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TOGETHER WITH |
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It's Monday and while the federal government quibbles over TikTok's future, California is turning its attention to another high-stakes stakes question: whether or not Bigfoot has what it takes to be the official state cryptid. |
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Today's News |
💡 YouTube dreams up a cheaper Premium 💸 Meta executives cash in on big bonuses 😎 Facebook turns to creators for street cred 💂 British TV blows up thanks to Netflix and YouTube 🎙️ This week on the podcast…
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SEEING THE LITE |
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YouTube's next anti-ad blocker move? Introducing a cheaper Premium tier. |
The reveal: YouTube has a new weapon in its crusade against ad-blockers. |
In an effort to stop people from using plugins to get rid of ads, the platform has escalated from sending gentle reminder to completely shutting off users' ability to watch videos until they disable ad-blockers. Now, YouTube is kicking things up another notch. |
According to Bloomberg, the platform plans to introduce "Premium Lite," a lower-cost tier that will still let people watch "most videos" ad-free. A person familiar with the matter said the tier will debut soon in the U.S., Australia, Germany, and Thailand, and will target people who primarily want to watch programs other than music videos. That's because Premium Lite won't remove ads from music videos—users will still have to subscribe to the full YouTube Premium for that perk. |
The context: Back when YouTube was still producing in-house originals, the full-fledged version of Premium was mainly a way for users to access shows like Cobra Kai. Now, its biggest draw is the total removal of ads (along with letting people play videos in the background on mobile, download videos to watch offline, test experimental features, and use YouTube Music). |
But as YouTube has increased the amount of advertising across its platform, (including 60-second unskippable ads), it's also upped the price of Premium. The tier is now a whopping $19 if you subscribe via mobile. If YouTube hopes to de-incentivize the use of ad-blockers, introducing a cheaper alternative is a smart move. |
As Bloomberg points out, that might not be YouTube's only motivation for introducing Lite. If the new tier is priced to compete with Spotify's rival subscription, people may also be more likely to subscribe for ad-free listening to podcasts on YouTube. |
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🔆 SPONSORED 🔆 |
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Exploring the World Governments Summit: Creators HQ's Exclusive Summit Space |
Earlier this month, leaders from across the globe gathered at the World Governments Summit to exchange knowledge and discuss the future. |
Creators HQ was there to make sure creators had a place at the table. |
Experts like Nicola Mendelsohn (Head of Global Business Group, Meta), finance podcaster Erika Kullberg, and Yes Theory co-founder Ammar Kandil joined world leaders, CEOs, and creators to share ideas in the summit's dedicated Creators HQ space. |
Here are a few of the Creators HQ panels you might have missed: |
Joelle Yazbeck (Sr. Partner Manager at X): "How Platforms Shape Societies, by X"
Alia Alhammadi (CEO of 1 Billion Followers Summit) and Mohammed Al Shehhi (Secretary General of the UAE Media Council): "Behind the Scenes: Shaping Policies for the Creator Economy"
Boris Johnson (Former U.K. Prime Minister): "A Conversation with Boris Johnson"
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Creators HQ provides creators with unprecedented access to cutting-edge resources, top-of-the-line facilities, and expert support—including direct connections to the world's top thought leaders. |
Visit the website to find out how you can become a Creators HQ member: |
Explore Creators HQ → |
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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰 |
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LIKE THE OG |
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Can creators make Facebook cool again? |
The consultations: Meta wants to help Facebook get its mojo back—so, it's reaching out to the hippest people on social media. According to The Information, Meta has turned to major creators like MrBeast and Mark Rober for advice on restoring Facebook's cool kid reputation (last seen in the 2010s). |
So far, it sounds like those creators are dishing up some tough love. Rober said Facebook has a "big hill to climb" if it wants to reach the level of cultural influence CEO Mark Zuckerberg covets. "Instagram is culturally relevant," said the engineer-turned-creator. "Facebook is not." (Rober's not wrong: Instagram is now the epicenter of Meta's creator community, a truth Zuckerberg noted during an earnings call in which he pushed for a return to the "OG Facebook.") |
The strategy: Meta's most recent efforts to bring creators back to Facebook have revolved around cold, hard cash. A "New Year's Bonus" promised creators up to $15,000 for photo or carousel posts on Facebook. (If that sounds familiar, it's because a similar offer was just put into place on Instagram. Amidst regulatory uncertainty, Meta has offered top TikTokers up to $50,000 to post on Instagram Reels.) |
The idea behind these direct payments is to build a bigger library of video content, which creators can monetize through Facebook's newly-united revenue streams. But Rober said Facebook has more work to do before it stops being seen as "unattractive compared to YouTube." The STEM creator suggested introducing potential features like detailed analytics and translation tools, which have fueled his own growth on YouTube. If Meta hopes to bring Facebook into the 2020s, it should consider taking that advice to heart. |
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TELLY TIME |
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British TV is blowing up online thanks to YouTube and Netflix |
The streaming service: Brits are keeping up with their favorite shows by moving from the telly to YouTube—and Netflix wants in on the hype. According to Deadline, the streaming service has started casting for its own version of Blue Therapy, a British reality show which began three years ago on the Trend Centrl YouTube channel and follows couples as they go through counseling. Netflix's take on Blue Therapy will reportedly come from Fagbenle's Osun Group. |
This is far from the first time Netflix has sought to appeal to British YouTube viewers. Netflix's dealings with the superstars known as the Sidemen gave it strong connections to creator culture—and since the group's reality show, Inside, became a hit on Netflix, other players in British television have rushed to partner with prominent YouTube channels and creators. |
The broadcaster: British TV broadcaster Channel 4, for instance, teamed up with producer Luti Fagbenle for its own adaptation of Blue Therapy, which aired on platforms like BET+. And that's only the start of Channel 4's efforts to engage YouTube audiences: the 42-year-old public broadcaster has garnered millions of views with salacious documentaries and content on its Channel 4.0 hub, which adapts formats made famous by creators like Beta Squad. Most recently, Channel 4 tapped YouTube star Dr. Tom Crawford to be the new host of one of its best-known panel shows, Countdown. |
Those inroads have been hugely productive so far—but Channel 4 still has some major competition when it comes to captivating British telly lovers. The biggest U.K. broadcast TV channel on YouTube is still the digital home of BBC News, which reaches more than 17 million subscribers. |
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LISTEN UP 🎙️ |
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This week on the podcast… |
Investor's perspective: Creator Upload's latest special guest is none other than Billy Parks, a Venture Partner at early stage investment firm Slow Ventures. |
In addition to discussing Slow Ventures' newly-announced $60 million creator fund, Park joined Creator Upload host Josh Cohen to examine the landscape of creator brands through the investor lens. Also on the discussion list: the announcement of NIKE and SKIMS' big collaboration and a peculiar case of AI true crime. |
Check out the full episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. |
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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. |
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