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It's Wednesday and Terminator-style robots are coming to California. Their mission: making cars (and possibly coffee) at a BMW factory.

WELCOME TO CHINA

MrBeast just broke into the Chinese market with a viral Bilibili video

MrBeast is taking his commitment to localization to the next level. After successfully launching YouTube channels in Hindi, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, and Arabic, the creator is going off-platform to court Chinese viewers.

The context: Thanks to the power of VPNs, MrBeast (aka Jimmy Donaldson) likely already has a wealth of long-term Chinese fans—but platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok aren’t publicly available in China.

• Instead, Chinese residents have access to Bilibili, a video-sharing service based in Shanghai.

The viral video: MrBeast has joined forces with Yoola and its former president, Eyal Baumel, to take advantage of the “unique opportunity” offered by the absence of major global platforms in China.

• On January 22, the creator joined Bilibili. By the next day, his introductory post had already become the platform’s #1 trending video with over 3 million views and 200,000+ comments.
  
  

• Going forward, Donaldson plans to share his usual slate of big-budget spectacles on Bilibili.

The big picture: Donaldson has a long history of reaching global audiences through localization—and squeezing extra revenue out of his pre-existing videos in the process.

• In addition to reeling in more than 6 billion views with language-specific YouTube channels (per Gospel Stats), Donaldson worked closely with YouTube to develop a dubbing tool that automatically translates videos into 40 different languages.
  
  

• Moving that approach to a regional platform like BiliBili could have a butterfly effect throughout the creator economy—meaning industry pros, advertisers, and YouTubers alike will want to keep an eye on the performance of MrBeast’s Chinese videos.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

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Here’s why you should harness the power of OTT:

1. Unlock new revenue streams 💸
Why not breathe new life into old videos? When you bring your existing content to streaming services (aka OTT) and FAST channels, your videos will continue to monetize even after they’ve peaked in viewership on YouTube.

2. Grow your audience 📈​​​
OTT expands your audience without pulling views from your original channel. The secret: reaching viewers that wouldn’t see your videos through YouTube’s recommendation algorithm.

3. Capture the attention of Hollywood studios 🎬
After succeeding in OTT, creators can work with Viral Nation’s Original Programming team to launch a series with one of our many production partners.

4. Be an OTT trailblazer 🔥
As viewers opt out of cable and broadcast TV, streaming services are becoming king. With Viral Nation, you’ll stand out by entering the OTT space early on.

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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Netflix has signed a $5 billion, decade-long deal with the WWE that will bring 150 annual hours of exclusive Raw content to its streaming service. (Tubefilter)
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• TikTok has confirmed job cuts affecting 60 employees just weeks after news broke of layoffs at Twitch, YouTube, and Google. (Tubefilter)
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• Meta’s Oversight Board has objected to the platform’s COVID-era automated moderation tactics, which it says are no longer “reasonably justified.” (Engadget)
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• Netflix is reportedly “retiring” its ad-free Basic tier for new subscribers in the U.K. and Canada. (The Verge)

DATA • GLOBAL TOP 50 📈

This reactionary creator is laughing all the way to the bank

Reaction content is a touchy subject (especially when re-posted videos lack attribution), but there’s no denying the genre’s viral results. Creators across TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts have collected billions of views simply by gasping, laughing, or remaining stone-faced in response to aggregated viral clips.

The strategy: Jeffrey X adds an element of suspense to that controversial format. Since 2022, the creator has entertained viewers by challenging himself not to laugh as he watches popular videos from all corners of the internet.

• The stakes are real: Jeffrey X kicks off his most-watched Shorts by taking a giant gulp of water—meaning viewers are always on the edges of their seats waiting for an eventual spit take. Sometimes it comes, sometimes it doesn’t (and sometimes, viewers are more focused on the re-posted clips).

The response: Whether Jeffrey X’s fans are in it for the aggregated viral content or his dramatic reactions, the creator is reaping the benefits. Since 2022, the Shorts star’s channel has accumulated more than 1 billion views and nearly 2 million subscribers.

The stats: This past week was Jeffrey X’s biggest yet.

• Over the course of our last week-long count, the YouTuber collected a grand total of 216.1 million views.
  
  

• That seven-day sum added up to a 20% week-over-week traffic increase.
  
  

• The result: Jeffrey X’s channel made his first appearance in the Global Top 50 by jumping to #49 in our worldwide ranking.

CREATOR NOW X VIDIQ

Airrack’s “YouTuber film school” has been acquired by VidIQ

VidIQ is adding Creator Now to its portfolio of creator education resources. The analytics company has acquired Airrack’s “YouTuber film school” just two years after claiming ownership of Tim Schmoyer‘s coaching business, Video Creators.

The big acquisition: VidIQ announced its deal with Creator Now through a recent press release. Although that announcement didn’t include financial details, VidIQ did note that the acquisition is formally structured as a merger—meaning Creator Now will have the ability to continue operating as a standalone brand.

• It’s easy to see why VidIQ isn’t eager to interrupt Creator Now’s flow—or limit Airrack’s involvement. Creator Now’s first class was a six-week, $250 online learning program led by Airrack (who launched the company in 2021 alongside managers Zack Honarvar and Kate Ward). Despite capping admission at 300 students, the course quickly drew a 12,000-person waitlist.

The official statement:

The takeaway: The acquisition of Creator Now is a major score for VidIQ, which aims to provide creators with an “all-in-one offering spanning across tools, educational resources, and community.” Given that the creator community is expected to grow by at least 10% over the next five years, the creator education field has the potential to become increasingly lucrative as more and more beginners seek guidance from established stars like Airrack.

WATCH THIS 📺

Uncle Roger’s Last Meals request is deliciously complex

As far as last meals go, Nigel Ng’s selection is pretty extensive—but it’s not hard to see why each bite qualifies for Mythical’s food-focused interview series.

On the menu: You probably know Ng as the brainpower behind Uncle Roger, but the comedian himself is every bit as culinarily-inclined as his beloved character.

• For his guest appearance on Last Meals, Ng put the Mythical team to the test by requesting a four-course meal consisting of fourteen dishes and drinks. Our personal favorites: Peking duck and blowtorch otoro.

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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.