TOGETHER WITH

It’s Monday and Google and Apple are in similarly hot water after stirring up controversy with the release of ads like this ode to AI-written Olympic fan letters.

🗞️ Today’s News 🗞️

• An oddball super hero-inspired channel climbs the Global Monthly Charts fast 📈

• TikTok faces another challenge from the U.S. government

• MrBeast addresses those game show allegations 👀

• This week on the podcast…

DATA • GLOBAL TOP 100 📈

This interesting channel’s super power: Universal relatability

The channel: The monthly charts are in and an unlikely oddball hero has climbed its way up the rankings. The Shorts factory in question: a comic-book-character-loving friend group with a seemingly infantile appeal called Super Beauty Team.

• That channel is one of seven Hong Kong-based hubs that made it into July’s Global Top 100. All of those channels primarily upload videos that include little-to-no dialogue and G-or-PG-rated content—and all but one produce Shorts featuring trending sounds and creators wearing superhero costumes.
  
  

• As the name implies, Super Beauty Team fully commits to comic book-inspired costuming. While the channel’s uploads rarely have anything to do with Marvel or DC, the visual theming allows fans across the world to make an immediate connection to Super Beauty Team’s simplistic skits.

The stats: That strategy isn’t altogether unusual—again, six of Hong Kong’s top channels took a similar approach (and they all appear to be part of the same video-making crew). Super Beauty Team’s stats, however, make it a clear standout within the wider genre.

• Its rapid ascendancy is incredible. The channel had 3,700 subscribers and 2.2 million lifetime views at the beginning of April. Now it’s got 5.5 million subscribers and 3.7 billion views.
  
  

• More than half of those lifetime views—2.1 billion—flooded in over the course of July.
  
  

• That 88% month-over-month viewership increase has a lot to do with Super Beauty Team’s intensive posting schedule. The channel now puts out upwards of 151 short-form videos per month, with uploads currently averaging 7.9 million views apiece.
  
  

• That commitment to consistent content production paid off in July, with Super Beauty Team skyrocketing to #6 in our Global Top 100 chart.

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• A lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice accuses TikTok of “collecting and using young children’s private information without any parental consent or control.” (Gizmodo)
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• As the presidential election approaches, Donald Trump’s media company has announced plans to launch a streaming service called Truth+. (Gizmodo)

• According to Bloomberg, Meta has approached Hollywood stars like Judi Dench and Awkwafina in the hopes of adding their voices to its next AI project. (The Verge)
  
  

• Snap missed analyst expectations for Q2, leading to an 18% drop in stock value shortly after the release of its quarterly earnings report. (Deadline)

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

VidSummit is only one month away. Here’s everything creators should know for 2024:

VidSummit is the only event where the top 1% of influencers unite to share insights and uncover industry secrets. This year, speakers like HopeScope, Marissa Hill, and MatPat will travel to Dallas to unravel the intricacies of data-driven monetization, the AI revolution, and more.

Here’s a quick FAQ before VidSummit 2024 kicks off in September:

1. Who is this event for?
Designed by creators for creators, VidSummit is an exclusive space for video creators and other industry pros to meet, network, and share the truth of their success.

2. What makes VidSummit different?
Industry pros converge at VidSummit to share insights and offer mentorship—not to connect with fans. That key detail means speakers are 100% focused on furthering your career with crucial data, insider strategies, and unfiltered insights into the business of the creator economy.

3. What can I expect from this year’s schedule?
From September 3-5, leading creators like EYstreem, Colin & Samir, and Tom Bilyeu will host keynotes, panels, and roundtables spanning everything from thumbnail creation to global audience-building and creator product development. 

4. How can I snag a pass to VidSummit?
Hit the link below to find out:

Buy your ticket →

BELLY OF THE BEAST

MrBeast’s team says the filming of Beast Games was “complicated”

The allegations: Over the last two weeks, videos uploaded by creator Rosanna Pansino have delved into allegations from over 200 people involved in the production of MrBeast’s $100 million Amazon game show. Among other claims, Beast Games contestants told Pansino that water, food, medication, and hygiene products were withheld or given sparingly.

Now, a report from The New York Times has corroborated those allegations. Over a dozen competitors confirmed that they’d had to surrender medications and underwear to the staff, that deliveries of food and other necessities were frequently delayed, and that some contestants were hospitalized.

The Times also reviewed Beast Games‘ contract for contestants, which (as is standard in reality TV production - which have also received similar complaints) warned that participating could cause “death, illness, or serious bodily injury, including, but not limited to exhaustion, dehydration, overexertion, burns, and heat stroke.”

The response: In a statement to The Times, a MrBeast spokesperson noted that filming (which started July 18) was “complicated by the CrowdStrike incident, extreme weather and other unexpected logistical and communications issues.”

The spokesperson didn’t address how the the CrowdStrike incident—which crashed systems around the world on July 19—affected the show, but did confirm that production has “taken steps to ensure that we learn from this experience.”

That statement also clarified that a thousand contestants are due to film Beast Games’ next round in Canada this month and “virtually all of those invited to Toronto for our next production have enthusiastically accepted our invitation.”

LISTEN UP 🎙️

This week on the podcast…

AI for all: Meta is taking AI personas to the next level. After experimenting with celebrity-inspired chatbots, Instagram has announced the rollout of AIs that can be molded to mimic the personality of any user.

• Also on the discussion board: Creator Upload hosts Joshua Cohen and Lauren Schnipper dive into the passage of the Kids Online Safety Act and Dunkin’s latest round of creator-inspired menu items.
  
  

• Check out the full episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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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.