TOGETHER WITH

It’s Tuesday and in the face of public outrage, Disney says Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return tonight after being placed on an indefinite hiatus last week.

Today’s News

SPORTS MODE

NFL embraces the second screen—and the engagement boost it brings

The TV giant: In general, traditional television giants have lost ground as younger viewers turn to cheaper and more targeted content (like streaming and YouTube videos). But at least one TV mainstay isn’t just surviving the changing times—it’s thriving.

In fact, the NFL has maintained juggernaut-level growth by embracing being online. The league has sealed broadcast deals with YouTube, Netflix, and more. It just kicked off the 2025-26 season with a YouTube-exclusive Chiefs/Chargers matchup in Brazil that drew 17.3 million viewers, a 21% increase over last year’s Brazilian game.

Those aren’t the only viewership numbers that are up. The NFL has reported record-setting TV and digital ratings for the first two weeks of the season, with live game viewership averaging 20.7 million people. That’s up 4% from 2024 and a whopping 17% from 2023.

And according to a new study from Horowitz Research, the NFL is also topping second-screen charts.

The stats: Second-screen charts are designed to show how viewers split attention between the TV and their phones. But while Netflix viewers, for instance, often engage in second screening by browsing unrelated social media or news, Horowitz found that NFL viewers are looking at second-screen content that’s actually related to the NFL.

Their data showed that 63% of NFL viewers simultaneously engage with related social media, while 39% engage with extra/behind-the-scenes content like player cams and drone footage.

Fans engage with their dollars, too: 51% of NFL viewers shop for sports merch while actively watching live games. 43% also engage with live sports games through “interactive gaming features” or video games (the former of which we think may include daily fantasy/betting apps).

The impact: In other words, viewers aren’t using their phones as a distraction from games; they’re using their phones to access social media, merch, and interactive apps that enhance their fandom experience. That represents a major opportunity for the NFL, which could seek to embrace—and encourage—second-screen viewership by rolling out more ancillary content across socials and apps.

🌟 SPONSORED 🌟

What’s next for 1 Billion Followers Summit 2026?

In January 2025, the 1 Billion Followers Summit once again proved to be the largest expo for content creators on the globe. 

Next year, that event will return from January 9-11, 2026 with more attendees, more speakers, and more opportunities than ever before—including a $1M award for AI filmmakers. 

Here’s a sneak peek at the ambassador lineup for 1 Billion Followers Summit 2026:

• Simon Squibb is one of the most-followed business creators online and has founded and invested in 100+ companies.
  
  

• UAE-based creator Alexandra Mary Hirschi (aka Supercar Blondie) has built a global presence of over 100M cross-platform followers.
  
  

• Khalid Al Ameri is a creator, writer, and speaker from the UAE, and is known for his heartfelt videos on culture and social issues in the Arab world.
  
  

• Bahraini creator Omar Farooq is known for his “Omar Tries” video series and has garnered over 1.2B YouTube views and 6.7M subscribers.
  
  

• Yes Theory co-founder Ammar Kandil has inspired millions to embrace curiosity, courage, and human connection.
  

Early bird tickets are on sale now. Visit the 1 Billion Followers Summit site to find out more:

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• MrBeast has steadily added at least three million new subscribers every week for the last four weeks—meaning he’s on pace to reach an unprecedented 500 million subscribers by approximately February 9, 2026. Our bet is he gets there sooner. Ringing in the New Year with half a billion subscribers seems like just the kind of spectacle MrBeast would want to create. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• Facebook says it aims to help singles “avoid swipe fatigue” by introducing an AI assistant to Facebook Dating. (Facebook)
  
  

• TikTok’s latest AI-powered shopping tool is facing criticism after tagging sensitive posts—including those related to the war in Gaza—with product recommendations. (Engadget)
  
  

• Google is back in court and facing off with the Department of Justice over a potential divestiture of Google Ad Manager. (Ars Technica)

GOSPEL STATS

Top Branded Videos: Balls, chains, and red flags

MrBeast has ruled Gospel Stats’ weekly ranking of top-viewed branded YouTube videos for a while now, with his primary and secondary channels regularly swapping spots at #1. This week, the creator’s flagship hub is the one ruling the roost—with a single-video view count totaling more than 100 million views.

🥇 #1. MrBeast x Feastables, Current: Survive 30 Days Chained To Your Ex, Win $250,000 (105.1M views)
The majority of Jimmy Donaldson’s latest chart-topping videos have served as vehicles to promote Feastables. Over the last few weeks, MrBeast has promoted launches of new hazelnut cups, gummy candy and—most recently—chocolate milk. All that seems a lot sweeter than being chained to your ex for 30 days….Unless?

🥈 #2. Marques Brownlee x Ridge: iPhone 17/Pro/Air Impressions: Spot the Red Flags! (13.6M views)
Marques Brownlee is one of YouTube’s top tech reviewers, and new phone debuts consistently prove to be his most-viewed videos. We’re guessing that’s exactly why the creator used his much-anticipated iPhone 17/Pro/Air review as an ad spot for Ridge, the wallet company where he became Chief Creative Officer in 2024.

🎰 #513. Sal Vetri x DraftKings: 5 Must Add Running Backs to Pick Up in Your League Before Week 2 (207.7K views)
As we explained up above, data shows that over half of NFL viewers engage with NFL content on their phones while actively watching games. Looking at this week’s wildcard video, it’s clear that engagement extends into YouTube content, giving creators a way to monetize their fantasy sports advice—and DraftKings an opportunity to advertise its services.

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

X FACTOR

Musk says X’s recommendation algorithm will soon be “purely AI”

The context: It’s no secret that viewers on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are sometimes served content that’s either entirely irrelevant or worryingly radical—but in general, the algorithms on those platforms are pretty good at catching onto what viewers like and giving them more of it.

X, on the other hand, has struggled in recent years to fine-tune its viewer-facing algorithm. Since being bought by Elon Musk, the platform formerly known as Twitter has seen its main feed algorithm deteriorate. It’s been (allegedly) tweaked to push posts from Musk and amplify right-wing views, and many users report a deluge of hate speech and violent videos.

The update: Now, however, X seems to have realized most viewers aren’t on board with that kind of content—and it’s turning to gen AI for a solution.

According to Musk, X’s recommendation algorithm will soon be “purely AI,” with users gaining the ability to to “adjust your feed dynamically just by asking Grok” (aka the platform’s inbuilt chatbot) by either November or December.

If that update comes to fruition, it’ll be a first-of-its-kind system where users can ask a platform in plain language to change what kind of content they’re being served. 99% of major platforms offer “don’t recommend content like this” buttons, but those have limited effect, and must be implemented one at a time. X’s AI-driven algorithm, on the other hand, would allow users to make large-scale, personalized changes—as long as it actually works as intended.

X may not be the only platform hoping to institute that kind of system. According to Social Media Today, Meta’s Threads is similarly experimenting with a tool that would let users change their feed by tagging @threads.algo in a post. Meta hasn’t confirmed this potential change, but it’s clear that X isn’t alone in eyeing AI-powered algorithmic shifts.

WATCH THIS 🎙️

MoistCr1TiKal says Ned Fulmer’s podcast is “the most painful” he’s ever seen

The podcast: Three years ago, a viral infidelity scandal saw Ned Fulmer ousted from the Try Guys. The disgraced creator has remained relatively off-the-grid since the news broke that he’d cheated on his wife Ariel (from whom he’s now separated) with a producer at the Try Guys’ company, 2nd Try LLC.

That is, until last week, when Fulmer debuted a new YouTube channel/podcast called “Rock Bottom with Ned Fulmer.” The first episode: a conversation with Ariel Fulmer herself.

The response: Multiple creators have since weighed in on the podcast, including MoistCr1TiKaL (aka Charles Christopher White Jr). In one of his latest videos, the YouTuber deemed the episode the “most painful podcast I’ve ever watched.” Check out his full breakdown of “Rock Bottom” here.

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