MrBeast's biggest game show EVER

The beast is coming to Amazon Prime.

Author

Emily Burton
March 19, 2024

TOGETHER WITH

It’s Tuesday and Facebook Marketplace might be one of the only things keeping Gen Z users on Facebook—at least, the ones brave enough to find deals in a sea of Cheeto sculptures and paper mache Shrek costumes.

BEAST MODE

MrBeast is bringing “the biggest reality competition series ever” to Prime Video with a $5 million prize

The deal: MrBeast has signed a $100 million deal with Amazon Studios to produce what he calls “the largest game show in history.”

  • That record-breaking production is Beast Games, a reality TV series that will see 1,000 contestants compete for the single biggest prize in TV and streaming history: $5 million. While the show’s release date is still under wraps, Amazon says it will ultimately be available to more than 240 countries and territories.

  • Beast Games won’t begin filming for a couple of months, but the show has already generated some TV-worthy drama. MrBeast (aka Jimmy Donaldson) and his team reportedly spent less than a week pitching to streaming services before Amazon closed in, beating out “one major rival” in the process.

What to expect: The budget for Beast Games hasn’t been disclosed, but Donaldson assured Colin and Samir in a recent podcast episode that the show is “going to blow your mind.” While the creator’s typical videos come with a $3.5 million budget, he told the YouTube duo that those “constraints are not there for this show.” As a result, Beast Games promises to be a “crazy” series with similarities to Squid Games, but “on steroids. Times a billion.”

Why it matters: Donaldson is well aware of Beast Games’ potential impact on the creator economy. The entrepreneur has said his goal for the show is to “prove YouTubers and creators can succeed on other platforms”—and not only succeed, but succeed while retaining creative autonomy.

  • Donaldson’s deal with Amazon reportedly hinged on his ability to hold onto creative control. While speaking with Colin and Samir, the YouTuber emphasized that Beast Games will reflect Hollywood influences while still being produced “the YouTube way.”

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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

DATA • GOSPEL STATS 📈

Top 3 Branded Videos: Unbridled chaos, bulletproof Cybertrucks, and ancient math

This week’s ranking of most-viewed branded videos demonstrates the power of two popular YouTube genres: dramatic sports highlights and chaotic educational content. Let’s dive into Gospel Stats’ latest Weekly Brand Report for a closer look:

🥇 DAZN Boxing x AutoZone: KNOCKOUT CHAOS | Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou Fight Highlights
DAZN’s knack for tapping into YouTube’s thriving sports fandom came in handy earlier this month—but the streaming service has been honing that talent for a while now. Four years before posting a viral video of Anthony Johnson and Francis Ngannou’s March 8 bout, DAZN picked up broadcast rights for the Logan Paul vs. KSI 2 fight.

This week’s Top 4 Branded Videos scored view counts ranging from 4M to 12M. Data from Gospel Stats.

🥈 Veritasium x Brilliant: The Oldest Unsolved Problem in Math
Veritasium’s apparent quest to undo years of middle school math trauma is coming along nicely. The “edutainment” channel has produced two top branded videos this month, both of which revolved around history-shaping equations. The most recent of those clips proved to be one of 20 videos sponsored by Brilliant this week.

🥉 JerryRigEverything x Ridge: Is the Cybertruck ACTUALLY bulletproof?! (vs .50 cal rifle)
JerryRigEverything’s latest video offered viewers a different kind of educational content. The tech-savvy creator conducted an experiment to determine the durability of Tesla’s (allegedly bulletproof) Cybertruck. The result: 5.3 million gadget-loving viewers tuned in, giving Ridge the perfect opportunity to promote its RFID wallets.

FYI: These rankings are only a sneak peek at everything Gospel Stats has to offer. Check out the full site here for in-depth data on branded partnerships, rising creatos, and top sponsors.

ALL ABOARD

Pocket.watch’s latest board member is a seasoned YouTube Kids executive

The appointment: Pocket.watch is adding an industry-leading executive to its board. The self-described “kids and family creator content and IP company” has announced the appointment of Lauren Glaubach, a seasoned YouTube vet with more than a decade of experience at the video platform.

The exec: Glaubach’s career has been an influential one. As the Director and Global Head of Youth Partnerships & Programming at YouTube, she led content initiatives, directed a team that managed more than 500 partner channels, and played an instrumental part in the development of YouTube Kids content safeguards.

The company: Glaubach’s role in guiding the rise of short-form video among families makes her a particularly vital asset for pocket.watch. The “digital-first studio” currently counts about one billion subscribers and 681 billion lifetime YouTube views across its ever-growing network, which includes leading Shorts channels like Toys and Colors, Daniel Labelle, and The McClure Twins.

  • One of pocket.watch’s biggest stars, Ryan Kaji of Ryan’s World, is set to star in the company’s first feature film, which is due out later this year.

The big picture: That upcoming release is just one example of the company’s track record of bringing creator brands and products to mainstream markets—a mission Glaubach aims to further by locating rising Shorts channels that could benefit from pocket.watch’s resources. In a statement, the exec noted that even record-breaking creators “don’t necessarily have the support to navigate global distribution and diversified business opportunities.”

  • Glaubach’s insider knowledge of Shorts will make it possible for pocketwatch.com to offer that support to a fresh slate of family-friendly creators, while simultaneously honing its approach to the world’s leading video platform.

WATCH THIS 📺

One-star product reviews are so hot right now

The format: If you want to bring in millions of views or make Gospel’s list of Top Branded Videos, you might want to pick up a few poorly-rated products. Alongside “one-star review king” Ryan Trahan, top creators like HopeScope and Unspeakable have gone viral for hauls of tiny motorcycles, bendy knives, and other eyebrow-raising items.

  • HopeScope’s latest spin on the format puts nine creator-made products to the test. Check out the full video here to find out if Chamberlain Coffee’s hot chocolate, Trahan’s Joyride candy, and Pokimane’s “healthy Oreo alternative” can take the heat.

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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.