A creator hosts a "supercruise"

Streamers are battling for sports broadcasts.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

April 16, 2026   |   Read online It’s Thursday and Spotify now sells actual, physical books. Does this mean it’s time for TikTok to get back into the lit scene? Today’s News ⛷️ NBC’s Olympic coverage was a hit 💬 Teens talk about social media 🇺🇸 RedNote goes west 🚢 Northerlion hosts a “supercruise” 🎬 Dropout stars make a movie GOING LIVE Live sports are all the rage right now. Streamers are hungry for live sports. NBC’s Olympics viewership shows why. The report: Every streaming platform from Netflix to Peacock has been snapping up live sports broadcasts, and NBCUniversal‘s February 2026 numbers explain why those rights packages are so desirable. In the latest edition of Nielsen‘s The Gauge report, NBCU enjoyed its best performance ever. Thanks in large part to coverage of Super Bowl LX and the 2026 Winter Olympics, streaming service Peacock drew 3% of all U.S. streaming traffic on TV screens. That represents a 64% increase over the previous Gauge report. When you add NBCUniversal’s other properties into the mix, those stats look even more impressive. Versant—a three-month-old Comcast spinoff that brings cable and digital properties under one umbrella—combined with Peacock to claim a 13.1% TV viewership share in the latest Gauge report. That’s a higher figure than longtime Gauge leader YouTube, which earned a 12.7% share in February. The controversy: It’s worth noting here that YouTube still led all streaming services in the February report, since NBCU’s 13.1% figure requires the addition of Versant and its cable lineup. Upcoming editions of The Gauge, however, will probably favor NBCU. Nielsen’s February update was supposed to include changes to the report’s methodology, but the company’s streaming industry partners have argued that those adjustments would unfairly favor traditional broadcasters. Nielsen responded by delaying The Gauge and has promised to delay the new methodology until the fall—but the shift is coming. The big picture: Methodology aside, the key takeaway from the February edition of The Gauge centers around live sports. Olympic viewership has always been a reliable asset for NBCU, and that trend accelerated in 2026. NBC’s Super Bowl broadcast, meanwhile, gave it a powerful one-two punch this winter. As a result, the prices of sports rights packages are soaring—and many streamers are passing those costs onto their subscribers.  HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰 Adults might be worried, but teens still dig social media. (Photo via Getty Images.) Surprise: kids still enjoy social media. 96% of TikTok users aged 13 to 17 told Pew Research Center that they are drawn to the For You Page “because it’s entertaining.” (Tubefilter) YouTube users can now essentially block Shorts from their feeds on iOS and Android devices by setting the format to a time limit of “0 minutes.” (The Verge) Snap has announced layoffs affecting 16% of its staff, which the company says are “necessary to realize Snap’s long-term potential” amid “rapid advancements in artificial intelligence.” (TechCrunch) Amazon Prime Video encountered technical difficulties during an exclusive stream of Tuesday’s Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets game, leaving NBA fans in the dark for nearly two minutes. (Ars Technica) WILD WEST RedNote is expanding its U.S. operations. (Photo by Anthony Kwan/Getty Images.) RedNote is going west with U.S. hires, creator outreach, and a twist on TikTok Shop The U.S. expansion: It’s been over a year since RedNote exploded to the top of the U.S. App Store charts. The Chinese platform (aka Xiaohongshu) was one of the biggest beneficiaries when the proposed U.S. TikTok ban seemed like a foregone conclusion. Of course, TikTok didn’t end up being exiled from the U.S.—but ever since its viral surge, RedNote has been working to translate its temporary user gains into lasting momentum. Flash forward to 2026, and the platform is advancing its U.S. expansion. At least ten job listings, all posted to LinkedIn in the past three weeks, mention offices in New York and Palo Alto. The New York-based positions include community-oriented jobs, while Bay Area hires would help RedNote hone technical features like its recommendation algorithm. The ecommerce effort: RedNote’s biggest breakthrough, however, could come on the product side. Rest of World has reported on the introduction of RedShop, an international ecommerce marketplace that bears a strong resemblance to TikTok Shop. Through events in China, RedNote is connecting with its base of 300 million monthly active users and sharing best practices for RedShop sellers. Meanwhile, across American college campuses like Northwestern University and the University of California, San Diego, RedNote is recruiting new users and encouraging creators to share content through its app. That strategy sounds a lot like the approach TikTok used to promote Shop in the U.S. The challenge: If RedNote is going to borrow TikTok’s strategy, it will have to contend with the consequences. Thanks to its Chinese ownership, RedNote could face the same regulatory threats that hampered TikTok’s U.S. operations. The social media market could also prove too congested for another foreign app to break through—but perhaps RedNote’s rumored IPO will provide enough funding for the platform to stand out from the crowd. CREATOR CRUISE Will cruises be the new conventions? Northernlion is holding a 6-day fan “supercruise” (and he’s not alone) The cruise: On April 13, Twitch streamer Northernlion announced plans to hold a six-day “ultimate streamer cruise” that would allow fans to sail with him on Royal Caribbean‘s Jewel of the Seas. With cabin prices ranging from $1,800 to $2,159, the cruise will take participants on a round trip from Tampa to Cozumel and Costa Maya. Some fans were skeptical about the cruise’s veracity, but as Kotaku reporter Lewis Parker pointed out, Northernlion’s close friend Dan Gheesling also appeared during the announcement stream. The Big Brother winner confirmed that his mother—who’s “owned a travel agency for 50 years”—is one of the cruise’s organizers. Gheesling will apparently have a guest spot on the ship, alongside streamers Squeex and Lovelymomo. Together with Northernlion (who has 993K Twitch followers and 1.4 million YouTube subs), they’ll interact with fans at a meet-and-greet cocktail party, Q&A sessions, and a “play with the pros” gaming moment for two fans. The context: Northernlion is far from the first creator to arrange an extended outing with fans. TrovaTrip, which arranges group journeys, raised $15 million in 2022 to court creators during the post-COVID travel boom. It’s since organized over 1,800 trips. Creators who work with the company can curate entire (and often international) jaunts with small groups of attendees. According to TovaTrip, those journeys usually run ~$2,000-4,000 for attendees, while hosts make around $6,000 on average (on top of getting comped for their own travel costs and a plus one’s). Northernlion isn’t the first creator to host a fan meetup cruise, either. In 2023, Dude Perfect ran a three-day “Cruise Perfect” from Miami to Nassau on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Pearl. And Snake Discovery, a Minnesota reptile zoo with a sizable YouTube presence, began running fan cruises in 2025. Here’s hoping Northerlion’s excursion involves fewer snakes. WATCH THIS 👀 Izzy Roland and Siobhan Thompson (pictured) are the writers of ‘The Greatest Treasure In The World’ Dropout stars Siobhan Thompson and Izzy Roland are making a new film The comedy film: If you loved D(e)ad (aka the “self-funded feature-length dark comedy” written by Dropout vet Izzy Roland), we have good news for you. Roland is onto her next indie film—and this time, she’s joining forces with co-writer and fellow Dropout star Siobhan Thompson. Beyond Roland and Thompson, Dropout fans can expect to see a whole host of familiar faces in The Greatest Treasure In The World. So far, the film’s cast includes Payam Banifaz, Julie Brister, Raphael Chestang, Angela Giarratana, Katie Marovitch, Vic Michaelis, Dhruv Uday Singh, Alex Song-Xia, Paul F. Tompkins, and Corin Wells. Check out a sizzle trailer for The Greatest Treasure In The World here or skip straight to its crowdfunding page to find out what, exactly, an “improvised comedy” film is all about. 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

YouTube is...toning down ads?

Europe's buzziest music contest is hitting the web.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

April 15, 2026   |   Read online TOGETHER WITH It’s Wednesday and Meta is reportedly building an AI Mark Zuckerberg bot to interact with the company’s employees. Because that’s not dystopian at all. Today’s News 🎤 YouTube covers Eurovision ⚽ Overlap makes an acquisition 🎬 Jacksepticeye adapts Bloodborne 🛑 YouTube limits livestream ads 👨‍🎤 Justin Bieber hits Coachella SOUND OF MUSIC Eurovision is coming back to YouTube. YouTube is joining Peacock with official live coverage of Eurovision in the U.S. The coverage: The U.S. doesn’t participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, but it now boasts two official distributors for the annual continental festivities. The European Broadcasting Union Commercial, which organizes Eurovision, has tapped YouTube to offer a free stream of all three nights of competition, beginning May 12. Peacock (which has offered subscriber-only streams of both the semifinals and finals since 2021) will continue to serve as a paywalled alternative. According to EBU Commercial Director Jurian Van Der Meer, YouTube already streamed Eurovision last year, but the deal was not widely publicized. This time around, the platform’s stream will be available worldwide—with some exceptions. A few regions, including the U.K. and Australia, will not have access to YouTube’s live coverage due to the demands of local broadcasters. The context: Eurovision is a smart addition to YouTube’s expanding broadcast lineup. Clips of the competition tend to go viral after the contest’s conclusion, and Eurovision’s YouTube numbers have continued to rise in recent years. In 2025, for instance, the competition’s biggest hits helped its official channel add 360,000 new subscribers in the week following the finals. Deals like this one are also crucial to YouTube’s efforts to increase its already commanding viewership share on TV screens. One of the platform’s go-to tactics for attracting viewers has been to offer live coverage of events that are typically limited to paying customers. That’s what it did with the NFL and what it will likely do with the Oscars. When it comes to Eurovision, however, that strategy won’t come without complications. Several longtime participants, including Spain, Ireland, and the Netherlands, have chosen to boycott the event due to Israel’s continued inclusion in the Eurovision lineup. 🌟 SPONSORED 🌟 Audacy drove 1B+ views after going multiplatform. Its secret: OpusClip. In today's “For You” algorithm era, volume is king. For brands, broadcasters, and creators, consistent high-quality output is fundamental to achieving scalable audience growth. That’s why Audacy chose to expand its reach with OpusClip. Audacy—which numbers among the largest audio content creators in the U.S.—knew there was a massive audience waiting for it beyond traditional radio channels.  The key to reaching those fans: OpusClip’s AI video clipping tools and built-in multi-platform distribution.  Read Audacy’s full case study here. As the world's #1 AI video clipping platform, OpusClip has helped millions of creators and brands create and distribute viral content in record time. Audacy was no exception.  While other broadcasters over-indexed on one or two platforms, OpusClip allowed Audacy to expand its content output and generate 1B+ views by posting at scale across all major platforms. Learn more about OpusClip → HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰 The soccer world is betting big on YouTube. The Overlap—aka the media company led by former Manchester United footballer/current pundit Gary Neville—has acquired the YouTube channels run by Mark Goldbridge. (Tubefilter) In a recent letter to Elon Musk, Senator Elizabeth Warren expressed concerns that X Money could endanger “consumers, our national security, and the stability of the financial system.” (The Verge) In communications with staff, OpenAI Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser reportedly noted that the company’s relationship with Microsoft has “limited our ability to meet enterprises where they are.” (TechRadar) Anthropic has voiced opposition to a proposed Illinois law that would protect AI labs from being held liable for mass casualties or high-cost property damage committed by users of their products. (Wired) THE BIZ Jacksepticeye is the latest creator to bring a video game adaptation to life. Jacksepticeye is making a Bloodborne movie The adaptation: Bloodborne is frequently cited as one of the best video games of all time. Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and done up in FromSoftware’s signature Gothic style, the 2015 RPG is the favorite title of many a gamer—including gaming streamer Jacksepticeye. But Jacksepticeye isn’t just a Bloodborne superfan. As the creator (aka Seán McLoughlin) announced yesterday, he’s also producing a film adaptation of the game: “I can’t believe I get to say the words that are gonna come out of my mouth. I get to produce an R-rated Bloodborne animated feature film.”   - Jacksepticeye (aka Seán McLoughlin) The details: The streamer’s emotional announcement was preceded by an April 13 CinemaCon reveal from Sony Pictures, which is financing and distributing the film. McLoughlin will produce alongside PlayStation Productions and Lyrical Animation. While he’s not the film’s writer or director, McLoughlin promised he’ll do everything in his power to ensure Bloodborne fans don’t suffer the same fate as Silent Hill enthusiasts. Sony already seems to be on board with that mission; at CinemaCon, Sony Pictures President Sanford Panitch said the adaptation will be “very true” to Bloodborne‘s origins—which is why it’s already rated R. As Markiplier‘s adaptation of Iron Lung proved, there’s a lot to be gained when creators who are also truly passionate fans helm game-to-screen adaptations. McLoughlin, who has spent years hyping FromSoft games on YouTube, certainly fits that bill. He knows what fans want to see on the big screen, because he knows what he wants to see. Soon, we’ll get to watch that vision come to life in all its animated glory. AD WORLD We’re as surprised as you are. YouTube is actually giving viewers fewer ads on livestreams The updates: We wouldn’t have predicted a scenario in which YouTube toned down ads…but here we are. According to a company blog post, the platform is rolling out updates for livestreams that will result in fewer ads for viewers. That might come as a shock, considering YouTube has spent the past couple of years pushing more, longer ads—especially on TV screens. But the platform seems willing to sacrifice a battalion of the Adageddon if it means getting more creators and viewers to engage with livestreams. The details: The platform hasn’t historically devoted much focus to streaming, which has resulted in competitors like Twitch pulling ahead of its livestream capabilities and traffic. These new features, however, could help sharpen YouTube’s edge. Both updates are fresh entrants to the livestreaming space and revolve around pausing ads in two key scenarios: When a viewer sends in a Super Chat, Super Sticker, or virtual gift, YouTube will pause ads specifically for that viewer. That way, if the creator says thank you, the viewer won’t miss it because of an ad break. YouTube’s system will also recognize “when Live Chat engagement is at its peak and automatically holds back ads for everyone.” The platform says the goal here is to help creators “keep the momentum going for the whole community.” The risk: Those two updates are great for viewers—but we wonder whether creators’ earnings might dip because fewer ads are being shown. That shouldn’t be a problem with update #1, since viewers can only unlock the perk by directly paying a streamer, but update #2 is a different story. Is it possible that temporary ad pauses could be frequent and/or long enough to result in revenue cuts? We’ll keep an eye out for any indication of creator discontent as these features go live. WATCH THIS 👀 Coachella gave viewers a glimpse of the old Biebs. At Coachella, Justin Bieber revisited his YouTube roots The throwback: Justin Bieber’s Coachella performance has ignited an unexpected controversy. During the middle of his set, the popstar pulled up YouTube on his computer and began playing videos from the early days of his channel, back when he was still known as kidrauhl. As his younger self strummed away on the screen, the Biebs sang along to his old Usher and Chris Brown covers. That stunt—which also included some random YouTube throwbacks like the “double rainbow” guy—drew polarized reactions online. Critics felt that the YouTube detour failed to fulfill fan expectations or warrant the star’s rumored $10 million performance fee. Others, however, understood that Bieber was turning the spotlight back on the fans who fueled his early career by consuming his early videos en masse. For a YouTuber’s perspective on the performance, check out Anthony Fantano's take 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