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, we’re tracking creators as they engage with comedy festivals, influencer boxing events, and toy-obsessed kids
Pop culture minute
The revived Just For Laughs festival is getting an assist from Smosh. As the venerable comedy festival looks to recover from a 2024 bankruptcy declaration, it’s turning to one of YouTube’s longest-running brands. Smosh and JFL are teaming up for a program that will reward social media creators with development deals, mentorship, and other perks.
TikTok-favorite banker Pattie Ehsaei wrote a book. After dispensing financial tips to more than one million followers, Ehsaei scored a book deal with Balance, which published her “financial freedom playbook.” The titular advice of her tome is straightforward: Never Date A Broke Dude. Seems like a sound lesson to me.
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Events and happenings
After feuding with h3h3productions, iDubbbz is stepping away from the Creator Clash. The one-time “Content Cop” doesn’t want his spat with Ethan Klein to spill over to the charitable influencer boxing event he founded. Therefore, he announced on his YouTube channel that the upcoming third edition of the Creator Clash will continue without him. One clever commenter described the upload as an “unboxing video.”
VidCon drops full agenda for 2025 Anaheim convention. After inducting a group of groundbreaking creators into the “VidCon Hall of Fame,” the event series revealed the schedule for its upcoming return to the Anaheim Convention Center. The 2025 edition of VidCon runs from June 19-21.
YouTube eyes Central European content at NATPE. YouTube exec Andreas Briese will deliver a keynote at the 2025 edition of the annual TV marketplace. Budapest is playing host to this year’s edition of NATPE, which figures to include some announcements related to YouTube’s global expansion (which includes a lot of growth on TV screens).
The biz
Mark Rober’s Crunchlabs is the latest creator brand to get a Moose Toys deal. The toymaker has already worked with MrBeast to turn fantastical designs into retail favorites. Now Mark Rober’s Crunchlabs is entering into a multi-year licensing agreement with Moose Toys. Specific product lines that will emerge from the deal will be announced at a later date.
Patreon is “celebrating” Apple’s legal defeat. A judge ruled that Apple’s App Store fees are overzealous. Patreon, which previously came up with a “great plan” for circumventing the onerous fees, cheered the court’s decision.
Around the world
Korean politicians are adding mukbangs to their campaigns. Can candidates win over young voters by eating a lot of food? Some Korean pols are embracing the mukbang by broadcasting from inside their kitchens. The guy who cooks the favorite foods of world leaders had better pay attention.
The Japanese royal family got a silver play button. The Imperial Household Agency only needed a month to go from zero subscribers to 100,000. The Japanese royals are not the most-followed world leaders on social media, but a spokesperson for the Agency said that “we would like to make more efforts.”
YouTube is becoming a battleground amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan. As the dispute over Kashmir becomes increasingly hostile, South Asia’s two biggest nations are banning news channels on social media. Those channels get billions of views per week, so limiting access to them will significantly impede the free flow of information.
Mergers and acquisitions
Footballco adds to its women’s sports coverage through SoccerGrlProbs. One of the most-followed women’s soccer accounts on social media will join a network that already includes notable footballing destinations like Goal. With its all-encompassing coverage from the pitch, Footballco is becoming as big of a force as the U.S. Women’s National Team.
PodX is coming to America through Lemonada Media. The former of the two podcast companies has already used studio acquisitions to get footholds in regions like Europe and South America. Now, by adding one of the biggest independent podcast brands in the U.S. to its portfolio, PodX is continuing on its global trajectory.
The internet is a strange place
Doggyland will be the opener for the Kidz Bop tour. The legends of West Coast hip-hop are so yesterday. Snoop Dogg has a new musical collaborator: Kidz Bop, which will join forces with Snoop’s Doggyland for a summertime swing. In my opinion, Kidz Bop has ruined enough pop music already. If they try to perform a cover of the “Affirmation Song,” we riot.
The Garrett Popcorn heiress is blowing up on TikTok. Chicagoans who are obsessed with their local popcorn brand can now watch videos created by Hannah Chody, the heiress to the Garrett empire. Her vibe falls about halfway between haul girl and travel influencer. Now that’s what I like to call “pop culture.”
A Beatles lover is covering all of their songs to create a definitive ranking. What Jorge Bernardo is doing on YouTube is very cool, but I can save him a lot of time. The best Beatles song is “Lady Madonna,” and that’s all I have to say about that.
