TOGETHER WITH

It’s Wednesday and we hope you’ve saved room for elevenses, luncheon, and afternoon tea—because if you’re going to live your best hobbit life in Netflix’s new Tales of the Shire game, you’d better bring an appetite.

POD PEOPLE

A major video podcast deal will bring Nebula’s creator-led content to Spotify

Your favorite education-oriented content is making its way to Spotify.

The partnership: A newly-announced deal between the media platform and creator-owned streaming service Nebula will bring podcasts from YouTubers like CinemaWins, Charles Cornell, Hello Future Me, Captain Midnight, Tale Foundry, Game Makers ToolKit, and Kat Blaque to the Spotify for Podcasters hub.

• That list of names is only a snapshot of the opening slate of content and creators coming to Spotify’s podcast hub. Nebula’s full library includes content from 100+ educationally-inclined creators, meaning another round of video podcasts could (potentially) hit Spotify down the line.

The context: A collab between Nebula and Spotify makes sense for both partners. Video has become a major focus for Spotify, which cemented its move into visual content with several costly video podcast deals—including an infamous $100 million bet on The Joe Rogan Experience.

• Spotify for Podcasters is an important gear in that machine. The hub currently offers more than 2.5 million watchable episodes of podcasts. By throwing its own creator-led content into the mix, Nebula stands to gain millions of audience members.
  
  

• The five-year-old streaming service should be well-prepared to meet that demand. Nebula recently launched Nebula Motion Pictures—a full-fledged film production arm led by director and cinematographer Valentina Vee—and a news division called Nebula News.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

LGBTQ+ creators are celebrating Pride in style—with Furby collabs, bakery launches, and more

As Pride kicks off, more viewers than ever are going online to find welcoming communities and inclusive content. 

Viral Nation is here to make sure LGBTQ+ creators and aligned brands have everything they need to reach those fans—whether that means facilitating value-focused campaigns or securing press coverage. 

In honor of Pride, meet 3 LGBTQ+ creators who have built inclusive digital communities and brand campaigns with Viral Nation:

🍰 Gregory Mason 🍰
TikTok’s resident cake expert shares colorful treats with 1.3M followers. This Pride, Greg is celebrating the opening of his bakery, Treat Yo’ Self, and a recent partnership with Bloom Nutrition.

🎓 Charlie Amáyá Scott 🎓
Charlie Amáyá Scott isn’t just a brilliant Doctoral candidate at the University of Denver—she’s also an Indigenous trans femme creator who inspires millions with her advocacy content. 

🦮 Matthew and Paul 🦮
When they’re not pulling hilarious pranks or spotlighting their adorable guide dog, interabled TikTok couple Matthew and Paul amplify #disabilityawareness. Their latest adventure: an epic Furby challenge.

Ready to meet the other 900+ creators on Viral Nation’s talent roster?

Visit the website to learn more → 

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Every single channel in this week’s U.S. Top 50 ranking scored at least 420 million views across a seven-day period. (Tubefilter)
  

• For the first time in Twitch history, the platform is hiking up the cost of Tier 1 subscriptions for U.S. users. (Engadget)
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• Multiple high-profile TikTok accounts were reportedly taken over by hackers yesterday. Among the list of targets: CNN, Paris Hilton, and Sony. (Gizmodo)
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• A collaboration between Discord and TuneIn will bring a “library of 100,000 local AM/FM radio stations, news, podcasts, and sports content” to Discord users. (TechCrunch)

DATA • GLOBAL TOP 100 📈

Global Top 100: The richest channels on YouTube just got richer

Monthly roundup: May was one heck of a month for the most-watched channels on YouTube. Every single hub in the Top 5 enjoyed month-over-month viewership increases of 14% or more, while the sole U.S. representative—aka MrBeast—snagged an impressive 25% rise in views. Here’s a sneak peek at those rankings:

🥇 The chart-topping tot: Anaya Kandhal has claimed the #1 spot in the world for the second month running. The global chart-topper was the only creator to cross 3 billion monthly views in May—an impressive feat for a toddler who filmed her first family vlog just one year ago.

🥈 The music mogul: Scoring 2.9 billion monthly views didn’t stop T-Series from having a rough few weeks. Although the Indian record label beat MrBeast’s monthly total by a whopping 700 million views (leaving the U.S. challenger at #5), it lost a much grander title: that of YouTube’s most-subscribed channel.

🥉 The family friends: KL BRO Biju Rithvik came in at #3 in our latest monthly global chart, meaning India-based channels claimed every single spot in the Top 3. That level of success is nothing new to the family behind KL BRO, who will likely reel in their 50 millionth subscriber next month.

Check out our full Top 100 list here for more info on May’s chart-topping channels.

WATCH THIS 📺

Did Mark Rober really outsmart candy-counting raffles?

The hack: Listen: we’re not saying Mark Rober doesn’t know candy. After all, the former NASA engineer has invented everything from the world’s largest jello pool to thief-proof trick-or-treat bowls.

• But when Rober posted a hack for correctly guessing how many jelly beans are in a jar, we had to be sure it was legit. (Preferably before embarrassing ourselves at a baby shower.)
  
  

• A month later, the verdict is in: creators across YouTube and TikTok have confirmed the (relative) accuracy of Rober’s candy-counting hack. Does it require multiplication muscles we haven’t flexed since middle school? Maybe—but with 500-odd jelly beans on the line, it’s definitely worth a try.

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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.