TOGETHER WITH
It's Sunday and here’s a handpicked selection of stories to give you a snapshot of trends, updates, business moves, and more from around the creator industry.
But first, “looksmaxxing” and “copium” are now in the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Of course, M-W couldn’t overlook Millennials—so it added “Rickroll” to the official lexicon, too.
THE BIZ
NBC and YouTube have a good thing going.
While Disney welcomes a YouTube vet aboard, YouTube is teaming up with NBC
The allies: NBC and YouTube are expanding their alliance with a free college football stream. First, Peacock was incorporated into YouTube Premium subscriptions. Now, NBC is delivering another perk to YouTube viewers: They can catch this Saturday’s matchup between Wisconsin and Eastern Michigan for free on the network’s official YouTube hub.
The new hire: Whalar Group is doubling down on its creator economy businesses after selling its Whalar agency business to Accenture Song. To hone its new focus, Whalar Group has brought in Kimberly Wu, who spent five years at TikTok and served as the app’s Global Head of Agency and Marketing Partnerships. At Whalar Group, Wu’s title will be SVP of Strategic Partnerships & Growth.
The ad campaign: Madeline Argy is getting buddy-buddy with Kendall Jenner and Joe Jonas for TRIP. In a new ad campaign for the calming beverage brand, spokespeople Jenner, Jonas, and Argy explain how a relaxing sip can deliver “calm in the chaos.”
The chairman: YouTube vet Adam Smith is taking the reins of Disney’s streaming business. Smith, who formerly oversaw YouTube Premium and YouTube Music, joined Disney two years ago. Now, he’s becoming the Chairman of Direct-To-Consumer for Disney Entertainment. In that role, he’ll spearhead all facets of a streaming empire that spans services like Disney+ and Hulu.
The onboarding: Indie production company Boat Rocker Studios has onboarded Lara Sword, who will join its London office. As Boat Rocker’s Director of YouTube Management and Digital Partnerships (a newly-created role), Sword will be on the hunt for digital IP that can be targeted for future development deals.
🌟 SPONSORED 🌟
VidSummit is less than two weeks away. Here are 3 exclusive sessions you won’t want to miss:
VidSummit is less than two weeks away. From September 29 to October 1, the world’s premier video industry conference will bring 70+ expert speakers to Dallas to share unfiltered success strategies and actionable growth opportunities.
Here are three sessions you won’t want to miss:
1. “Beyond the Timeline: The Editors Behind YouTube’s Biggest Channels”
Wednesday, September 30 · 10 AM
Join HopeScope (10M+ YouTube subscribers), Olive Oaking (Lead YouTube Editor for Quenlin Blackwell), and Mariah Zenk (Lead Editor for Marques Brownlee/MKBHD) to learn key strategies from the editors of YouTube’s top channels.
HopeScope will reveal her secrets to success at VidSummit.
2. “Why Creators Are Going Live on Twitch—And How to Get Started”
Wednesday, September 30 · 1:25 PM
Listen in as Twitch CEO Dan Clancy and creator Jshock team up to share insights into the Twitch ecosystem and actionable tips for emerging streamers.
3. “How Hammer Media Built One of the Largest YouTube Memberships on the Planet”
Wednesday, September 30 · 3:05 PM
Drop in on Caleb Hammer’s keynote to discover how he built Hammer Media into an empire with over 7M followers and 80K paid membership subscribers.
Ready to be in the room where it happens?
CREATOR COMMOTION
50×50 is taking science on a cross-country swing.
This week in digital media: LeBron James, Kid Poker, and a STEM road trip
The STEM adventure: 50×50 has started chronicling “Science Across America” on YouTube. Travel content is hot right now, so the Independent Media Initiative sponsored a 50-state swing that highlights exemplary STEM creators. 50×50 is now live, with luminaries like Destin Sandlin and Emily Graslie participating.
The celeb collab: LeBron James has lined up Kevin Hart as a guest on his golf channel. James kicked off his new YouTube channel by hitting the links alongside his former Cleveland Cavalier teammates. Now, he’s planning a collab with Hart that will bring even more star power to his new hub.
The podcast cameo: Adam Conover’s take on the fractured media landscape is worth hearing. Between stints at CollegeHumor and TruTV, Conover has experienced many sides of the content production game. Now, he’s dispensing the lessons he’s learned in a podcast appearance alongside Nilay Patel of The Verge.
The poker kid: Daniel Negreanu’s second-annual World Series of Poker vlog raised the stakes. Negreanu, known as “Kid Poker,” is a familiar face in the playing card world and an affable ambassador for his game of choice. When he won a WSOP event while vlogging about his experiences at the table, he showed what the future of live sports content might look like.
PUBLISHING NOTES
Want to feel like a kid again? Read Julian Shapiro-Barnum’s new book.
Three creators, three books, and one million-dollar prize pool
The big lessons: The host of Recess Therapy knows that adults can learn a thing or two by listening to kids. Julian Shapiro-Barnum is passing along the wisdom of the youth with How to Grow Up Without Becoming a Grown-Up, a book that offers “big lessons from little kids.” It has hit shelves after seeing release on August 4.
The guide: Levy Rozman is ready to take your chess game to the “next level.” Rozman, known online as GothamChess, became one of the most successful creator-authors when he penned the guide How to Win at Chess. The follow-up to that tome is aimed at intermediate players. Make sure you read it cover to cover, unless you want to end up on Rozman’s “How to lose at chess” YouTube series.
The prize pool: Codie Sanchez’s book launch comes with $1 million in prizes. Sanchez, the CEO and Founder of financial media platform Contrarian Thinking, has authored a book titled Own or Be Owned. She’s promoting it with an event described as one of the most lucrative activations ever tied to a book launch. Attendees and entrepreneurs can vie for prizes by partaking in the event.
WATCH THIS 👀
Love music and Legos? Evan Mezeske is pretty sure you’ll love Anukari, too.
A former Google engineer turned physics models into a musical instrument
The music man: Look, we’re not going to pretend to understand how Anukari works, but Evan Mezeske does. According to the description for his latest tutorial, the innovative new instrument is essentially “a realtime, audio based 3D physics simulator designed to let you build and discover sounds you've never heard before.”
Here’s a video of Mezeske demoing Anukari—because apparently, blowing wind through a tube just wasn’t complicated enough.
Want to introduce your brand to Tubefilter’s audience? Sponsor the newsletter.
Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.
Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.