A creator company sells for $0

The video podcast wars are just beginning.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

February 05, 2026   |   Read Online TOGETHER WITH It's Thursday and Alphabet is bringing in the big bucks. For the first time ever, Google's parent company has topped $400 billion in annual revenue. Today's News 🏈 TikTok heads to the Super Bowl 🔧 Amazon tests AI tools 🤝 The Green brothers go nonprofit 👀 Bill Simmons dunks on YouTube 📰 A local news station gets social GAME ON Bleacher Report and TikTok are going to play games at the big game. TikTok wants advertisers to buy into big events. So it's hitting the Super Bowl. The big game: TikTok has something big planned for the Super Bowl. The short-form video platform is teaming up with Bleacher Report to present the B/Rcade, an activation that will be part of Radio Row (aka the locus of pregame activity that brings media companies into the Super Bowl hype machine). According to The Hollywood Reporter, the B/Rcade will be a "video-centric" experience filled with arcade games, podcast recording equipment, and a set for shooting TikToks. Top creators will be on the guest list alongside football players like Micah Parsons, AJ Brown, Myles Garrett, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Bryce Young. Both the participating TikTokers and official Bleacher Report channels will share footage from the B/Rcade. "TikTok has become a force of discovery, and we're showing up during Super Bowl Week at Radio Row with Bleacher Report to spotlight how TikTok connects the football community through athlete, creator, and fan content on the platform."   - Rollo Goldstaub, TikTok Global Head of Sport (via THR) The context: That might sound like pretty standard fare for a branded activation, but the B/Rcade actually represents a significant shift in TikTok's Super Bowl strategy. In previous years, the app sponsored tailgate concerts that highlighted both its ad products and its status as a pop culture tastemaker. Last year, however, YouTube supplanted TikTok as the tailgate concert's sponsor, pushing the platform to take a different approach. These days, TikTok is positioning its ads as must-buys for brands that want to be at the center of big cultural moments. The platform has given advertisers a calendar full of culturally-significant dates while also predicting that flash-in-the-pan trends—aka the "Irreplaceable Instinct," as TikTok puts it—will be a defining topic of 2026. 🌟 SPONSORED 🌟 Made gives you a clear path from creator to career The equation "more hours = more views" eventually breaks. Every growth-focused creator hits a ceiling where working harder doesn't move the needle, it just burns you out. To restart your growth curve, you don't need more stamina. You need leverage. Made allows you to decouple your success from your timesheet. Meet your new support system Made is an always-on engine that runs parallel to your creative process, handling the execution so you can focus on the vision. Here's how your new high-leverage workflow operates: Strategy at Speed: While you sleep, Milo analyzes trends to generate viral-ready concepts and high-CTR thumbnails, cutting your pre-production time significantly. Lightning Fast Output: As you record, Remi is ready to process that footage, turning single uploads into a consistent stream of platform-ready clips without the editing bottleneck. 24/7 Engagement: You can't be online forever, but Zara can. She identifies VIPs and helps you manage community interactions around the clock to drive loyalty. Passive Revenue: Lila operates in the background, securing your rights and capturing monetization opportunities that manual workflows miss. Stop grinding for inches. Start leveraging Made for miles. Try Made for free → HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰 Amazon is inviting people in the film industry to test out its AI tools. Amazon will reportedly begin testing out AI tools for film and TV production as part of a beta program launching next month. (TechCrunch) Egypt has enacted a nationwide ban on Roblox, following in the footsteps of nations like Turkey and Russia. (Engadget) Google announced in its Q4 2025 earnings report that its Gemini chatbot has surpassed 750 million monthly active users. (TechCrunch) Pinterest has reportedly fired two engineers for allegedly "accessing confidential company information to identify the locations and names of all dismissed employees and then shared it more broadly." (Gizmodo) SCHOOL'S IN SESSION The Vlogbrothers doing another public good. Hank and John Green are turning their production company into a nonprofit The nonprofit: Hank and John Green are transforming Complexly—aka the production company that encompasses several of their educational hubs—into a nonprofit. By reducing external pressure from shareholders, the duo long known as the Vlogbrothers are hoping that popular Complexly channels like study aid Crash Course and STEM-oriented SciShow can stay afloat in a social media landscape driven by algorithmic decisions. In a video on the Vlogbrothers YouTube channel, Hank Green explained why Complexly has a new 501c3 status (and a new .org URL to go along with it). He noted that the company has received multiple acquisition offers, but that he and his brother wanted to ensure that their scholarly channels remained "open to every teacher, student, parent, and learner with an internet connection fast enough to stream video." The context: The Green brothers understand the complex ins-and-outs of creator funding as well as anyone. Their company Subbable (which was eventually acquired by Patreon) was an early form of the fan funding model, and ventures like the Internet Creators Guild and annual Project 4 Awesome fundraisers gave John and Hank firsthand nonprofit experience. Now, the brothers will give up their personal equity in Complexly, with John becoming the company's "founder emeritus" and Hank sitting on the Board of Directors (and also hosting some educational shows). In those new roles, the Greens will look to build Complexly into an even bigger operation. According to The Washington Post, the production company has already set aside $8.5 million for new content initiatives. PLATFORM RIVALRY The Ringer founder Bill Simmons talkin' streamers. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Spotify) After signing a Netflix deal, The Ringer is promoting itself by dunking on YouTube The deal: In 2020, Spotify paid a reported $250 million to acquire The Ringer, a sports and pop culture podcast network founded by Bill Simmons (who went on to become Spotify's current Head of Talk Strategy). Then, last October, Spotify announced a deal that would bring some of The Ringer's video podcasts—including The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Zach Lowe Show, The McShay Show, The Rewatchables, and Conspiracy Theories—to Netflix. Shows included in that deal will continue to air in full and in video on Spotify as well as on Netflix (where they began airing last month).   They won't, however, be airing on YouTube. The comments: Netflix, Spotify, and The Ringer's agreement mandates that shows airing on Netflix will not air on YouTube—and Simmons had made it clear that he doesn't want those podcasts on YouTube anyway: "With YouTube, you're trading off something…YouTube has kind of this attitude, like, 'You're lucky to be on YouTube,' which congrats to them, but I'm not sure how long that's sustainable."   - Bill Simmons, Spotify Head of Talk Strategy (via THR) Those remarks echo comments Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has made in the past about YouTube being just a place to "kill time" as opposed to a real home of premium content. Netflix's tune, however, has changed over the past few months. It defended its pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by noting that YouTube would still have more watch time than all the streaming services it planned to buy, combined. Then, during a recent earnings call, Sarandos said YouTube is setting the standard for modern television. YouTube is also competing with Netflix and Spotify for video podcasts (and winning). This time last year, YouTube had over 1 billion viewers tuning into at least one video podcast per month. Spotify, meanwhile, said that over 390 million users had streamed a video podcast on its service as of Q3 2025. WATCH THIS 👀 KSBH's very own Charlie Keegan channels YouTube explainers. A local TV station wants to make the news look like YouTube The YouTube approach: TV news programs will need to evolve quickly if they hope to keep up with internet-based competitors—and KSHB Kansas City is taking that mission seriously. The NBC affiliate (which is owned by the E.W. Scripps Company) has started making news clips that turn its reporters into YouTube creators. A quick look at KSHB's YouTube channel reveals several of those social media-style videos. Reporter Elyse Schoenig recently did her best lifeofcian impression with a segment shot in her car, while her colleague, Charlie Keegan, channeled Tom Scott with his on-the-spot reporting. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.​ Want to introduce your brand to Tubefilter's audience? Sponsor the newsletter. Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.   Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 Tubefilter 1450 2nd Street, Ste 275 Santa Monica, CA 90401, United States Powered by beehiiv Terms of Service

Minecraft wants kids to get in 'Good Trouble'

You won't see Polymarket at the big game.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

February 04, 2026   |   Read Online It's Wednesday and The Walt Disney Company is getting a new CEO. Come March 18, 2026, Bob Iger is out (again) and Disney Experiences chairman Josh D'Amaro is in. Today's News 🏈 The Super Bowl bans prediction markets 🔊 YouTube paywalls background play 💸 The BBC funds TikTok content 🇪🇸 Spain might ban kids from social media ✊🏾 Minecraft brings Civil Rights protests to life GAME ON Kalshi ads have been everywhere, but you won't see them during Super Bowl LX. Prediction markets are everywhere—except at the Super Bowl The ban: 2025 was a banner year for prediction markets. By letting users bet on everything from the return of Jesus Christ to pro sporting events, Polymarket and Kalshi combined to amass a trading volume of $12 billion in December alone. All that cash still isn't enough to get them into the Super Bowl. As it has all season long, the NFL will continue to ban ads for prediction markets during the big game. The league's decision (which comes amid a gambling scandal that has rocked the NBA) places prediction markets in the same group as forbidden ad subjects like pornography, firearms, and tobacco. The NFL noted that the new gambling platforms lack necessary "safeguards," including "prohibitions on easily manipulated markets." Traditional sports betting companies like FanDuel and DraftKings will still be able to run Super Bowl commercials, but won't be able to promote the new prediction markets portion of their offerings. No more than six sportsbook ads are expected to run throughout the broadcast. The question: If prediction markets struggle to get airtime on traditional broadcasts, will they deploy even more resources on social media? That seems like a probable outcome, and one that could increase visibility on YouTube. The video hub has become a popular platform for prediction market titans, with Polymarket sponsoring at least 101 YouTube videos over the past 90 days and Kalshi backing at least 140 videos over the same timeframe (per Gospel Stats). The dangers of social gambling content became clear in 2022, when creators captivated Twitch viewers by making outrageous bets on stream. Twitch responded by cracking down on external links to gambling sites. YouTube took a similar stance by barring users from linking out to "unapproved" gambling sites and pledging to age-restrict videos that shill for gambling companies. We'll have to see if the rising popularity of prediction markets calls for any additional safeguards or if they'll be a ubiquitous part of the marketing landscape from here on out. HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰 YouTube wants users to pay up. As a result of a recent update, YouTube users must pay for Premium in order to access mobile background play. (Tubefilter) X's Paris office was raided by French law enforcement authorities on Tuesday amid an ongoing investigation into illegal content allegedly disseminated through the platform. (Ars Technica) A security flaw affecting AI social media network Moltbook has reportedly resulted in the leak of 1.5 million API tokens and 35,000 email addresses. (TechRadar) CEO Ted Sarandos faced questions about Netflix's "woke" content while testifying before a Senate subcommittee regarding the platform's attempted acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery. (The Verge) INDUSTRY BUZZ The 103-year-old broadcaster really wants to innovate. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images) The BBC is giving production companies £600K to make digital-first content The accelerator: On the heels of announcing a deal with YouTube to make original content, the BBC has unveiled a shortlist of 12 companies that could receive a slice of funding from its first digital accelerator initiative. That £600,000 project, which the BBC launched last year in partnership with the North East Screen Industries Partnership, aims to encourage local studios to make digital-first content for distribution across YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch (per C21Media). "The Digital Accelerator is about backing brilliant ideas and ambitious companies to reach young audiences in fresh, authentic ways."   - Fiona Campbell, BBC Controller of Youth Audiences and Interim Director of Unscripted To be eligible, production companies must be headquartered in England's North East or Tees Valley regions, have an established record in content production, and must commit to employing locals to fill at least 50% of its talent pool. The shortlist: Shortlisted companies include Adventure Alliance Films, Candle & Bell, Film Nova, MOTIF, MediaBorne, North Wrestling, Northern Child, Nrthrn Baby, Second Draft, Sea & Sky Pictures, Twenty Six 03, and Wander Films. That list will be narrowed to four based on the strength of their content pitches to the BBC commissioning team. Those finalists will receive funding to make their pitched ideas and will take part in a nine-month program with education and mentorship on creating successful content for 16-to-24-year-olds. This accelerator, combined with BBC's YouTube deal, makes it clear that one of England's largest legacy entertainment companies is planning big moves in digital. That pivot makes sense. YouTube, after all, is dominating TV watch time in the U.K. and the BBC has obviously decided to join 'em rather than try to beat 'em. POLITICS AS USUAL Will Spain follow Australia's lead? (Photo by Graeme Robertson/Getty Images). Spain plans to ban users under 16 from social media The planned ban: Late last year, Australia showed the world that it's possible to enforce restrictions on youth social media use. Now, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced his own government's plan to "protect" children under the age of 16 by requiring social media platforms to set up "effective age-verification systems." Sánchez didn't say which platforms would be included in Spain's regulation, but directed specific criticisms at X, TikTok, and Instagram. Sánchez is not the only world leader following Australia's lead. Denmark has signaled plans to impose similar restrictions, and lawmakers in Greece, France, and the U.K. are eager to follow suit. The the context: When the Australian government first announced its ban, critics questioned whether its could actually keep teens off social media. By threatening to fine platforms that fail to institute age-verification checks, however, Australia seems to have found an enforcement mechanism that works. Meta reported in January that it had removed 550,000 accounts. At the same time, however, the Facebook parent company has urged lawmakers to find a "better way forward." Reddit went one step further by filing a legal challenge against the ban. In Spain, the effort to restrict children's social media use could meet another hurdle. The Iberian nation is one of the world's premier creator hotbeds, with numerous Spanish hubs cracking our ranking of the 50 most-watched YouTube channels in the world in 2025. On Twitch, superstars like Ibai and TheGrefg have shattered viewership records. Their support for the Kings League helped the streamer-led soccer competition attract 90,000 in-person attendees at Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium. If Spain includes Twitch and YouTube in its social media ban, it will handicap some of its most promising homegrown talents. But if those platforms receive exemptions, the ban may not be effective. In that context, is restricting kids' social media use worthwhile or counterproductive? WATCH THIS 👀 Minecraft is giving users lessons on protests. Minecraft wants players to get in Good Trouble during Black History Month The lessons: Minecraft is adding an interactive twist to Black History Month. The sandbox game's scholastic division, Minecraft Education, has released a historical learning experience that recreates pivotal moments from the Civil Rights movement. The name of the experience, Lessons In Good Trouble, derives from a quote spoken by late Georgia Congressman John Lewis, who played a pivotal role in the African American struggle for liberation. Good Trouble players will get firsthand looks at notable events from the Civil Rights movement by walking across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with Lewis and sitting on a Birmingham bus with Rosa Parks. The experience also transports players across the world to meet blocky depictions of social justice pioneers like Malala Yousafzai, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Emmeline Parkhurst. Check out a trailer for Lessons In Good Trouble here. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.​ Want to introduce your brand to Tubefilter's audience? Sponsor the newsletter. Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.   Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 Tubefilter 1450 2nd Street, Ste 275 Santa Monica, CA 90401, United States Powered by beehiiv Terms of Service