TOGETHER WITH

It's Tuesday and Saskatchewan is getting serious about emojis. If you’re traveling through the Great White North, keep in mind that sending a thumbs up could lock you into a legally binding contract.

TWITCH’S BIG DISCOVERY

Twitch is answering creators’ prayers with two new discoverability features

Twitch is finally getting on board with discoverability—and it appears to be jumping on the short-form bandwagon, too. Four months after vowing to begin “delivering viewers straight to streamers” (per CPO Tom Verrilli), the platform has announced the upcoming launch of two creator-friendly features: Stories and a Discover Feed.

The first of those tools will allow creators to publish 24-hour, self-deleting posts (just like on Instagram and Snapchat), while Twitch’s TikTok-esque Discover Feed will offer viewers a steady stream of short clips from streamers. Both features have the same big upside:

Creators will be able to connect with followers even when they aren’t streaming.

As of now, many creators rely on posting VOD content on other platforms in order to draw viewers to Twitch. Twitch’s VP of product, Jeremy Forrester, hopes the addition of new discoverability features will make that kind of cross-platform audience-building unnecessary:

There is one major disclaimer attached to that “rounded solution.” As Forrester told Eurogamer, Twitch’s new-and-improved approach to discoverability is definitely not an attempt to “compete with Instagram on Stories, or compete with TikTok on short form video”:

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

What happens when YouTubers have the freedom to create without compromise? Colin & Samir joined forces with Spotter to find out.

Spotter has invested over $775 million in creators since 2019—and they’re not hitting the pause button anytime soon. In fact, Spotter’s team of experts is obsessed with helping video creators achieve financial and creative freedom. That’s why they’ve teamed up with YouTube duo Colin & Samir to figure out where creators need the most support—whether that means data-driven optimization resources, exclusive YouTube insights, or immediate capital.

Here’s what Colin & Samir discovered:

• Overall, 25% of Spotter investments have been dedicated to producing new videos 🎥

• 21% of those funds were allocated to studio purchases 🏬

• Another 13% supported brand-building initiatives and creator products 👕

• And finally, 9% of Spotter payouts went towards hiring editors 👨‍💻

The result: Spotter has helped more than 1,160 channel partners grow their brands and expand their businesses—with the full financial and creative freedom they deserve. That freedom is an integral part of every single Spotter deal, whether there’s $100,000 on the table or $50+ million. Because when YouTubers partner with Spotter, they can spend their new funds to grow their channel or business. 

Ready to join the ranks of Spotter partners like MissDarcei, Dude Perfect, and Airrack?

Fund your future with Spotter →​

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• RackaRacka’s debut film, Talk to Me, is now the No. 1 top-rated horror movie of 2023 on Rotten Tomatoes. (Tubefilter)
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• Thanks to a partnership between Snap and Linktree, Snapchat users will now be able to add links to their public profiles. (Gizmodo)
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• According to a recent study from Pew Research Center, 59% of U.S. adults view TikTok as “a major or minor threat to national security.” (Engadget)
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• After acknowledging that its platform “is not easy to use,” Tumblr says it hopes to “fix the core experience that makes Tumblr a useful place for users.” (The Verge)

DATA • GOSPEL STATS 📈

Check out the 5 most-viewed sponsored videos on YouTube from last week. Here’s what they have in common:

Between June 26 and July 3, five sponsored YouTube videos reigned supreme:

1. “I bought the most EXPENSIVE Tech on the internet.” (Mrwhosetheboss // Surfshark VPN)

2. “The Most Misunderstood Concept in Physics” (Veritasium // Brilliant)

3. “Saying bye for a while now” (PewDiePie // Incogni)

4. “I’m actually getting MAD now. – RTX 4060 Review” (Linus Tech Tips // DeleteMe, Supermicro)

5. “Our Studio was a HUGE waste of money - New Channel Launch!” (Linus Tech Tips // Ground News, Hetzner)

At first glance, those clips don’t seem all that similar. They originate from multiple countries, range from ten to nearly thirty minutes long, and cover varied topics (product reviews, tech unboxings, channel announcements, education, travel).

But maybe they have more in common than you think?

• Sponsored messages appeared only in the first and/or last three minutes of all five videos.

• Four of the five videos were produced by STEM-related channels and included dramatic, superlative-focused titles (i.e. “the most EXPENSIVE tech,” “the most misunderstood concept,” “a HUGE waste of money,” “I’m actually getting MAD”).

• Three of the five videos were sponsored by data privacy/security companies, including Incogni, DeleteMe, and Surfshark VPN.

There are stylistic similarities, too. If you follow our Top 50 charts, then you probably know that a good chunk of YouTube’s most-viewed channels trade in homemade skits and videos. That doesn’t seem to be the case for the English-speaking sponsored videos uploaded between June 26-July 3. The five most-viewed clips in that category were all highly-edited, with crisp footage and audio, polished graphics and user-generated media, and consistent narration.

Want more insights about sponsored videos on YouTube? Discover the latest data on Gospel Stats.

WATCH THIS 📺

How many of these creator products have you tried?

If you can name it, a YouTuber has probably made it. Preston Arsement and Chase Bradshaw’s latest reaction video is a testament to the sheer variety of creator merch: over the course of twenty-odd minutes, the vloggers review everything from scooters and cheeseburgers to knives, pizza sauce, ring lights, coloring books, and more.

It’s not often that a YouTuber product takes us by surprise…and yet, here we are. (On an unrelated note, do you think we could write off Rhett & Link’s coloring book as a business expense?)

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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.