat isn’t quitting cold turkey. The YouTuber plans to continue hosting the brand’s fifth channel, GTLive, “from now until the foreseeable future” and will also serve as a creative director on future episodes.

Several members of the existing Theorist team will assume new roles following MatPat’s departure. So far, we know that Disney alum Tom Robinson will host Game Theory, long-time video editor/creative director Lee Collins will take over Film Theory, channel/brand manager Amy Roberts will host Style Theory, and Mythical vet Santiago Massa will host Food Theory.

MatPat’s motivation: “For as much as I love you…I don’t love the fact that Steph and I have been work-first for over a decade, where I’m sitting down to dinner with my best friend and we’re talking about business logistics.”

As MatPat pointed out, his retirement announcement follows similar farewell videos released by creators like Tom Scott, Seth Everman, and Captain Sparklez—many of whom departed YouTube due to burnout from the industry’s fast-paced production demands and a lack of work-life balance.

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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

Early-stage VC firm Slow Ventures is backing BookTube influencer John Fish as he builds up a literary hub called Bookshelved. (Tubefilter)
In a new announcement, Meta says it plans to “restrict teens from seeing certain types of content” related to self-harm and eating disorders on Instagram and Facebook. (TechCrunch)
SEC chair Gary Gensler revealed on Tuesday that the commission’s official X account had been “compromised” and used to post an “unauthorized” tweet announcing the approval of Bitcoin ETFs. (The New York Times)
X has announced the upcoming launch of three new shows hosted by former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, sports commentator Jim Rome, and CNN alum Don Lemon. (Gizmodo)

DATA • GOSPEL STATS 📈

The Sopranos is celebrating its 25th anniversary on TikTok and YouTube

If you’ve ever wanted to catch up on The Sopranos, now is your chance.

On your FYP: In honor of the show’s 25-year anniversary, Warner Bros. Discovery (aka the parent company of HBO and Max) is sharing 25-second recaps of every Sopranos episode on TikTok.

Users who get sucked into the drama will be able to take a longer look at The Sopranos on YouTube, where Max plans to upload multiple full-length episodes and 15 deleted scenes (including three never-before-seen clips).
To cap it all off, a special episode of Not Today, Pal—the podcast hosted by Sopranos cast members Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Robert Iler—will be distributed across Max and major podcasting platforms.

IRL events: Sopranos fans will have the opportunity to celebrate in person, too. A partnership between Max and Alamo Drafthouse is bringing “Family Reunion” screenings to theaters in New York and Los Angeles, while pop-up versions of Satriale’s will offer Sopranos-inspired sandwiches.

A more exclusive event will take place on January 10, when a private “family dinner” will bring together the show’s iconic cast members, sans fans.

Industry perspective: The Sopranos’ 25th anniversary bash isn’t just about celebrating the show’s iconic run and long-lived fanbase. On the business side of things, Warner Bros. Discovery is capitalizing on a trend that’s driven the entertainment industry up a wall for years now: the proliferation of multi-part TV and film clips across TikTok.

While a good chunk of those videos and recaps are illicitly uploaded, they’ve nevertheless driven massive amounts of traffic to shows like Netflix’s Maid—and Max wants in.

WATCH THIS 📺

This video game exposes the dark side of Pokémon

There are several things gamers try very hard not to think about while playing Pokémon—and Palworld isn’t having it.

“Pokémon with Guns”: The upcoming game is a satirical cornucopia encompassing everything long-time Pokémon fans would rather forget, from the dubious ethics of forcing captured animals to fight to that whole ‘edible Pokémon’ thing.

Whether that parodic viewpoint is enough to protect Palworld from an eventual lawsuit is another question entirely—but for now, we’ll be following the game’s upcoming launch with popcorn in hand. Check out the trailer for its early access release here.

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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.