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, one creator battles against the federal government, while another battles against men on the internet.
Creator commotion
Grace Van Dien spoke up at the Streamer Awards. The Stranger Things actor received a lot of criticism after signing with FaZe Clan during the organization’s turbulent 2023. While presenting at the Streamer Awards, Van Dien registered some of her feelings by hitting FaZe Clan with a sarcastic jab. Current FaZe Clan leaders, including CEO FaZe Banks, took exception to the swipe.
Nerd Leading the Nerd is playing the 100 greatest video games of all time. A new gaming channel is embarking on a two-year quest to review all off the titles on IGN’s list of the best games ever. Hopefully they don’t run into any fetch quests along the way.
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King Bach is back with a new website. The one-time Vine star is working with COY Creator to reimagine his digital presence. As we documented earlier this year, COY is looking to transform creator ownership with a strategy built around customizable pages.
The court of law
LegalEagle is suing the FBI and CIA. The lawyer, esteemed for his videos on platforms like YouTube, is looking to use the Freedom of Information Act to access documents related to Donald Trump’s corruption trials. And if federal agencies are going to sandbag his FOIA request, he plans to do everything in his power to exercise his rights as a citizen.
Connor Franta is suing the former co-founders of his record label. Franta, a 2010s YouTube icon and member of the supergroup O2L, is accusing his business partners of stealing from Heard Well, which launched in 2015 to highlight emerging artists. The defendants in the case have denied Franta’s allegations.
The Onion owning Infowars was fun while it lasted. A judge blocked The Onion’s plan to buy Alex Jones’ former stomping ground and turn it into a parody of itself. This is why we can’t have nice things!
Platform headlines
The U.S. government wants Apple and Google to brace for a TikTok ban. Lawmakers want app store operators to prepare to delist the TikTok app if parent company ByteDance can not obtain a stay on the U.S. “divest-or-ban” law before it goes into effect on January 19. TikTok may still think it can fight the ban, but the government clearly has other ideas.
Did Kick stiff YourRage? The Floridian streamer was one of Kick’s big draws this year, but he’s back on Twitch after accusing his former host platform of missing payments for two consecutive month. Kick leadership denies the claims, explaining that YourRage failed to send back a corrected invoice.
“Chinese Instagram” has surpassed $1 billion in profit. The social shopping app Xiaohongshu is having a banner year in 2024. Though social media IPOs have historically been risky business, this Chinese breakout hit seems well on its way to a public offering.
The biz
Alex Cooper’s creator consumable is her answer to Prime. The Call Her Daddy host’s electrolyte-infused beverage is called Unwell Hydration and is hitting shelves thanks to a partnership with Nestlé. Will Cooper’s fans care that she’s going into business with a corporation that has a not-so-ethical track record?
Tongal has now generated more than $100 million in creator earnings. The content platform is spreading the news after pushing its payouts into nine digits. Tongal also hit movie theaters this year thanks to its pivotal role in the Lego-animated Pharrell Williams biopic Piece By Piece.
YouTube paid Myth $4 million. The Fortnite star revealed his earnings from his two-year exclusive contract with YouTube. The question isn’t whether Myth deserved such a hefty payday — it’s whether any other streamer will ever be offered such a lucrative exclusivity deal.
The internet is a strange place
ImDavisss’ new collaborator is a bear. The creator returned from a streaming hiatus by bringing a bear to the AMP House. Be careful, boys — it’s at this time that I must remind the members of AMP that bears may be friend-shaped, but are not friends.
A VTuber agency put the kibosh on a nine-year-old streamer. Due to intense backlash, the kid won’t launch his character after all. If ProZD has taught me anything about anime characters, then I’m certain that child is actually a thousand years old.
Mahjong is the hot new esport. Calling all aunties: The HyperX arena in Las Vegas will host a World Mahjong Tour Tournament with prizes up to $100,000. I hope that hearts or euchre are the next four-player games to hit the big time, because then I could really start winning some money.
