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It's Monday and ChatGPT is giving some users the willies by referring to them by name—even when it’s never actually been told what to call them. 👀

Today’s News

BIG INVESTMENTS

Gamer Supps gets a new creator investor—one who’s driven 8 figures in sales for it

The brand: In the world of YouTube creator marketing, some brands sponsor just one or two creators a week, while other partner with dozens across just a few days.

Gamer Supps falls into the latter category. The online cultural energy/beverage company sponsored 69 YouTube videos last week, all from well-known gaming creators. That makes it one of the most prominent sponsors on the entire platform. But who actually runs Gamer Supps?

For years now, the companies’ ownership, investment, and executive structures have all been a relative secret. We know former OTK co-owner jschlatt has at least part ownership and that a number of other creators are also involved. For the most part, however, Gamer Supps has kept the names of those creators under wraps.

The announcement: That hush-hush approach shifted slightly last week, when Gamer Supps announced that gaming streamer SMii7Y is coming aboard as an investor and equity partner.

That onboarding is the latest step in a longtime partnership that has seen Gamer Supps sponsor SMii7Y for years. In return, the company says he’s helped drive over eight figures in sales with offiical SMii7Y x Gamer Supps collab releases.

Gamer Supps is currently selling the creator’s “Good” line, which includes an energy supplement beverage mix, a soup, and an instant noodle. The bev company says buyers can expect more SMii7Y flavors, merch, and “chaotic content drops” in the coming months—and those aren’t the only product drops on the horizon.

To date, Gamer Supps has always released products direct-to-consumer as mix-in powders. Now, however, the company is also moving into canned energy drinks, putting it in even more direct competition with brands like Red Bull and Monster.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

Is Dubai becoming the Hollywood of the creator economy?

From Oli White to Yes Theory, some of the world’s biggest creators are now based in Dubai. So, why are creator economy leaders setting up shop in the UAE? 

Cutting-edge infrastructure, creator-friendly policies, tax-free income, and the 1 Billion Followers Summit are all major perks. 

But there’s something else drawing creators to Dubai, too: Creators HQ.

With $40.8 million in backing and partnerships with Meta, X, Spotter, and the New Media Academy, Creators HQ is leading the movement to help creators obtain Golden Visas, relocate, and establish businesses in Dubai.

Creators HQ offers everything creators need to turn their content into Hollywood-level productions, from top-notch recording studios, podcast rooms, and co-working spaces to digital editing suites and mentorship from industry leaders.

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• A new report from creator commerce platform Kajabi and experience management company Qualtrics found that 59% of creators now identify as entrepreneurs. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• A reverse engineer has spotted evidence that Bluesky could soon introduce blue checkmarks to indicate user verification. (TechCrunch)
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• YouTube Music is reportedly launching a new “consistent volume” feature that will allow users to “normalize volume across tracks.” (Ars Technica)
  
  

• According to The Guardian, views of TikTok videos tracked by electronic music outnumbered those of videos “tagged for indie or alternative” music for the first time in 2024. (The Guardian)

HAVE YOU HEARD? 👀

Here’s what you missed last week: A surprise retirement, a Sidemen scoop, and more

Creator commotion: Kyedae is “kind of done with streaming.” The Valorant gamer, whose Twitch broadcasts shot her to stardom during the pandemic, confessed that creator life wasn’t for her in a recent YouTube video.

Kyedae’s retirement wasn’t the only unhappy surprise for YouTube viewers last week. MrBeast’s resort experience on the Las Vegas Strip seemed like it would be a blast for a portion of the creator’s 385 million subscribers—but after multiple attendees claimed that the event underdelivered, MrBeast’s team was compelled to issue refunds.

The biz: I scream, you scream, we all scream for Sidemen ice cream. The U.K.-based septet loves a good creator product, especially in the consumables sector. Their latest venture in that world is a new range of ice cream products that will be part of the creator group’s Sides brand.

The Sidemen aren’t the only creators looking to make a sale. Gaming streamer Alpharad has listed his Southern California home—which features perks like “integrated technology”—for $5 million. As he moves out of his Sherman Oak stomping grounds, will the house’s hi-tech finishes draw interest from other creators?

Platform headlines: In platform news, Michael Beckerman’s departure signals a blow to TikTok’s regulatory battle. The app’s U.S. public policy chief devised a plan to keep it running despite federal ban threats. Now he’s adding his name to the long list of TikTok execs who have left their positions since the start of 2025.

Meanwhile, Twitch is hitting pause on its decision to limit streamers to no more than 100 hours of VOD highlights on their accounts. Following protests from creators, the update has been put on hold—so go ahead and spam those Rocket League clips like there’s no tomorrow.

BIDDING WAR

After Sunday Ticket success, YouTube wants exclusive NFL broadcasts of its own

The package: YouTube has already established itself as a trusted distributor of NFL Sunday Ticket. Now, it’s looking to snag an exclusive broadcast by bidding on an NFL package centered around a September 5, 2025 game in São Paulo, Brazil. The Los Angeles Chargers will be the home team at the Arena Corinthians, and there are rumors that their opponent will be the reigning AFC-champion Kansas City Chiefs.

The list of reported bidders includes Warner Bros. Discovery and Amazon, but Sports Business Journal noted that YouTube is a “favorite” to land the deal.

The platform has earned the respect of football fans by distributing Sunday Ticket games—but those weekend match-ups are still CBS and FOX broadcasts. If the platform can win the rights to the 2025 Brazil game, it would get the opportunity to build its own NFL broadcast from the ground up.

The potential: Given YouTube’s eagerness to grow its profile in the sports world, an exclusive broadcast would be a massive coup. The platform could use its NFL slate to drive more subscribers to Premium (as Amazon has done with Thursday Night Football and its Prime service), or extend an olive branch to fans frustrated with endless sports subscriptions by offering a free, ad-supported broadcast.

The São Paulo game would also give YouTube an opportunity to make an overture to its massive community in Brazil by tying in creator appearances through an influencer-led broadcast.

Whatever the future holds, an announcement related to the Brazil game bidding war will likely come within the next month. Amazon, Warner Bros Discovery, and YouTube upfronts are all scheduled for the week of May 12—the same week in which the NFL is expected to announce its 2025 schedule.

LISTEN UP 🎙️

This week on the podcast…

The episode: The latest episode of Creator Upload features a special guest appearance by Jasmine Enberg, the VP and Principal Analyst at EMARKETER. Enberg joined forces with regular hosts Josh Cohen and Lauren Schnipper to delve into the surprising growth of creator marketing budgets in 2025.

Also on the discussion list: Meta faces down the FTC, Patreon introduces live video, and MrBeast’s Vegas experience descends into chaos. Check out the full episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to learn more.

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