Across more than 150 videos on the Munchies channel, chef Matty Matheson has cooked up a cornucopia of delectable dishes, ranging from “Bathtub Cheeto Mac N’ Cheese” to “‘Guaranteed To Get You Laid’ Lasagna.” Now, a few of Matheson’s more gourmet creations as serving as the basis for a new Munchies tie-in. The food channel run by Vice has teamed up with Chef’d to offer make-at-home meal kits featuring Matheson’s recipes.

The current crop of Munchies meal kits is currently limited to five dishes, including fried chicken, breakfast hash, and salmon almondine. Ordering a two-person portion of one of these meals will run you $27, which is certainly a bit steep, but there is free delivery on orders that exceed $40. As with other meal kit services, Munchies’ offerings feature high-quality ingredients, but unlike Hello Fresh or Blue Apron, there is no need to buy a subscription to try out one of Matheson’s recipes; instead, all of them are available a la carte.

Matheson, who also stars in the food series Dead Set On Life on the Viceland TV channel, announced the new meal kits in a video posted by Munchies. The flamboyant chef referred the project as an “explosion of creativity and flavor.”

“I’m really excited to debut these meal kits for Munchies,” added Matheson in a press release. “Meal kits are the future of food. They give home chefs what they need to cook and develop their skills — as opposed to scarfing down pizza or takeout each night.”

This isn’t Munchies’ first off-YouTube venture. The channel has also attached its brand to a series of cookbooks, the first of which is due out in the fall.

In case you haven’t heard, it’s kind of tough to make money through YouTube ads these days, so credit to Vice for figuring out smart and on-brand revenue streams for its food channel. If you’re a fan of Matheson but not willing to pay the price to pick up his meal kits, you can check out his latest kitchen creators by joining the 1.7 million people who currently subscribe to Munchies.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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Storied media exec Brian Robbins, who was one of the masterminds behind AwesomenessTV, has announced his next move after departing the Gen Z-leaning media company in February.

Robbins will charge Paramount’s newly-launched Paramount Players division, which will produce feature films conceived in collaboration with other Viacom-owned television networks including Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, and Comedy Central, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In his new role as president of Paramount Players, Robbins will work closely with the heads of these networks to create a slate of films aimed at younger audiences.

He will join the company later this month, reporting to Paramount chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos, who joined the company in April.

“In the past five years at Awesomeness, I learned that new distribution has created so many more opportunities to find/watch content as a consumer and feed/market content as a creator,” Robbins said in a statement. “But, at the end of the day, it’s still about the creative: making good films that people will show up to watch. From there, you can build a brand that people will trust and care about. I can’t wait to disrupt the status quo with a new approach to filmmaking.”

Robbins began his career as an actor before producing hit shows like Nickelodeon’s All That and the WB’s Smallville as well as feature films like Varsity Blues. He co-founded AwesomenessTV in 2012, where he produced influencer-led projects like Before I Fall and Shovel Buddies, but departed following the sale of parent company DreamWorks Animation to Comcast’s NBCUniversal division last year.

“We are fortunate to draw from [Brian’s] vast experience to launch a new production paradigm with Paramount Players,” added Gianopulos, “which embraces the studio’s history and DNA through its name, but will focus, in distinctive ways, on contemporary talent and properties for young audiences while drawing upon the vast resources of the Viacom brands.”

Filed under: AwesomenessTV by Geoff Weiss
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Thanks to shows like Man At Arms and Epic How-To, the AWEme channel has become one of Defy Media’s most dependable outlets, gathering more than 5.7 million subscribers on YouTube and accruing more than 551 million total views. The latest piece of edutainment to arrive on the channel is How It’s Destroyed, a series that explains how “formidable” objects and substances (as a press release calls them) are ultimately disposed of.

How It’s Destroyed is hosted by Aaron Rice, who centers each episode around a specific unwieldy topic. Up first are satellites, which are hard to send crashing back down to earth given how remote their orbits are. Rice offers multiple means by which a satellite can be destroyed, whether in a controlled manner or a warfaring one. His explanations are buttressed by fast-paced graphics and staccato sound effects, and Defy Media seems to be catering to viewers who possess both curiosity about the world and a limited amount of attention.

Future installments of How It’s Destroyed will explain how nuclear waste is eliminated, how wildfires are put out, and how criminal evidence is expunged. With that last topic, I get the feeling Rice is trying to tell his viewers how they can escape a serious rap.

Defy Media produced How It’s Destroyed alongside 3 Ball Entertainment. The partnership between the two companies was first announced last year.

Filed under: Articles, Defy Media, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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Twitch broadened monetization opportunities last month through the launch of an Affiliate Program that enabled tens of thousands of additional channels to clock earnings on the platform via Cheering with Bits — a form of tipping. (Previously, only 17,000 Partnered channels were able to make money on Twitch).

Now, the Amazon-owned streaming platform is adding another way that Affiliates can make money beyond Cheering via the sale of games and in-game items. A purchase button will now appear on Affiliates’ channels whenever they are playing a game that is also for sale by Twitch. Whenever a viewer purchases games or in-game items using this button, Affiliates will reap a 5% revenue share, Twitch announced today in a blog post.

“We’re constantly adding new games to our catalogue, and working to bring our community exciting things like the Twitch exclusive Warframe Prominence bundle, or Bob Ross skins for Smite,” the company said. And in order to herald the occasion, Twitch is doubling down on the rewards that viewers receive when they make purchases on the platform. For the next week, Twitch will give shoppers two Twitch Crates — or surprise rewards packages comprising emotes, badges, or Bits — for any purchase totaling $4.99 or more.

“This is the greatest thing Twitch has done since the Partner Program itself first started,” said streamer Zhylaw of the Affiliate initiative, which accepts applicants based on time spent streaming, overall viewership, and total followers. “It’s not even about potential ‘money’, but the official community and company recognition of being more than a viewer but a ‘content creator’ and a member of ‘the family’ as it were.”

Twitch still doesn’t enable Affiliates to make money from channel Subscriptions — whereby viewers can support their favorite streamers in monthly increments of $4.99, $9.99, and $24.99 — though it says that feature is in the works.

Filed under: TwitchTV by Geoff Weiss
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Over the past year, Go90 has shown a proclivity for distributing sports comedies, which populate its Go90 Zone vertical. The latest addition to that number is In The Rough, a series from Complex Networks’ RatedRed set at a not-so-classy golf course.

In The Rough stars Ryan Merriman as a young golfer who must save the course he plays on from a buyout attempt. The fate of the course, as in many sports comedies, is determined through a game, during which Merriman and his cohorts do whatever it takes to keep the land grabbers from seizing victory.

The cast of In The Rough includes a number of performers who have found success through social media. Co-star Sunny Mabrey, for example, received more than 680 million loops on Vine, while supporting actress Lara Sebastian touts a six-digit follower count on Instagram.

For RatedRed, which refers to itself as a platform aimed at millennials in America’s heartland, In The Rough is the latest partnership with Go90; both of those properties are at least partially owned by Verizon. The official producers of the new show are Verizon Hearst Media Partners in association with NoCoast Entertainment.

Three episodes of In The Rough are currently available. You can find them on the web, or through the Go90 app, which is available for both iOS and Android.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, Go90, News by Sam Gutelle
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Elizabeth LaBau, the proprietor of noted dessert blog SugarHero.com, has filed a copyright suit in a California federal court against the Food Network for creating a recipe video that she claims is a “shot-for-shot” replication of one of her most popular concoctions.

LaBau’s reciple for ‘Snow Globe Cupcakes’ — featuring edible gelatin formed into glass domes — was initially posted in December 2014 (pictured above), and subsequently went so viral that it temporarily shuttered her website, reports The Washington Post. The clip clocked 740,000 shares on Facebook and tripled her blogging incomes for that month.

But three weeks after LaBau featured the signature recipe again last Christmas, the Food Network posted its own tutorial video teaching viewers how to make ‘Edible Snow Globes’. In her suit, LaBau alleges that the Food Network’s 50-second-long Facebook video (below) pilfered many of the same angles, colors, and lighting as her original tutorial. LaBau claims she contacted Food Network for credit or attribution, but received no response. Now she is seeking $150,000 — per infringement — in damages. (As recipes generally can’t be copyrighted, according to the Post, the suit focuses on LaBau’s original video).

“Competing with numerous corporate food websites, often backed by large companies with deep pockets, is very difficult as an individual and requires endless work,” reads a passage from the suit.

The Food Network has yet to comment.

Filed under: Food Network by Geoff Weiss
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Apple is hoping to compete with Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other subscription video on demand (SVOD) platforms, and its most significant foray into that industry (so far) is now live. At the 2017 edition of its Worldwide Developers Conference, the tech company premiered the first episode of Planet of the Apps, an unscripted series about mobile entrepreneurship.

Planet of the Apps, which has been in the works for more than a year, is stylistically similar to ABC’s Shark Tank, but with a specific focus on mobile development. Guests pitch their app ideas to a panel that includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, Gary Vaynerchuk, and series co-creator Will.i.am. The best ideas have a chance to earn funding from VC firm Lightspeed Venture Partners.

“The question when you have ideas is how to take those to fruition,” said Apple SVP of Internet software and services Eddy Cue, who recently made headlines of his own. “Sometimes you may not know how, you might be afraid of what’s involved. This really shows how that’s possible.”

Planet of the Apps is the first Apple original series to see the light of day, and the tech company is opting for a distribution model employed by several other SVOD platforms. The show’s first episode is currently available for free, but watching the rest of the installments will require a subscription to Apple Music, which will run you $9.99 per month.

Apple notes that the free status of the Planet of the Apps premiere is a “limited time” offer, so if you’re curious to see how the show stacks up against other SVOD originals, you may want to check it out sooner rather than later. New episodes will arrive each Tuesday for Apple Music subscribers.

Filed under: Apple, Articles, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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If ghostwriting is a bit of an open secret within the influencer sector, it’s also becoming something of a booming career choice for would-be young writers.

Marie Claire chatted with several prominent ghostwriters in the space, who are tasked with authoring books, blog posts, Tweets, Facebook status updates, and more on behalf of digital stars. Some, including 27-year-old Young Adult novelist Zara Lisbon — who has ghostwritten two influencer novels and co-written a book alongside creator Sierra Furtado — describe breakneck deadlines and not much contact with the stars whose voices they are supposed to be embodying.

“At one point,” Lisbon says of a memoir she was working on about an teen Instagram star who was entirely removed from the process, “I got the publisher to put me in touch with her dad, and he answered a few questions for me — just basic stuff about her childhood.”

Others, including Faith Xue, describe a more hands-on relationship. In her role as a writer for various influencer lifestyle blogs, Xue said she typically met with creators once a month, and many were happy to invite her into their lives to form collaborative partnerships — and, in some cases, even friendships.

Opting to use ghostwriters can be a bit of a slippery slope for digital stars, whose careers are predicated upon an authentic and unfettered relationship with followers and fans. When news broke in 2014 that a ghostwriter had penned the debut novel by Zoe ‘Zoella’ Sugg titled Girl Online, many fans were outraged, Marie Claire reports. Though some creators, including Lilly ‘Superwoman’ Singh, choose to do it all themselves. Singh wrote her just-released, best-selling book, How To Be A Bawse: A Guide To Conquering Life, entirely on her own over the course of many years, according to the outlet.

For more on influencer ghostwriting, check out Marie Claire‘s report right here.

Filed under: News by Geoff Weiss
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On June 5, online video star Philip DeFranco launched a video in which he discussed (among other topics), the recent terror attacks in London. Shortly after that clip arrived on YouTube, it came one of the video site’s top trending videos, until its momentum suddenly stalled. As DeFranco tells it, the segment in question was deemed unfriendly to advertisers and demonetized because it included a description of a knife attack.

Talked to Youtube. It appears I was hit yesterday, because I described a stabbing that took place during the London attack…

— Philip DeFranco (@PhillyD) June 6, 2017

DeFranco, to put it simply, seems quite unhappy about this decision, and it looks like he has decided to take a course of action that will register just how displeased he is. He has claimed that his next series, whenever it does arrive, will be hosted on a platform other than YouTube.

Youtube just made my mind up for me. The next series I’ll be launching will be off of YouTube. Tired of this lack of respect. — Philip DeFranco (@PhillyD) June 6, 2017

While DeFranco is one of many creators who have been affected by the so-called “adpocalypse” that has occurred on YouTube in recent months, he is not looking to distance himself from the video site solely because he’s not making as much money there as he used to. Instead, he is upset about a perceived double standard concerning which videos get demonetized. While his taken on the London attacks is no longer able to serve ads, CNN’s video on the event — which includes intense footage alongside its graphic descriptions — is still running them.

“It’s mainly frustrating because it kills the potential for up-and-comers who want to talk about the news,” said DeFranco of YouTube’s demonetization decisions in a recent video. “They want to join this business, they want to play the game, but apparently everyone doesn’t have to play by the rules.”

DeFranco hasn’t said where exactly he’ll take his talents, but wherever he goes, he will be guaranteed the funding he needs to carry on. His DeFranco Elite Patreon campaign, which he launched after breaking up with his former partners at Discovery-backed Group Nine Media, has left him with the financial support he needs to take a step away from YouTube. It remains to be seen if other creators will follow his lead.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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Net neutrality, the doctrine that requires all websites to be treated equally by ISPs, is once again under attack. The FCC, led by noted net neutrality opponent Ajit Pai, has begun the process through which it will try to strip away the legal protections underlying that principle.

Public comments on the FCC’s latest proposal are due by July 17th, and dozens of major tech companies are making sure their voices will be heard before then. A large-scale effort called Battle For The Net, led by activist group Fight For The Future, is planning a massive protest on July 12 in hopes of defending net neutrality. Among others, platforms that plan to participate in that initiative include Vimeo, Amazon, Reddit, and Kickstarter.

The individual actions net neutrality supporters will take may vary from company to company, but the general plan is laid out on the Fight For The Future website. “Websites, Internet users, and online communities will come together to sound the alarm about the FCC’s attack on net neutrality. We’ll provide tools for everyone to make it super easy for your followers / visitors to take action.”

Fight For The Future’s strategy also references a 2012 internet blackout led by sites like Google and Reddit that protested the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA. That bill, which would have provided unprecedented powers to law enforcement groups that took on digital piracy, was indefinitely delayed two days later.

Five years after that action, internet freedom is under attack once again, and Vimeo in particular is one of its staunchest defenders. “Regardless of their size or budget, I want video makers to be able to focus on making great work, and finding new audiences,” wrote VHX co-founder Jamie Wilkinson, whose company is now owned by Vimeo, in a February 2017 blog post. “I don’t want independent filmmakers to have to worry about things that cable companies could do to disadvantage their content.”

Other online video companies that will join Vimeo in this fight include Hank Green’s Internet Creators Guild, which is participating in the Battle For The Net. If you’d like to show your support for the endeavor, head over to the Fight For The Future website. And if you need a brief overview of net neutrality, Vi Hart has you covered.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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In a bid to make the internet a safer and kinder place for children, Google has announced a new campaign dubbed Be Internet Awesome. Developed in collaboration with the Family Online Safety Institute, Internet Keep Safe Coalition, and ConnectSafely, the initiative launches this summer break, as kids are spending more and more time online, writes Google’s Pavni Diwanji, VP of engineering for kids and families.

Be Internet Awesome will furnish content for kids, parents, and educators alike, with five primary goals: to teach children to share items with care, to help them not fall for fake information, to encourage them to keep secrets secured, to foster kinder interactions, and to help them consult an adult whenever a page or encounter feels fishy.

In order to spark meaningful conversations about digital safety between parents and kids, Google has tapped top YouTube creators John Green, the What’s Inside? Family, and MinutePhysics, to launch the #BeInternetAwesome Challenge — a series of videos produced by digital studio Portal A that aims to make what could potentially be a dicey conversation easier to have.

Check out an introductory video below. At the same time, Green, What’s Inside?, and MinutePhysics have released their own videos on their respective social channels sharing personal experiences and tips.

In addition to the video series, Google has created a free, web-based game for kids called Interland that takes players through various levels in which they must combat hackers, phishers, oversharers, and bullies. Finally, for teachers, the search giant has developed a curriculum comprising lesson plans, activities, and worksheets that can be integrated into any classroom.

Filed under: Google by Geoff Weiss
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A prominent digital network based in the U.S. is catering to Canadian consumers. Omnia Media has partnered with CBC for a slate of 72 videos that will be available on the CBC Life platform north of the border and through lifestyle destination Makeful here in the States.

The 72-video slate includes four six-episode web series hosted by notable Canadian social media stars. Sew Boss, starring withwendy, is a show about DIY sewing projects; The Drill Down, hosted by The Sorry Girls, features builds assembled with power tools; Over Atelier takes on French cooking with help from Tara O’Brady; and Vegan Eats gives Olivia Biermann a chance to share meatless recipes.

The other 48 videos borne from from Omnia Media’s Canadian initiative are described in a press release as “tabletop videos” that feature short runtimes of 30 seconds to two minutes and describe simple projects that viewers can take on at home. “Omnia Media has sharpened our focus to producing premium original digital content over the past year, as evidenced by several market leading distribution partnerships,” said Omnia Media CEO David Brown in the release. “This robust slate of Makeful videos and our partnership with a leading linear broadcaster, like CBC, speaks to the quality of our original productions.”

Omnia Media is wholly owned by Blue Ant Media, a company based in Canada. Blue Ant’s roster of properties also includes Makeful. The two Blue Ant properties have collaborated before, producing shows like 3 Minute DIY, which is led by YouTube star Jeanine Amapola.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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