It’s Wednesday and Mark Zuckerberg is on a mission to assemble his own AI Avengers—aka Meta’s new “superintelligence team.”

Today’s News

THE BIZ

The MLB is buying into creator content with a Jomboy deal

The media company: In its latest attempt to connect with America’s youth, the MLB has announced a “strategic partnership” with Jomboy Media—aka the sports brand known for its humorous social media content and irreverent podcast network.

Jomboy’s namesake founder is Jimmy O’Brien, a New Jersey native who kicked off his media career in 2017 with a podcast called Talkin’ Yanks. O’Brien expanded beyond regional content on YouTube with lip-reads and highlight reels that showcased the absurd side of America’s favorite pastime.

Emboldened by a growing fanbase of over two million YouTube subscribers, Jomboy began raking in ad deals and partnerships with regional networks like official New York Yankees broadcaster YES. The 2024 launch of a wacky competition called Warehouse Games—which was picked up by Bally Sports—and the 2025 promotion of Courtney Hirsch to CEO signaled that Jomboy was ready for bigger, bolder undertakings.

The deal: The world’s top professional baseball league, on the other hand, has struggled to maximize its TV deals as sports viewership becomes increasingly tied to creator culture. While the MLB has given some opportunities to sports-savvy influencers like Katie Feeney (and built one of the most prominent video players in internet history), it’s fallen behind rivals like the NFL and the NBA in the realm of creator content.

A deal with Jomboy will give the league a path to relevancy among younger generations—and if it’s wise, a number of additional creator partnerships won’t be far behind.

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• May 2025 was a good month for the beefy boys of YouTube, with gym rats like Jamshid Jamshid and Mike FajardoTV collecting more than a million new subs each. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• Amid growing concerns surrounding water waste, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says the average ChatGPT query uses “roughly one fifteenth of a teaspoon.”  (The Verge)
  
  

• Google shareholder Tony Tan has filed a lawsuit against Alphabet after allegedly being denied access to internal documents regarding Google’s decision to continue hosting TikTok in its Play Store. (Wired)
  
  

• Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced yesterday that Threads is “starting to test DMs” as part of the platform’s mission “to foster an open exchange of perspectives.” (Adam Mosseri via Threads)

STUDY SAYS…

TikTok kids need to stop overloading on skin serums

The context: TikTok Shop makes billions of dollars selling products to social media users—including thousands of beauty products from brands promising to make your face prettier, tighter, and younger. In general, it’s not advisable to overload your face with multiple serums, creams, and concoctions. But if an adult wants to have a 15-product skin care routine, that’s their prerogative.

Experts aren’t so sure the same should be said about kids.

The study: A new study in the journal Pediatrics analyzed beauty routines from 100 TikTok videos uploaded by users ages 7 through 18.

On average, those clips featured routines that encompassed six steps and cost around $168/month to maintain. The study’s authors found that “many” of the products used contained an average of 11 potentially irritating ingredients, including fragrances that can cause contact dermatitis, niacinamide (which can irritate skin if overused), and alpha hydroxy acids (which can make skin more vulnerable to sun damage). Only a quarter of products used contained sun protection.

So, should parents and platforms be doing more to protect kids from messaging that says they need to start following extensive beauty routines right now? The study’s authors think there is a potential social problem stemming from the prevalence of skin care videos for kids—and, ultimately, they put the onus on parents to explain to their offspring why not everything on social media is good for them.

A TikTok spokesperson, meanwhile, defended the prevalence of kid-aimed skin care routines by saying this type of content is “common across all media.” They added that TikTok is for users age 13 and older, and that anyone suspected of being under 13 has their account terminated. The spokesperson also said TikTok works with doctors and experts in adolescent development to implement safeguarding policies.

GOOD MYTHICAL GUIDE

Rhett & Link have Etsy recs for you

The partnership: Creators can make big affiliate dollars by recommending mass-produced products on ecommerce hubs like Amazon and TikTok Shop. But there isn’t as much infrastructure for creators looking to uplift independent craftspeople—including skilled fans that have supported creators’ own businesses through thick-and-thin.

That’s where Etsy wants to fit in.

Last year, the marketplace earned nearly $3 billion from sellers offering over 100 million products. Those items include everything from handmade jewelry and art to fursuits, crocheted onesies, and (as of recently) genAI products. (That last category has been an ongoing source of contention from sellers and buyers alike.)

Now, Etsy is looking to boost its brand among creators, buyers, and sellers alike by partnering with Mythical‘s Rhett & Link on an official recommendation shop. The duo’s digital storefront currently includes recs in several categories: Rhett & Link’s faves from across Etsy, a special Father’s Day collection, an “as seen on Good Mythical Morning” section, and a shelf for products made by “Mythical Beasts” (aka fans of Mythical’s flagship show, Good Mythical Morning).

The motivation: Mythical won’t earn revenue from the sales that flow through its storefront; instead, a Mythical rep says the goal is to “spotlight unique items, champion small businesses and help fans discover products they’ll love through strategic curation and branded content.” As for Etsy, a rep noted the Mythical storefront is part of the platform’s broader efforts to “show up in culture and connect with new audiences, all while spotlighting our sellers and their incredible items.”

The takeaway: Partnerships like this one might not bring creators direct revenue outside of paid promotional proceeds, but they could serve as a social complement to the bevy of other affiliate programs out there by letting creators support small and fan-run businesses.

WATCH THIS 📺

Are we heading into Ms. Rachel Summer?

The trend: With her cheerful sing-alongs and enriching videos, early childhood educator Ms. Rachel has become one of the most-watched YouTube creators across all categories—and other channels are taking notice.

“Ms. Rachel clones” have broken into our Tubefilter charts over the past few months, with BabyBillion being one of the latest kids’ hubs to enjoy the spotlight. While the India-based channel isn’t a one-for-one imitation of the Ms. Rachel approach, there are some uncanny visual similarities; BabyBillion’s on-screen talent, for instance, is typically seen wearing overalls paired with a colorful shirt (aka Ms. Rachel’s signature look).

The video: That technique might be derivative, but the channel’s fans don’t seem to mind: BabyBillion lived up to its name by snagging a whopping one billion views during the first full week of June. Check out one of the hub’s latest viral hits here.

Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

Want to introduce your brand to Tubefilter’s audience? Sponsor the newsletter.

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