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, PewDiePie nixes the vlogs, Spy Ninjas splashes $25 million, and YouTube gets some new celeb programming.
The PewDieVlogs come to an end. PewDiePie announced in a May 23 upload that he and wife Marzia are going to wind down their monthly vlogs this September. Why? Because their son, Björn, is about to turn three. “[W]e want Björn to grow up outside of the internet and enjoy life on his own terms,” Pewds explained to viewers. “If one day he wants to be a part of my videos, I would never stop him, but I think that choice should be his.”
Twitch says no free feet. Streamer Morgpie got temp banned (again) this week for painting her bare feet a festive green and using them as a screen to show her Dark Souls gameplay. (Dark Soles. Get it?) Twitch has a rule against showing clothed, private body parts for prolonged periods of time, so we’re assuming that’s probably what it leaned on to knock her offline. It’s cool though–if you want some FromSoft feet action, you can always peep Morgott’s entry cutscene.
Banks bots? Viewbotting has been the talk of the town lately, and the topic reignited after Twitch’s recent crackdown appeared to slice deep into some streamers’ concurrents. When FaZe Banks went live for the first time after Twitch introduced anti-botting countermeasures, his average peak viewership sank from 49K to just over 2K, according to Streams Charts. Banks ducked back offline after 40 minutes, and while the number change doesn’t prove botting was happening before, that stark of a difference is definitely eye-catching.
A cool hundred. Jacksepticeye’s visit to Maya Higa’s Alveus Sanctuary wrapped up with a big surprise: A $100,000 donation straight from his own pocket, plus a fundraiser posted on his channel asking fans to help raise another $100K. That’s a lot of treats for Miss Winnie the Moo.
Spy Ninjas is splashing $25 million. Hoping to catch the Hollywood + creators convergence wave, Chad Wild Clay and Vy Qwaint’s company is rebranding from Qlay Co. to Spy Ninjas Entertainment, and plans to spend $25M to “accelerate its content pipeline and production capabilities,” it said in a press release. That cash will go toward expanding usage of its 65,000 square foot production studio, hiring 50 new employees, and pushing further into “serialized, narrative storytelling and other entertainment and production disciplines.”
A meaty meal. Outdoorsy content creator and producer Steven Rinella (1.8M subs on YouTube) and his company MeatEater have signed with United Talent Agency. The new partnership will focus on Rinella’s already-running Netflix series and his podcast, and look to expand them into more brand deals, TV content, and live tours.
What do Jason Kelce and Guy Fieri have in common? They’re both rockin’ with new YouTube series. Kelce’s, called Kelce Versus, centers on sports (are you surprised?) and is a kind of Challenge Accepted-esque format where he’ll learn new sports and try to beat the pros at their own games. Fieri’s, meanwhile, is a talk show called Guy’s Feast Club; it’ll follow the flamin’ foodie as he hosts different celebs for some chow time–including YouTube’s very own Jesser.
A little closer long-distance. Anyone else spend the 90s listening to their parents worry about how everyone you spoke to online was a dastardly kidnapper in waiting? Sometimes I think we’ve swung too far the other way–but that being said, digital-born friendships are way more common these days, and Discord’s new spatial audio feature gives folks a way to feel like their long-distance pals are hanging out with them IRL.
Spotify calls on the clippers. Clipping has become a major component of our industry, mostly for creators and content distributors looking to catch more eyeballs by offering tantalizing bites of longer content. Spotify is getting on board by letting users clip bits of podcasts and to share out there on the world wide web.
QVC in da Shop. The king of call-in TV shopping joined TikTok Shop in 2024, and now it’s choosing TikTok as the place to celebrate its 40th anniversary. It’ll go live June 17 for a full-day event that’ll offer the usual SKU showcases, but also “product storytelling” and exclusive deals. “Forty years ago, QVC changed the way we shop by going live and what’s most exciting is that we’re just getting started,” Krystyna Taheri, QVC’s SVP of Social Commerce, said in a statement. “The future of shopping is live, social and personal, and QVC is ready to lead the way. Our TikTok Shop Super Brand Day is proof of that—bringing together the storytelling and trust we’ve built over four decades with the next generation of live shopping.”
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