It's Sunday and here’s a handpicked selection of stories to give you a snapshot of trends, updates, business moves, and more from around the creator industry.
But first, Twitch says no free feet. Streamer Morgpie got temp banned (again) last week for painting her bare feet a festive green and using them as a screen to show her Dark Souls gameplay. (Dark Soles. Get it?)
CREATOR COMMOTION
PewDiePie is taking his son’s childhood offline.
Creators are going offline, cooking up new series, and saving animals
The dad decision: PewDiePie announced in a May 23 upload that he and wife Marzia will wind down their monthly vlogs this September. Why? Because their son, Björn, is about to turn three. “[W]e want Björn to grow up outside of the internet and enjoy life on his own terms,” Pewds explained.
The YouTube series: Guy Fieri is cooking up a new YouTube series. The star of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives is set to host a talk show called Guy’s Feast Club, which will follow Fieri as he meets with different celebs for some chow time—including YouTube’s very own Jesser.
The $100K surprise: Jacksepticeye’s visit to Maya Higa’s Alveus Sanctuary wrapped up with a surprise $100,000 donation straight from his own pocket, plus a fundraiser posted on his channel asking fans to help raise another $100K. That’s a lot of treats for Miss Winnie the Moo.
THE BIZ
Qlay Co. is rebranding.
Spy Ninjas is splashing out $25M and MeatEater is teaming up with UTA
The rebrand: Hoping to catch the Hollywood + creators convergence wave, Chad Wild Clay and Vy Qwaint’s company is rebranding from Qlay Co. to Spy Ninjas Entertainment, and plans to spend $25 million to “accelerate its content pipeline and production capabilities,” it said in a press release. That cash will go toward expanding usage of its 65,000 square foot production studio, hiring 50 new employees, and pushing further into “serialized, narrative storytelling and other entertainment and production disciplines.”
The meaty deal: Outdoorsy content creator and producer Steven Rinella (who claims 1.8 million subscribers on YouTube) and his company MeatEater have signed with United Talent Agency. The new partnership will focus on Rinella’s already-running Netflix series and his podcast, and look to expand them into more brand deals, TV content, and live tours.
PLATFORM UPDATES
Spotify is calling on clippers.
This week in platform headlines…
The clipping call: Spotify is summoning the clippers. Clipping has become a major component of our industry, mostly for creators and content distributors looking to catch more eyeballs by offering tantalizing bites of longer content. Spotify is getting on board by letting users clip bits of podcasts to share on the World Wide Web.
The audio update: Did anyone else spend the ‘90s listening to their parents stress over the dangers of online communication? Sometimes I think we’ve swung too far the other way—but that being said, digital-born friendships are way more common these days, and Discord’s new spatial audio feature gives folks a way to feel like their long-distance pals are hanging out with them IRL.
The anniversary: QVC joined TikTok Shop in 2024, and now it’s choosing TikTok as the place to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The king of call-in TV shopping will go live June 17 for a full-day event that’ll offer the usual SKU showcases, but also “product storytelling” and exclusive deals.
In a statement, Krystyna Taheri, QVC’s SVP of Social Commerce, said that “the future of shopping is live, social and personal, and QVC is ready to lead the way. Our TikTok Shop Super Brand Day is proof of that—bringing together the storytelling and trust we’ve built over four decades with the next generation of live shopping.”
WATCH THIS 👀
Jason Kelce is hitting the track.
Jason Kelce is taking on every sport from NASCAR to basketball
The sports series: Guy Fieri isn’t the only celeb rockin’ with a new YouTube show.
In Kelce Versus, NFL icon Jason Kelce will try his hand at a variety of sports and then attempt to beat the pros at their own games. According to an unlisted trailer shared by People and Yahoo! Sports, the show was created by Wooderboy Productions and WonderyCheck, and is set to premiere on June 4.
Check out the trailer here to see how Kelce fares in the world of NASCAR.
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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.