James Hale

• Top 5 Branded Videos of the Week: Balls, bees, Marques Brownlee
• NFL doubles down on creator spotlights with a Kai Cenat vs IShowSpeed Super Bowl pre-game

  In an announcement video, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (who showed up to speak at YouTube's Brandcast in 2023, btw) rings up IShowSpeed.

  
• YouTube cozies closer to the NFL, replacing TikTok as Super Bowl tailgate sponsor

  It'll produce the two-and-a-half-hour pregame "just steps away" from the Caesars Superdome, where the Kansas City Chiefs are set to take on the Philadelphia Eagles--and the whole thing will be broadcast live from the NFL's YouTube channel.

  
• Spotify wants to beat YouTube at video podcasts. So it’s giving out its own gold and silver creator plaques.

  In an effort to keep creators close, Spotify is now introducing Creator Milestone Awards--its own version of YouTube's Play Buttons.

  
• The NFL is turning ex-players into “media moguls” on YouTube
• Top 5 Branded Videos of the Week: Cheaters, consoles, and ‘Lethal Company’
• TikTok still bodies other platforms when it comes to short-form watch time
• Capital One Shopping hit with class action suit over alleged Honey-like practices
• Even Tumblr is taking a stab at replacing TikTok
• Creator-made islands accounted for 1/3 of ‘Fortnite’ game time in 2024–and earned their developers $352 million
• The Paul x Tyson fight helped Netflix drive record account growth–just before it stops reporting subscriber counts
• Top 5 Branded Videos of the Week: A Joe Rogan threepeat