TOGETHER WITH

It’s Thursday and in the spirit of a weird uncle at Thanksgiving, Meta couldn’t quite keep politics off the table this week (no matter how hard it may or may not have tried).

IN THE FAST LANE

A new creator app will bring YouTube content to free, ad-supported TV channels

The announcement: In the last two years, Nathan Graham has launched an outdoor adventure park, co-founded a juice box brand, and brought in billions of views on YouTube. Now, the creator’s content brand, Unspeakable, is moving onto the next big thing: a dedicated app that will bundle Unspeakable clips for distribution on free, ad-supported TV channels.

• News of that venture broke at VidCon Anaheim, when FilmRise Head of Content Jonitha Keymoore and Future Today SVP of Content and Partnerships David Di Lorenzo announced Unspeakable’s FAST foray during a session.
  
  

• Both firms will be crucial to the deployment of Unspeakable’s new platform. FilmRise has long worked with creator management firm Night to make Unspeakable a recurring partner for its creator-to-TV pipelines, while Future Today will design and host the app itself.

The app: That process is already well underway. 200 hours of Unspeakable YouTube content have been repackaged to fit a TV-friendly format encompassing multiple channels and programs, including Unspeakable and UnspeakablePlays series and an all-ages “Unspeakable for Kids” hub.

The big picture: Creator apps have been a hot commodity for years, but the rise of free, ad-supported channels and streaming services has made them particularly relevant in the post-COVID era. Creator services provider Jellysmack, for example, has worked with dozens of partners on FAST-focused apps, while FilmRise frames itself as “the go-to destination for digital-first properties seeking wider distribution opportunities” (per Keymoore).

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

From creator-brand connections to campaign execution, Word on the Block makes influencer marketing a breeze

With Word on the Block, influencer marketing will be the easiest part of your job.

Word on the Block’s full-service influencer marketing platform takes care of everything from creator discovery to contracts, negotiations, payments and analytics—so all you have to do is select pre-vetted creators and approve provided content. 

Here’s how it works:

1. Brands sign up by completing a quick survey on Word on the Block’s intuitive brand platform. 📝

2. Word on the Block provides a list of pre-vetted creators tailored to your goals and ready to promote your brand. 🤝

3. Your brand tackles two key steps with 100% creative control: creator selection and content approval. 👍

4. Word on the Block handles everything else, so you can sit back while an expert team manages creator contracts, negotiations and payments, ensures all deadlines are met, and provides detailed performance analytics. 📈

Kickstarting your campaign is as easy as signing up on the website. Best of all: there are no subscription costs, no long contracts, and no fees—so you’ll only pay for what you use.

Start your campaign now → 

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Top Kick streamer Ice Poseidon has opened applications for a Hunger Games-inspired creator face-off with a $100,000 prize. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• Dr Disrespect (aka Guy Beahm) has been ousted by his own game development studio after admitting that he was banned from Twitch for DMing a minor. (Tubefilter)
  ​

• Alex Cooper’s media company, The Unwell Network, has signed rising TikTok star Hallie Batchelder. (Tubefilter)
  ​

• Google is reportedly developing customizable chatbots—some of which could be modeled after popular YouTubers. (Tubefilter)

DATA • U.S. TOP 50 📈

Musicians are climbing the YouTube charts—but they aren’t making videos about music

The chart-topper: Jason Derulo isn’t just an award-winning musician. While longtime R&B fans love the star for his catchy songs, millions of newer devotees follow Derulo for a different reason: his addictive Shorts.

• Derulo has soared to the top of the YouTube charts by reposting viral clips of ASMR-style art, heartwarming animal rescues, cool gadgets, and other trendy subjects. Those videos might not be Derulo originals, but the artist does contribute one signature element: he uses his own songs as background tracks.

The rising star: That strategy has earned Derulo a spot at #1 in this week’s weekly U.S. ranking—and other musicians are taking notice. Magelias Kristofer (aka the producer known as Prvnci) claimed his own spot in the U.S. Top 50 by taking a similar approach.

• Like Derulo, the music pro has successfully transformed a popular short-form genre—animal videos—into a promotional vehicle for his latest music. Prvnci’s beats serve as soundtracks to his short-form uploads, often even matching up with the movements of featured creatures.

The stats: Derulo was unbeatable this week with 565.1 million views, but Prvnci’s own seven-day stats still added up to an impressive haul.

• In total, the producer’s Shorts hub generated 127.5 million views—an 11% increase over last week’s sum.
  
  

• The result: Prvnci’s perusal of the animal kingdom earned him a place at #35 in the U.S. Top 50.

WATCH THIS 📺

A BookTok favorite is coming to Netflix

The title: Holly Jackson’s young adult thriller series is the very definition of a BookTok darling. Influencers on TikTok have enthusiastically endorsed Good Girl’s Guide to Murder since its 2019 release—and now, Netflix is getting in on the hype.

• After months of suspense, the streamer has at last uploaded a full trailer for the BBC’s TV adaptation of Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, which will arrive on its platform in August.
  
  

• U.S.-based BookTok fans are understandably psyched—and so is Jackson. According to the BBC, the author says she is "just so grateful that TikTok and BookTok exist because if they didn't, I don't know that we would be here making this show.”

Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.​

Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. Drew Baldwin helped edit, too. It's a team effort.