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Today’s News

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

Top creators will star in “the ultimate teen variety show” (Exclusive)

The original series: pocket.watch is going down the Rabbit Hole—and assembling what it calls “the largest ensemble of digital stars ever brought together for a premium series” in the process. The first season of Rabbit Hole is set to premiere on the U.S. version of Hulu in 2026.

That 10-episode affair will feature a litany of top YouTubers and TikTokers, including Matthew Beem, Dan Rhodes, ExtraEmily, Papa Jake, Mackenzie Turner, Topper Guild, Zhong, ZHC, That’s Amazing, Jesser, The Rizzler, AJ & Big Justice, Josh Peck, Collins Key, Sofie Dossi, EvanTube, PrettyBored, and Sydney Morgan.

Some of those creators, such as Rhodes and EvanTube, are pocket.watch partners. Others, like Topper Guild and Zhong, regularly rank among YouTube’s most-watched channels. Collectively, the Rabbit Hole players claim more than 600 million followers and subscribers.

The context: Rabbit Hole exemplifies the cross-pollination between digital and traditional media that has defined pocket.watch since its inception in 2017, when veteran exec Chris M. Williams forged a partnership with former Nickelodeon president Albie Hecht. Together, Williams and Hecht aimed to combine TV-style formats with social media tastemakers to create a new type of studio.

In its early days, pocket.watch traded on Hecht’s Nickelodeon legacy by teaming up with the actors and showrunners the kids’ network helped make famous. Seven years later, pocket.watch has expanded considerably—with a library spanning tens of thousands of creator-led videos—but Hecht and co. are still reformulating concepts that worked on TV.

Rabbit Hole (which Hecht co-created alongside pocket.watch Head of Development Carin Davis) resembles another show focused around an ensemble of young upstarts: All That, a Nickelodeon sketch show that Hecht helped develop in the ‘90s.

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Viral Nation has signed a deal with British multinational production company Fremantle and its label Beach House Pictures to produce several creator-led original series. (Tubefilter - Partner Story)
  
  

• Kajabi and Parafin are teaming up to launch Kajabi Capital, “an embedded capital program that grants Kajabi’s network of entrepreneurs access to fast and flexible financing.” (Tubefilter)
  

  
  

• 47 Ronin director Carl Erik Rinsch has been convicted of defrauding Netflix out of $11 million. (The Verge)
  
  

• After receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Disney, YouTube has reportedly begun cracking down on AI-powered videos that portray Disney characters. (Engadget)

PLATFORM PARTNERSHIPS

TikTok is teaming up with DoubleVerify to narrow the measurement gap

The partnership: As the amount of ad revenue generated on TikTok continues to rise, buyers are looking for ways to more precisely measure the impact of their social media campaigns. Now, TikTok is meeting that need by expanding its partnership with software platform DoubleVerify.

That deal brings DoubleVerify’s Authentic Attention technology to TikTok ads, giving brands and agencies the ability to track campaigns at the impression level with statistics like viewable time, share of screen, video presentation, and audibility.

TikTok—which has worked with DoubleVerify since 2021—is far from the software platform’s only major social media partner. DoubleVerify previously teamed up with Facebook after the Meta-owned platform drew criticism for fudging video viewership numbers. And when YouTube was in the midst of the Adpocalypse, DoubleVerify showed up to provide needed safeguards. Now, by implementing Authentic Attention, TikTok is putting its faith in a solution that first debuted on Snapchat earlier this year.

The context: Talk of a “measurement gap” in digital media advertising has persisted for years, and buyers continued to beat that drum throughout 2025. An eMarketer report published in June, for instance, revealed that measurement difficulties are currently the most common pain point for creator marketers.

For marketers and platforms seeking more precise measurement tools now, DoubleVerify’s technology is a valuable resource—but some companies are still looking for a longer-term way to bridge the measurement gap. A U.K. nonprofit has proposed ratings that function more like TV, while Google has suggested that AI could hold the key to unlocking sophisticated measurement solutions.

TikTok could still try those alternative strategies, but the DoubleVerify partnership is a strong short-term option. After generating $500 million in sales during the recent Black Friday weekend, TikTok is primed for a big 2026 from an ad revenue standpoint. Thanks to DoubleVerify, advertisers will have even more reason to stay on viewers’ FYPs in the new year.

THE KIDS ARE OFFLINE

Australia’s social media ban has taken effect. Here’s how it’s going:

The ban: On December 10, Australia became the first nation in the world to ban teenagers from major social media apps. The federal restriction prevents citizens under the age of 16 from accessing YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, X, Snapchat, Reddit, Twitch, and Kick.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the controversial law by pointing to Australia’s youth mental health crisis, and polling data has shown that people around the world would support similar restrictions in their own countries. Nevertheless, the Australian government’s use of age verification technology and the ban’s wide-ranging scope have attracted significant criticism. Now, with the law officially in effect, multiple legal challengers are hoping to restore access by taking the government to court.

Two teenagers, for example, are suing their home country on the basis that the rule restricts their personal freedoms. Reddit echoed that sentiment in its own lawsuit, in which it characterizes the law as a government overreach.

The obstacle: Australia’s ability to control teens’ browsing behavior has also been called into question. Google cautioned lawmakers that their restrictions would be “extremely difficult” to enforce, while Amnesty International described the measure as an “ineffective quick fix.”

The first few days of the ban have validated those warnings. Many Australian youths have already found their way back onto their favorite feeds by hoodwinking or circumventing age verification tools with AI deepfakes, family photos, and VPNs.

Australia’s ability to enforce its social media ban will have massive implications for similar policies being drafted across the globe. Denmark has already revealed a plan to enact its own crackdown on youth social media use, and France is likely to follow suit. Those governments feel that something must be done about the negative effects of social algorithms—but outsmarting a generation of kids who are determined to stay online is proving tricky.

LISTEN UP 🎙️

This week on the podcast…

The episode: On the latest installment of Creator Upload, hosts Joshua Cohen and Lauren Schnipper broke down Netflix and Paramount’s cash-fueled battle over Warner Bros. Discovery before welcoming Jon Youshaei to the show. Tune in to find out all about the creator legend’s new company, Boring Stuff, and how his team aims to simplify one of the biggest obstacles faced by creators: taxes.

Check out the full episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for all the details.

The survey: Creator Upload wants your opinion! Take this survey to help us understand who’s tuning in and what you want more (or less) of from the show.

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