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It’s Friday and Kick is putting small creators on the road to success with $50,000 in prizes. In other words: now’s the time to flex those Grand Theft Auto skills.

Today’s News

MONEY MOVES

MrBeast’s strongest short-form monetization comes from Facebook. Will “O.G.” features add to that?

The interview: MrBeast just “crashed” a star-studded episode of The Colin and Samir Show. The YouTube icon joined the show’s hosts for an interview with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who outlined his company’s mission to revive “O.G.” Facebook.

Meta’s recently united revenue streams have already ushered in a prosperous era for Facebook’s top creators—and MrBeast (aka Jimmy Donaldson) is no exception. Midway through the episode, Zuckerberg asked the North Carolina-based creator how his short-form uploads are monetizing on Facebook. Donaldson noted that his results are “over two times higher than any other platform,” an outcome Zuckerberg said is “not that abnormal.”

The updates: Monetization is clearly an important part of Meta’s mission to make Facebook cool again, but most of Zuckerberg’s interview focused on his company’s revival of classic features. The CEO has spoken about his desire to resurrect the vibe that defined Facebook in his early years, and he used his Colin and Samir Show appearance to announce an update that will advance that mission: the Friends feed, once the primary form of connection on Facbeook, is getting a makeover.

Zuckerberg explained that, although interactions with friends made Facebook a cultural force, that utility was eventually “outscaled” by the platform’s news feed. Now, Meta is reversing course with an updated Friends feed that will isolate posts uploaded by personal acquaintances from algorithmically-sorted content.

That newfangled feed is only the latest step in Meta’s quest to revitalize O.G. features, a mission that has also involved upgrades to Instagram’s long-popular DMs. And Zuckerberg’s company isn’t the only force trying to bring back the vibe of early social media: BuzzFeed, for instance, is betting on a 2000s revival with an upcoming platform that will prioritize positive experiences.

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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• YouTube is testing an update that would limit push notifications received by subscribers who don’t engage with a channel’s uploads. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• Instagram is following in TikTok’s footsteps by allowing users to play Reels at 2x speed. (TechCrunch)
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• TikTok will make TikTok Shop available to users in France, Germany, and Italy early next week. (Reuters)
  
  

• The White House hosted an event yesterday called “Podcast Row,” in which creators like War Room co-host Natalie Winters communicated directly with Trump officials. (The Wrap)

GAME ON

This “Twitch for sports” platform raised $22M to help creators stream official sports games

The context: Thanks to the end of NIL restrictions and the legalization of sports betting (which has led companies like DraftKings to pour millions into creator-led advertising), sports creators are having a real moment on platforms like YouTube.

Leagues are increasingly taking advantage of that phenomenon: the PGA Tour has begun holding Creator Classic tournaments, the NBA and NFL have tapped more creators for partnerships, and Formula 1 is fueling its growth with Gen Z viewership.

But despite growing acknowledgement from traditional sports orgs, creators still face one major roadblock: copyright strikes. While YouTube has a deal with the NFL to let select influencers use archived game footage, creators are penalized on most platforms for using official clips.

The startup: Playback wants to upend that status quo by becoming the “Twitch for sports.” The two-year-old sports livestreaming startup previously secured a deal with the NBA’s League Pass streaming service to let creators stream full NBA and WNBA games to their audiences. Playback is also supported by NBA Investments and counts several NBA players among its users, including Kevin Garnett, Gilbert Arenas, and Jeff Teague.

Now, the startup has raised $22 million from investors like Alexis Ohanian‘s Seven Seven Six and Khosla Ventures—and at the same time, it’s announced a partnership with Major League Baseball that will allow creators to stream games from MLB.tv.

(The Catch: while anyone can see a creator’s camera and commentary on Playback, audience members still need their own League Pass and/or MLB.tv subscriptions to watch the actual content creators are broadcasting.)

Over the next few months, Playback plans to add revenue and monetization features, including advertisements and sponsorship opportunities (per Business Insider). It also aims to seal deals with additional leagues in order to offer viewers a wider range of sports content.

FRONT AND CENTER

Spotter just took YouTube’s biggest creators to the Upfronts

The shakeup: The content industry is used to seeing YouTube leverage its annual advertiser presentation, Brandcast, to tell marketers why they should buy ads on its platform during the Television Upfronts. Now Spotter has joined the fray, too, with its own event before Upfronts season officially begins.

The creator services/catalog licensing company hosted its own Upfront last night, bringing together 150 executives from companies like Amazon, Disney, and Shopify. That presentation was Spotter’s very first external event featuring its partner creators.

Spotter President Nic Paul said the goal was to “[give] marketers a clear path to building authentic, impactful connections with audiences at scale.” In support of that mission, Spotter illustrated its partner creators’ high engagement by pointing out that:

• 49% of Spotter creators’ audience members start viewing sessions by seeking out specific creators and/or new content from their favorite creators.
  
  

• 66% of Spotter creator viewers said they’re more likely to support brands that support their favorite creators.
  
  

• And 70% of Spotter creator viewers discover new brands from those creators.

The creators: Participating creators included MrBeast, Dude Perfect, Kinigra Deon, Ryan Trahan, The Try Guys, Sam & Colby, Airrack, The Royalty Family, and Michelle Khare, who all took the stage (either in person, virtually, or via sizzle reels) to tell execs about their content, audience engagement, and why brands should develop long-term partnerships with them. Here are a few announcements from those stars:

• MrBeast plans to relaunch his gaming channel, MrBeast Games, and is planning a new adventure/competition series, celebrity and athlete collabs, and a behind-the-scenes series for his main channel.
  
  

• Kinigra Deon and her production company are partnering with Kevin Hart and his company Hartbeat to release Deon’s first feature-length film.
  
  

• Ryan Trahan is expanding his brand JOYRIDE (which is Target‘s #2 top-selling candy) to Whole Foods and Kroger.
  
  

• Dude Perfect is filming new content with sports all-stars, prepping for a new tour, and planning Trick World Championship 2.

"Our goal was to bring Creators and brands together—and we did that by showcasing how data, innovation, and engagement are shaping the entertainment industry,” Aaron DeBevoise, Spotter's founder and CEO, said in a statement. “Creators are leading culture and changing how audiences engage with content. Spotter Showcase provided brands with a deeper understanding of what drives attention and how to create a meaningful, lasting impact in the creator space."

WATCH THIS 📺

Watch out, Willy Wonka: Joe Hegyes is coming for you

The creator: By now, Joe Hegyes’ 150,000 Instagram followers are used to seeing him in elaborate costumes and an abundance of face paint. (After all, the short-form comedian says he makes videos “as an excuse to buy wigs.”)

The sketch: A recent upload shows just how effective Hegyes’ visual comedy can be. Decked out in a striped shirt and orange body paint, the creator takes on the role of an aggrieved Oompa-Loompa on a mission to take down Willy Wonka. The sketch—which is filmed in the style of a Netflix expose—raises some excellent points. (Selling chocolate that a kid basically drowned in is definitely an FDA violation, right?)

Check out the full video here to decide whose side you’re on: Willy Wonka’s or the Oompa-Loompas’.

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