True crime goes on tour šŸ’€

Read time: 4 minutes.

TOGETHER WITH

It's Tuesday and ChatGPTā€™s screenwriting career is off to a bumpy start. The world premiere of the chatbotā€™s first filmā€”ironically titled The Last Screenwriterā€”has been canceled before production even began.

TRUE CRIME TO GO

MrBallen is taking his true crime empire on tour

The live show: Fans across the U.S. will soon have a chance to hear MrBallenā€™s ā€œstrange, dark, and mysteriousā€ tales in person. The true crime YouTuber (aka John Allen) has announced a cross-country tour that will hit 15 cities between September 26 and October 20.

  • That event series is the first full-length tour put on by Ballen Studios, but it isnā€™t Allenā€™s live debut. The former Navy Seal previously enthralled audience members at a storytelling session held last October. His upcoming tour will offer ticket-holders a similar fare of sordid true crime talesā€”plus the chance to pick up a copy of his upcoming graphic novel, MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious. 

The context: That book is just one of the multi-media endeavors to come out of MrBallen Studios. In addition to managing Allenā€™s 2024 tour and broader content empire (which includes several of YouTubeā€™s most-watched videos), the company launched a creator management arm last spring.

The statement:

ā€œTelling stories on YouTube and on the podcast each week for millions of fans is something I absolutely love to do. Now, to be able to do that in front of those fans, feel their energy, and have a chance to meet them as well, is something that excites me to no end.ā€

John Allen

The big picture: Creator tours are shaping up to be one of the hallmarks of 2024. Top YouTubers like Rhett & Link, Daz Black, and Dan Howell have all demonstrated the enduring value of live event series, which have become an increasingly powerful audience-building tool and revenue source in the aftermath of COVID-19.

Spotterā€™s AI suite helps YouTubers beat creative blockā€”so you can focus on making the content your fans love

From building audiences to brainstorming content, YouTubers like you do it allā€”which is why Spotter has invested more than $900 million to make sure creators have every possible resource at their fingertips.

šŸ› ļø Now, Spotter is adding a new suite of AI resources to that list.

Spotterā€™s expert team has partnered with top creators and industry pros to develop creator-friendly products focused on ideation, packaging, and creative storytelling. The goal: helping YouTubers save time and money while accelerating their careers. 

šŸ’Ŗ Dude Perfect, Lizzy Capri, and Kinigra Deon are already leveraging Spotterā€™s AI suite of products to create viral videos.

Now, itā€™s your turn to level up your content with one of Spotterā€™s brand-new AI tools: Title Exploder.

Title Exploder helps you create captivating video titles based on insights from your most successful content and YouTubeā€™s top videos. Hit the link below to register for freeā€”and receive exclusive access to upcoming launches, features, and events along the way.

HEADLINES IN BRIEF šŸ“°

  • Gaming and entertainment org XSET has acquired Illusive Media to form an in-house studio dedicated to the production of ā€œoriginal and unrivaled content.ā€ (Tubefilter)
    ā€‹

  • Streamer Dr. Disrespect has been dropped by Midnight Societyā€”aka the gaming studio he co-founded in 2021ā€”after being permanently banned from Twitch amidst grooming allegations. (The Verge)

DATA ā€¢ GOSPEL STATS šŸ“ˆ

Top 3 Branded Videos: Deadly obstacle courses, secret hotels, and forbidden love

After appearing as a guest in last weekā€™s #1 sponsored clip, MrBeast has returned to the rankings as the star of his own viral video. Hereā€™s a sneak peek at Gospel Statsā€™ latest batch of branded data:

šŸ„‡ MrBeast x Cirkul: Worldā€™s Deadliest Obstacle Course!
After enduring a hardcore challenge of his own, Jimmy Donaldson decided to put someone else through the ringer. That lucky contestant (a frequent MrBeast guest star named Mack) was tasked with completing a series of death-defying obstacles. The prize: $800,000.

  • Thatā€™s a lot of pressure, but MrBeastā€™s title sponsor did take one challenge off Mackā€™s shoulders. With Cirkul flavored water on hand, the competitor didnā€™t need to worry about beating dehydration.

Danger is MrBeastā€™s middle name. (Itā€™s actually Stephen, but you get the point.)

šŸ„ˆ Ryan Trahan x Squad Busters: I Stayed in Secret Hotels
Ryan Trahanā€™s latest travel diary might be Squad Bustersā€™ most fruitful partnership of 2024, but itā€™s hardly the gameā€™s first stab at YouTube marketing.

  • In total, Squad Busters has sponsored three videos this year: a food art challenge from ZHC, a German-language scooter tour hosted by Trymacs, and Trahanā€™s own hotel escapade.

šŸ„‰ Dhar Mann Studios x Dragon City: CHEERLEADER Falls In Love With NERD | Dhar Mann Studios
Squad Busters isnā€™t the only video game sponsor represented in this weekā€™s ranking. Dragon City linked up with Dhar Mann Studios to fund one of the companyā€™s signature moral-fueled stories. The result: 5.3 million views and an addictively cheesy reminder that love conquers all.

FYI: This Weekly Brand Report is just a taste of everything Gospel Stats has to offer. Check out the full site here for in-depth data on branded partnerships, rising creators, and emerging YouTube trends.

WATCH THIS šŸ“ŗ

Shopify is giving small businesses their very own Sidekicks

The launch: Creators who sell merch through Shopify will now have an AI buddy to back them up. The ecommerce company has announced the early access launch of Sidekick, a chatbot designed to help small business owners ā€œmake good decisions and resolve tasks.ā€

  • Find out more about Sidekick (and the other 150+ updates on Shopifyā€™s Summer 2024 itinerary) here.

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Today's newsletter is from: James Hale, Emily Burton, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. Drew Baldwin helped edit, too. It's a team effort.