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Today’s News

STREAMING BIG

Netflix’s CEO says the streamer is competing with YouTube “in every dimension”

The earnings call: Netflix is expecting thinner profit margins and increased spending in 2026—and investors aren’t happy about it. The company’s shares fell to a 52-week record low after a fourth-quarter earnings call revealed its plans to up spending on programming by 10% this year, bringing it to nearly $20 billion over the course of 2026.

That’s on top of Netflix’s Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition, which the streamer abruptly switched to an all-cash deal just before its earnings call (in competition with Paramount Skydance‘s $82.7 billion cash offer). Per Barron’s, Netflix’s $83 billion agreement means the streamer will be ponying up 25 times the $3.3 billion it expects Warner Bros. assets to generate for it this year.

That deal overshadowed Netflix’s Q4 earnings, which came in slightly above analyst projections at $12.05 billion (versus an estimated $11.96 billion). The company also reported reaching 325 million paid global subscribers, up from 302 million in Q4 2024.

The context: So, why is Netflix placing such a big bet on Warner Bros.? Co-CEO Ted Sarandos cited YouTube’s rising TV dominance as a key motivator:

As Netflix presses forward in its efforts to compete with rivals like YouTube, it’s projecting an operating margin of 31.5% for 2026 (below the expected 32.5%). However, as Bernstein analyst Laurent Yoon pointed out, the streamer is simultaneously projecting a “solid 12-14 percent revenue growth”—meaning all that revenue is going towards programming without much immediate bump in returns.

Yoon said that likely indicates a subscription price increase, and that Netflix expects advertising revenue to double to $3 billion this year.

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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• YouTube has unveiled its long-awaited makeover. The platform’s new look adjusts the color of its assets, icons, and interfaces, with the iconic “YouTube red” shade being lightened to a “softer shade of red.” (Tubefilter)
  
  

• X is introducing its own take on Bluesky’s "Starter Packs.“ That new feature—very originally named “Starterpacks”—will consist of curated lists of recommended accounts in different categories. (TechCrunch)
  
  

• Meta has announced that it will “begin rolling out ads on Threads to all users globally” next week. (Meta)
  
  

• Is Siri the next target of the chatbot invasion? According to a new report, Apple allegedly plans to turn its iconic voice assistant into an AI chatbot. (Engadget)

GOSPEL STATS 📈

Top Branded Videos of the Week: Sponsored Shorts conquer all

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan recently revealed that Shorts now average 200+ billion views per day—and the platform’s TikTok competitor isn’t just popular with viewers. If you’ve been following Gospel Stats’ Weekly Brand Reports over the last year, you’ll know brands are digging Shorts, too.

This week’s chart is no exception. Aside from a Veritasium vid that snagged a spot at #2, Gospel’s latest ranking of most-viewed sponsored videos is an ode to Shorts.

🥇 #1. MrBeast 2 x Feastables: Would You Skydive for $100? (30M views)
In its latest Feastables-sponsored Short, Team Beast sewed together two trendy video conceits: walking up to people in public to offer them ‘x’ amount of money to complete a task, and performing crazy stunts on camera. The latter is a hallmark of Red Bull, but MrBeast has clearly mastered the format, too.

🥈 #2. Veritasium x Brilliant: The World’s Most Important Machine (16.4M views)
The only long-form video in this week’s Top 5 also happens to be Veritasium’s top-performing upload of all time. We touched on that success earlier in the month, when Veritasium creator Derek Muller revealed that he’s brought on a sprawling production team. That team was behind this video, which analyzes a photolithography system from Dutch company ASML.

🥉 #3. Dude Perfect x Best Buy: Impossible Golf Flop Shot (5.1M views)
Best Buy and Dude Perfect‘s recent collab is a high-octane, high-volume competition that revolves around one of the biggest sports on YouTube: golf.

For those unfamiliar, Best Buy produces a lot of golf-related tech, from Bluetooth speakers to full-scale simulators. It’s also a major sponsor of primetime golf league TGL, where the Dudes will have a starring role in Season 2.

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

FILM FRENZY

YouTube, TikTok, Amazon, and Adobe are bringing the creator economy to Sundance

The festival: The 2026 edition of Sundance Film Festival kicks off today, making its last hurrah in Park City, Utah before the event heads to Boulder, Colorado in 2027. Amid that transition, another changing of the guard is also taking place.

Content creators are becoming Sundance fixtures, with companies like TikTok, Adobe, Amazon, and YouTube using the festival to introduce internet standouts to the entertainment industry. Here’s how those tech giants will leave their mark on Sundance in 2026:

1. TikTok is taking creators to Park City.
In 2026, TikTok’s creator cadre includes pop culture commentators like Louis Levanti and rising artists like Monse Gutierrez. Taking its stars to Sundance is just one way the app hopes to integrate itself into the move biz. It has also debuted Fandango integration and “secret screenings,” and recently unveiled new ad offerings to serve studios.

2. Adobe is offering $10M in creator grants.
85% of Sundance filmmakers use Adobe’s tools, and the company is eager to keep that number rising. In 2026, it will commit $10 million in grants and donated products through the Adobe Film & TV Fund, and is also partnering with Chicken Shop Date host Amelia Dimoldenberg and Dimz Inc. Academy to provide opportunities for 18-to-24-year-olds interested in digital media careers.

3. Amazon wants to party.
Amazon has previously offered a combination of creator support and new product demos at Sundance, while also making waves as an active buyer. In 2026, the tech giant will maintain a strong presence by co-hosting a Park City party on January 24 alongside talent firm UTA and digital studio Gymnasium.

4. YouTube’s got the coverage.
Google’s video hub has announced little in terms of creator-focused initiatives for this year’s festival—but as a distribution hub, YouTube is still an integral part of Sundance. Keep an eye on the festival’s official YouTube channel for content spotlighting screenwriters and directors.

WATCH THIS 👀

It looks like MrBeast is actually making a Super Bowl commercial

The proposition: During the last week of 2025, MrBeast brought an interesting proposition to X:

The partnership: Devoting an entire Super Bowl commercial to one creator’s idea might seem like an expensive gamble for brands—but MrBeast isn’t just any creator. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff jumped on the chance to suggest his company’s ad slot as a creative outlet for YouTube’s top star, and MrBeast didn’t waste any time taking him up on that offer.

In a recent Short, the YouTuber documented his journey to the Salesforce headquarters, where he presented his mystery commercial concept and (apparently) got the go-ahead. Salesforce’s only requirements: “it’s gotta be legal and you’ve gotta put our products in it.”

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