It’s Friday and Midjourney isn’t letting a little thing like a Disney-powered lawsuit stop it from releasing its first AI video generator.

Today’s News

FAST AND FURIOUS

Tubi is adding serialized content from top creators

The announcement: Some of YouTube’s biggest creators are bringing their content to Tubi. On the heels of Fox’s investment in Whalar’s Lighthouse brand, the media corporation’s free, ad-supported TV (FAST) service is launching a new content hub called Tubi for Creators.

The initial lineup for that hub is powered by deals with six YouTube notables, who will collectively contribute 500 episodes from serialized shows like Kinigra Deon‘s Vampire Siblings (pictured above), Dan and Riya‘s Beverly Valley High, and FunnyMike‘s Mr. Creepy Eyes, and content from creator-led media companies like Jubilee, Watcher, and Rhett & Link‘s Mythical. That drop is just the beginning: according to a Tubi press release, “thousands of videos” will hit the platform “in the coming weeks.”

The context: In the past, Tubi’s creator-facing initiatives have primarily targeted up-and-coming artists through partnerships with companies like Kickstarter and the Issa Rae-led incubator Stubio. Tubi for Creators marks a pivot from that strategy, as it involves high-profile partnerships with YouTube stars who reach millions of subscribers.

That approach will allow Tubi to tap into work creators are already doing in a rapidly-growing space. Emboldened by platforms like YouTube and creator economy companies getting in the FAST lane, more and more prominent influencer brands—including Mythical and Watcher—are launching channels that are compatible with FAST hubs.

Some of those creator-led offerings are powered by Vimeo Streaming, a recently-launched toolkit that facilitates the development of premium content hubs. Tubi is likely keeping a close eye on Vimeo’s movement in the streaming space as former Vimeo CEO Anjali Sud left the company in 2023 to take the same position at Tubi. She’s since brought Rich Bloom with her, too. The former GM of Vimeo Streaming predecessor Vimeo OTT is now overseeing Tubi for Creators as the company’s GM of Creator Programs and EVP of Business Development.

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Starting August 4, Patreon will take a 10% cut of all on-platform earnings. The exception: users who are locked into previous plans will be able to keep their current rates. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• Starting next year, Netflix will begin showing traditional broadcast channels to subscribers in France. (Ars Technica)
  
  

• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claimed earlier this week that Meta has offered some of its senior employees $100M signing bonuses in an attempt to poach the company’s technical staff. (Tom’s Hardware)
  
  

• It’s official: Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will extend the deadline for a U.S. TikTok ban by another 90 days. (AP News)

GOSPEL STATS 📈

Top Branded Videos: Old Spice, Red Bull, and K-beauty

Gospel Stats’ latest Weekly Brand Report is full of pop culture moments. Old Spice is riding the new Superman hype, Red Bull is in the spotlight with an experiment from NileBlue, and a “skinthusiast” is proving that K-beauty still has major pull online.

🥇 #1. Adam W x Old Spice: #ad #OldSpicePartner When @oldspice saves the day (6.9M views)
While most long-form videos try their best to make sponsored content as unobtrusive as possible, Shorts tend to revolve entirely around the partner brand. Adam W’s take on that trend involved presenting antiperspirant brand Old Spice as a heroic force—a theme that conveniently coincides with the upcoming arrival of the new Superman movie. Old Spice has a reputation for smart, savvy advertising, and it’s choosy about YouTube sponsorships, with Adam W and Kevin Hart among its only creator partners.

🥈 #2. NileBlue x Brilliant: Making the World’s Most Powerful Red Bull (6.8M views)
NileBlue’s latest Brilliant-sponsored video answers one question: what if that energy drink you chug on the way to work had way more than a 200-ish milligrams of caffeine? The creator sets out to combine a whopping 100 Red Bulls into one concentrated, palpitation-inducing slurp—an experiment we don’t recommend replicating at home.

💄 Bonus Video: #2,097. Gothamista x Stylevana: New Affordable Korean Beauty for Summer! (37K views)
K-beauty blew up in the U.S. during COVID, and though the fervor has somewhat calmed in brick-and-mortar shopping, it’s still thriving online. Enter “skinthusiast” Gothamista, who introduced viewers to a few newly-released products in a video sponsored by Stylevana, an online marketplace for Asian fashion and beauty.

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

MONEY MOVES

YouTube is bringing monetization into the classroom

The update: YouTube wants creators to upload content suitable for schools—so it’s making the production of academic videos a more profitable endeavor. Monetization is now available through the platform’s classroom-safe Player for Education, with payouts proportional to watch time.

Jonah Manzano, a tech enthusiast known for leaking new and upcoming features on social media, posted about the update on Threads, where he noted that a new tab had been added to the “Earn on YouTube” landing page. That section details various monetization opportunities for creators. YouTube has also updated its Player for Education support page to reflect the change:

The context: Recent research suggests that students might learn better when courses are conveyed through a stimulating format, and YouTube is eager to provide the necessary materials. Player for Education was one of the new features YouTube launched in 2023 as part of its effort to expand its utility in classroom settings. The alternative video player is designed to cut down on distractions, and also offers an ad-free experience.

But for YouTube to reach its educational potential, its creators need to have the resources to continue making classroom-appropriate videos—and the ad-free environment of Player for Education wasn’t making that easy. That’s why the latest monetization update is important: it gives creators more runway to create content that can make a positive change in schools. To make the process as smooth as possible, creators will be able to manage their accumulated earnings directly through AdSense.

WATCH THIS 👀

YouTube is introducing Shorts product stickers

“This week at YouTube”: On the latest episode of Creator Insider, YouTube program manager Lauren announced an upgrade that will level up the Shopping button on Shorts. From now on, clickable product stickers shown within Shorts will take viewers directly to the retailer’s website—making it easier than ever to buy on-sight.

In a related blog post, YouTube said “Shorts with Shopping product stickers saw over 40% more clicks on products than Shorts with the Shopping button” during an experiment conducted in May 2025.

Check out the full episode here for more updates on features like Communities and gifts.

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