Happy Thursday! If you remember the “Dear David” thread that haunted Twitter in 2017, then these seven words will send shivers down your spine: a film adaptation is on the way.

NEW ERA FOR ONLYFANS

CEO Ami Gan is exiting OnlyFans after 18 months at the wheel

Ami Gan is saying goodbye to OnlyFans. After spending approximately eighteen months as the company’s CEO, the exec has announced her decision to depart in favor of a new venture called Hoxton Projects. Details on that budding company are still scant, but Gan says it “reimagines the agency paradigm to support founders and growing businesses on how to best communicate and market their purpose and competitive advantage.”

The former CEO’s departure marks the end of an eventful era for OnlyFans.

Gan first took up the reins in December 2021, just four months after the company’s unsuccessful (and quickly abandoned) attempt to ban sexually explicit content. Under Gan’s leadership, OnlyFans switched course to solidify its status as a go-to platform for creators of NSFW content, and reached an impressive $10 billion creator payout milestone. OFTV evolved just as quickly; in a LinkedIn post announcing her next steps, Gan celebrated the growth of the programming platform, where creators like Lizzy Capri have delivered originals.

In Gan’s absence, OnlyFans will continue to evolve under a new CEO: former Chief Strategy and Operations Officer (CSOO) Keily Blair.

Blair isn’t the only OnlyFans exec taking on a new role. Sue Beeby will claim the Chief Communications Officer title after previously serving as VP of Communications, while Deputy General Counsel Mat Reeder will replace Blair as Chief Operations Officer.

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• TikTok Music has landed in Australia, Mexico, and Singapore after previously debuting in Brazil and Indonesia. (Tubefilter)
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• New Netflix users in the U.S. and U.K. can no longer subscribe to the Basic plan, making the streamer’s cheapest ad-free option $15.49/month. (Ars Technica)
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• Threads has introduced a slew of new updates, including a “follows” tab, a followers list, and the option to “subscribe to unfollowed users.” (Gizmodo)
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• In a 2023 survey conducted by The Trevor Project, more young LGBTQ+ people of color reported feeling “safe and understood” on TikTok than any other platform. (TechCrunch)

DATA • STREAMERS ON THE RISE 📈

Storymodebae joined Twitch because she hated editing. Now, she’s a full-time streamer with her very own show.

Storymodebae has loved gaming since she was five or six years old. What she’s not a fan, however, is editing. That combination made YouTube a difficult sell for the streamer, who could handle short-form editing but didn’t “have the bandwidth or the patience” for longer videos.

Then, in 2017, a viewer suggested she give Twitch a try.

Storymodebae had never heard of the platform before, but says she “was sold” as soon as she realized that going live didn’t involve editing. Over the next few years, the streamer “continued to become more passionate about streaming and building a community.” By February 2020, she’d decided to go all-in—with a little help from her fans, of course.

That transition came at exactly the right time. As more and more viewers tuned into Twitch for pandemic-era entertainment, Storymodebae’s fanbase grew by leaps and bounds. That growth shined a light on her hosting skills, which opened the door for collaborations with top brands and events; the multi-talented streamer has now hosted shows like This Is Dope (a 2020 series highlighting Black creators), done work for GameStop and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and is looking forward to the upcoming premiere of her own show, The Refresh.

Those opportunities have helped Storymodebae to build a passionate fanbase on Twitch, and have given her the ability to drive home an important point: “a gamer doesn’t look one specific way.”

TAKING CREDIT

This creator-friendly credit card company just raised $70 million

Karat Financial is expanding its credit limit in a big way. The fintech company—which offers a creator-friendly credit card—has announced a $70 million Series B, which includes $30 million in debt financing from TriplePoint Capital and a $40 million equity round led by SignalFire. That funding round is about three times as large as the $26 million Series A Karat announced in 2021; it includes contributions from Union Square Ventures, CRV, GGV, Commerce Ventures, and Will Smith‘s Dreamers VC .

Karat cardholders contributed as well.

Nick DiGiovanni, MoistCr1TiKaL (via MANA Talent Group), Ludwig Ahgren, Wendover Productions, and Pat Flynn have all invested in Karat. Those contributions reflect the fintech company’s strong presence in the creator community. In addition to offering influencer-friendly ways to simplify complex transactions, it has put cardholders on billboards, given them their own version of Shark Tank, and supported them at events like VidCon and Vidsummit. Karat’s co-founders, Eric Wei and Will Kim, have personally collaborated with creators through projects like The Karat Podcast.

The L.A.-based company’s latest collaboration will offer creators additional levels of support. Karat has announced a new business card in partnership with Visa, which will offer cardholders personal credit building and purchase protection. As an added perk, the company plans to provide business card-holders with tax season assistance.

WATCH THIS 📺

Brittany Broski is taking viewers back to medieval times for an upcoming interview series

Viewers of Game of Thrones and Hot Ones could soon unite to form one epic fandom. The show responsible for that unexpected marriage: Brittany Broski’s upcoming YouTube-based interview series, Royal Court. The new show promises to be the perfect combination of medieval vibes and viral humor, with a format designed to capitalize on the popularity of short-form clips.

Broski—whose real name is Brittany Tomlinson—gave fans a sneak peek at Royal Court and her medieval fashion sense in a new teaser set in an appropriately moody castle. Fans can check out that video here.

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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.