Each week, we handpick a selection of stories to give you a snapshot of trends, updates, business moves, and more from around the creator industry. This week, a creator is saying hello to the platform that made him famous, while a departed executive is saying goodbye to the platform she helped build.
Creator commotion (streamer edition)
Ludwig is home again on Twitch. The mononymous streamer has not been shy about his displeasure with the streaming experience on YouTube. Now, upon the expiration of his landmark deal, he has resumed his broadcasts on Twitch. That decision is a reminder that the era of exclusive streamer contracts is well and truly over.
DrDisrespect is ready to Rumble. The disgraced streamer and the right-leaning platform make for strange bedfellows, but the time was right for their partnership. DrDisrespect needed a new home, and Rumble is surging after the reelection of Donald Trump. Something tells me that someone named “Disrespect” will be right at home amidst a community obsessed with free expression.
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xQc is heading south for the winter. The Quebecois streaming star said that his November 25 broadcast might be his “last stream in Canada” as he prepares for a “new era” in the U.S. The future of his multi-million dollar agreement with Kick remains unclear.
Platform headlines
Susan Wojcicki has a final message for YouTube. The August 2024 death of YouTube’s former CEO sent shockwaves across the creator landscape. Even after succumbing to lung cancer, Wojcicki authored a posthumous post in hopes of raising awareness about her fatal affliction. Wojcicki’s philanthropic spirit and big heart is outliving her, even though the YouTube world already misses her dearly.
LinkedIn drops its Clubhouse clone. Audio-based chatrooms that flourished during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic are being shuttered one after the other. The latest casualty is LinkedIn’s Audio Events, which was once a staple of the platform’s Creator Mode but is now bygone.
The Chick-fil-a streaming service is live. The fast food chain’s unique bet on digital content hit the App Store on November 18. It’s an all-around entertainment center catered to children, but adults can check it out too. Just don’t expect any free waffle fries.
Politics as usual
The Harris campaign wanted to go on Hot Ones. The Sean Evans-led show said no. Harris missed an opportunity to appeal to the YouTube masses because the Hot Ones team doesn’t want to get political. Unfortunately for Democrats, there are plenty of conservative influencers who are more than willing to get political.
Did TikTok sway the Romanian election? A virtually unknown candidate emerged victorious after running a successful TikTok campaign. Was there foul play afoot, or was this just the latest example of a politician reaching the youth via social media? E.U. investigators plan to find out.
Shou Zi Chew asked Elon Musk for some Donald Trump advice. The CEO of TikTok sees the CEO of X as an important resource to map out the next four years. I’m sure Musk provided some applicable advice for Trump-whispering, though TikTok seemed to be doing just fine even without the X owner’s input.
The biz
TikTok Shop is coming to new territories. Users in Spain and Ireland are expected to get access to the ecommerce solution. The former of those two countries is home to record-setting creators like Ibai and TheGrefg, while the latter is the location of TikTok’s Transparency and Accountability Centre.
Netflix promotes Cobra Kai in Roblox. First, the stars of the Karate Kid sequel showed up at the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight. Now, they can be found in the kid-friendly world of Roblox. If I were Netflix, the next sponsorship I’d go for would be a collaboration with “Cobra” Kai Cenat.
TikTok wants to be Foursquare now? According to trademark filings in the United States, TikTok is plotting an app called TikTok Go that will offer reviews of retail locations. The app’s status as a recommendation engine continues to be one of its strongest assets.
The internet is a strange place
Norme’s next stunt: a marathon on the toilet. The streamer who pushed boundaries with a controversial “no-sleep stream” is now trying to break a record for the most time spent on the can. I had no idea Skibidi Toilet was a documentary, but here we are.
A dad who likes fishing is a new rags-to-riches hero on YouTube. After a TikToker highlighting his underappreciated channel, the creator behind the Fishing With ‘Oh Dad’ channel saw his subscriber count rise above one million. That’s more epic story than the time I caught a sea bass the size of my torso.
Dear fitness influencers on planes: Sit the heck down. Bárbara de Regil annoyed her fellow flyers by doing a body pump workout in the middle of an airplane aisle. She should try the “hold a sitting position for the duration of a flight” workout next.
