TOGETHER WITH

It’s Tuesday and Spotify is hitting play to show off important podcast milestones. Once an episode hits 50K "Plays," a public count will automatically be updated to display incremental milestones, from 50K to 100K and beyond.

Today’s News

THE BIZ

The maker of Amazing Digital Circus snagged another big streaming deal

The deal: Last September, Glitch Productions (aka the animation studio behind YouTube hit The Amazing Digital Circus) signed a deal with Netflix that gave the streamer permission to air new episodes of TADC. The differentiating factor: Glitch didn’t have to pull TADC off YouTube. In fact, new episodes were set up to debut on YouTube and Netflix on the same day.

Now, the eight-year-old studio (which was founded by brothers Kevin and Luke Lerdwichagul) has secured yet another non-exclusive streaming deal.

A newly-announced arrangement with Amazon will give the streamer non-exclusive rights to multiple titles, including eight-episode series Murder Drones. The show (which was created by Liam Vickers and produced by Glitch) originally appeared on YouTube from 2021 to 2024, and follows a teenage worker robot whose existence is threatened by the arrival of extermination bots. As with the Netflix x TADC deal, Murder Drones will remain on YouTube in full—but all eight episodes are now also live on Prime Video.

In a statement, the Lerdwichagul brothers said this deal allows them to keep “full creative control” over all their shows, which will “always continue to be released” on YouTube.

The context: Glitch’s ability to scoop up two non-exclusive deals is an indicator that streamers consider creator IPs worth poaching, even without the benefits of exclusive control. Netflix and Amazon don’t typically play in non-exclusive licensing (remember the Friends rights throwdown in 2018?), but it looks like they’re more lenient when buying from people with massive established presences on YouTube. Netflix, for instance, also has a non-exclusive licensing deal with CoComelon’s main program.

🔆 PRESENTED BY TRIBECA X 🔆

At the heart of Tribeca Festival is Tribeca X: The summit where visionaries converge and ideas ignite

It’s time to snag your ticket to Tribeca X: NYC's definitive summit for brands and storytellers to connect, collaborate, and be inspired.  

During this year’s iconic Tribeca Festival, Tribeca X will champion the creators and campaigns driving advertising, storytelling and innovation forward. 

Tribeca X is where brands and entertainment meet—at the epicenter of creativity, commerce, and culture.

On June 9 and June 10, participants will network with top-tier visionaries and industry disruptors, be honored with the prestigious Tribeca X Award, and engage in transformative conversations with iconic speakers, including…

• Bryan Cranston, Emmy-winning actor and co-founder of Dos Hombres

• Paris Hilton, Co-founder and CEO of 11:11 Media

• Kenneth Cole, Founder of the Mental Health Coalition and fashion icon

• Ynon Kreiz, Mattel CEO

• Haider Rafique, Global OKX CMO

Experience the best of Tribeca: the Tribeca X Pass includes a ticket to two festival premieres and an invitation to the Tribeca X Awards ceremony.

Passes are on sale now—but running out fast.

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Last year, YouTube star Alan Chikin Chow opened a production facility to give a home to his sprawling video operation. Now, he’s back in our Global Top 50 ranking under a new display name: Alan’s Universe. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• Sesame Street has found its new streaming home. The long-running kids show has announced that all new episodes “are coming to Netflix worldwide.” (Sesame Street via X)
  
  

• Thanks to Bluesky’s latest test feature, select profiles will show that creators are “Live Now” when they “add a livestream link to sites like YouTube or Twitch.” (Bluesky)
  
  

• We mistakenly reported in yesterday's newsletter that Spotify "Plays" counts would be publicly displayed on podcast episodes with 500K or more plays. The correct minimum figure is 50K plays (as we mentioned at the top of this newsletter, too). Sorry about that. (Source: For the Record)

GOSPEL STATS 📈

Top Branded Videos of the Week: MrBeast goes to Mexico and Met Gala fashion goes viral

After snagging a place at #1 in last week’s chart, MrBeast is back on top of Gospel Stats’ ranking of most-viewed branded videos—and this time, he’s also claimed the #2 spot. (Imagine how viral Vogue’s third-place upload would’ve gone if he’d crashed the Meta Gala, too.)

🥇 #1. MrBeast x Jack Link’s, Feastables: I Explored 2000 Year Old Ancient Temples (70M views)
The latest installation of MrBeast‘s ongoing sponsorship with Jack Link’s has landed him in hot water. According to a lawsuit filed by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History, MrBeast had permission to film at heritage sites like the ruins of Chichén Itzá—but that permission did not include commercial promotion. Since MrBeast pushed both Jack Link’s and his own Feastables brand while filming (even going so far as to call Feastables’ peanut butter bar “the only Mayan-approved snack on the planet”), the Mexican government is looking for some reparations.

🥈 #2. MrBeast x DoorDash: Find This Key, Win $10,000 (27M views)
Last week, MrBeast’s gaming channel hit #1 in Gospel’s ranking with a video backed by DoorDash. This time around, his primary channel teamed up with the same sponsor to present an IRL challenge in just 39 seconds. That short-form vid was one of only ~180 sponsored Shorts on YouTube this week, as compared to over 2,300 sponsored long-form videos. But if DoorDash is willing to sink its money into Shorts sponsorships, we’re guessing other brands are likely to follow suit.

🥉 #3 Vogue x eBay, 1800 Tequila: Live at Met Gala 2025 with Vogue (15.2M views)
Vogue‘s official three-hour Met Gala livestream scored 15 million views and the #3 spot in Gospel’s ranking by showing all the luxe looks at this year’s event, which followed the theme of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” The resulting fashion lineup won plenty of attention for the livestream’s sponsors, 1800 Tequila and eBay. 

Check out the full branded ranking here and head over to Gospel Stats for more YouTube sponsorship insights.

CREATOR COMMUNITY

Top YouTubers like Dhar Mann and Supercar Blondie are joining Creators HQ. Here’s why:

The HQ: The United Arab Emirates is on a mission to get 10,000 content creators to live and work in Dubai.

That $40.8 million initiative is off to a roaring start: Creators HQ (a makerspace in the Emirates Towers that offers support for creators willing to relocate) has already accepted 100 creative pros as Founding Members.

While all Creators HQ members receive help securing Golden Visas, relocation support, and access to 300+ biz dev events per year, Founding Members also get exclusive perks like 24/7 concierge services, a guaranteed speaking slot at the 1 Billion Followers Summit, and priority access to participate in the Dubai government’s influencer marketing campaigns.

The motivations: But for Founding Members like Dhar Mann (25M YouTube subscribers), Yes Theory (9.5M), The Anazala Family (10M), Supercar Blondie (21.5M), Germán Garmendia (1.7M), and Surthany Hejeij (14M, Instagram), those perks aren’t the only reasons to join Creators HQ—or to set up shop in Dubai.

Blondie, who’s been making content in Dubai for years, felt “a little bit lonely” in the city before this initiative. Now, the supercar enthusiast says she’s “very excited” about Creators HQ’s “emphasis on supporting creators and coming up with this whole headquarters.” Blondie added that Creators HQ’s concierge has helped speed up the process of securing filming permissions from officials.

Chilean YouTuber Garmendia similarly pointed to logistical support as a major perk, while adding that being surrounded by creators with “the same mindset” helps him to “get inspired.” Lebanese foodfluencer Hejeij (aka Surthy Cooks) echoed that sentiment, noting that “it’s good now to have the support and the tools to do all these things, to feel we are not alone.”

While all of Creators HQ’s Founding Members have been selected, membership to the makerspace is still open to creators. Find out more on the website.

FYI: Creators HQ is a Tubefilter partner

WATCH THIS

An artistic AI startup is getting a big boost from Google

The investment: The genAI-powered studio - founded by AI artist Dave Clark, longtime digital video operative George Strompolos, and former YouTube Senior Director of Creator Partnerships Jamie Byrne - is getting a boost from investors.

Promise has announced a capital injection that includes participation from Crossbeam Venture Partners, Kivu Ventures, Saga Ventures, and Google’s AI Future Fund. In addition to that funding, a multi-pronged alliance between Promise and Google will see some of the latter company’s AI products integrated into a proprietary workflow platform called MUSE.

The video: Shortly before announcing its latest cash injection, Promise shared a sneak peek at NinjaPunk—an upcoming film that will combine traditional cinematography with technologies like motion capture, VFX, and “generative AI material” to tell a futuristic story. Check out a video on the making of the Promise original movie here.

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