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It's Thursday and X is auctioning off invites to its X Money payments service with the help of an unexpected ally: Star Trek icon and philanthropist William Shatner.

Today's News

🤝 Disney acquires a YouTube success story
🎙️ NBC turns up the "Kornacki Cam"
💸 Keith Lee makes an investment
⚽ KSI buys a soccer club
👨‍🦲 20 bald men, 1 marriage proposal

MONEY MOVES

Disney wants to keep up with what the little ones are watching.

Disney got the rights to stream CoComelon. Now it's hunting for the next big thing.

The acquisition: Could a curious little mole be the next Bluey? Disney is willing to bet on it.

The Mouse House has signed an acquisition and development deal with Canadian animation studio Lightcatcher Media that covers Little Margo Stories, a two-year-old piece of IP based around the titular rodent. According to Kidscreen, Disney Jr. will pick up the ten Margo episodes that have already been released on YouTube and will also greenlight 50 additional three-minute segments.

Those forthcoming installments are currently set to air in 2027 and will include participation from CBC and Radio-Canada, which threw their combined weight behind the extended episode order.

The context: Disney+'s staggering library of kids' animation content already includes Bluey, the Australian hit that has been called the most-watched show on streaming. CoComelon will join that lineup in 2027—but the company isn't resting on its laurels in the meantime.

Disney understands that it must continue evolving if it hopes to keep up in a media landscape increasingly shaped by YouTube trends. Over the past few years, it has built up in-house channels for brands like Disney Jr., joined forces with media companies like Moonbug, and collabed with kid-friendly stars like Blippi. The addition of TikTok-style videos on Disney+ makes room for short-form content as well.

Compared to those high-profile moves, the acquisition of Little Margo Stories—a series that has attracted 340,000 YouTube subscribers and about 121 million lifetime views—may seem like small potatoes. After all, CoComelon draws bigger numbers each week.

In such a competitive environment, however, Disney can't just rely on buying into the current big thing in kids' media. It needs to predict the next success story, too. With Margo, the Mouse House seems intent on ferreting out what that sleeper hit will be.

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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

Mr. Kornacki is ready for his closeup.

NBC plans to play into correspondent Steve Kornacki's cult following by integrating "Kornacki Cam" into YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram streams that will complement his TV segments. (Tubefilter)
At this week's Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom conference, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang implied that Nvidia may no longer be considering its $100 billion investment in OpenAI. (Gizmodo)
An independent safety evaluation of OpenAI's ChatGPT Health found that the chatbot underestimated 52% of emergency cases, often encouraging at-risk users to wait instead of seeking immediate care. (Gizmodo)
Nearly a thousand Google and OpenAI employees have signed an open letter pushing for clear limits on the use of AI for military purposes. (TechRadar)

FOOD BIZ

This man is putting some cash to work behind the "Keith Lee effect".

Keith Lee just invested in Brooklyn Dumpling Shop

The investment: Keith Lee has made his first investment in a culinary brand. The TikTok food reviewer is now an official shareholder in Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, an Asian fusion chain that has 22 restaurant locations across the U.S. and Canada and sells frozen dumplings through Walmart and Costco.

Lee's investment includes a multi-year content partnership, which will kick off on March 6 when he makes an appearance at Brooklyn Dumpling Shop's Dallas location. Then, on May 16, the restaurant will be a featured vendor at Lee's inaugural food festival FamiLee Day in New Orleans. (Brooklyn Dumpling Shop also got a shoutout in a taste test video Lee posted earlier this week.)

"As we continue to expand across North America, having a globally recognized partner who not only drives organic demand, but also understands taste, quality, and what consumers want, strengthens our value proposition for our team, fans, franchisees, retailers, and investors…"

- Jeff Galletly, Brooklyn Dumpling Shop CEO and Chairman

The context: Lee is far from the first creator to become an investor. In fact, investing has become an increasingly popular career move for influencers who want to build revenue streams outside of platform income.

What we're curious about here is whether Brooklyn Dumpling Shop will see its own injection of the "Keith Lee effect" (a phenomenon in which locales well-reviewed by Lee get a bump in traffic) and how the brand's ongoing partnership with Lee will show up in his digital content.

Lee has over 20 million followers across platforms and is known for his no-nonsense approach to food reviewing, including refusing special treatment from restaurants. Now, he says, "partnering with Brooklyn Dumpling Shop is about more than just great food, it's about community, culture, and creating experiences people can enjoy and trust."

FOOTBALL FRENZY

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney aren't the only celebs who can own a soccer team.

KSI is buying an English soccer club

The investment: Keith Lee isn't the only social media star buying into an IRL brand. As a member of the Sidemen, 32-year-old Olajide "KSI" Olatunji has played at the U.K.'s largest soccer stadium. Now, he's joining the ownership group for the Greater London club Dagenham & Redbridge FC.

Dag & Red currently plays in the sixth-highest tier of the English football pyramid. Last season, it was relegated from the National League—the same tier where Welsh club Wrexham AFC was playing when it added a pair of high-profile owners.

Since actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney came into the picture, the club has climbed its way up to the second tier of the pyramid: the Championship. This season, Wrexham has a chance to reach the Premier League, which is not just the top of the English football system but also the biggest domestic league in the entire world.

In an announcement video, KSI made it clear that he has similar aspirations for Dag & Red.

The context: Of course, footballing success isn't a given—even for celebrity owners with significant resources. Dude Perfect has learned that the hard way since securing an ownership stake in Burnley FC. While the club currently competes in the Premier League, it's on the verge of being relegated back down to the Championship. Even with ample support behind them, keeping up with giants like Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City is no small ask.

KSI, however, has a history when it comes to inspiring climbs up the English pyramid (at least, onscreen). Back when he was still known as KSIolajidebt, the creator scored a hit with Race To Division One, a series that saw him take on promotion challenges in the FIFA video game series. Now, he's playing Race To Division One in real life, with very real stakes.

WATCH THIS 👀

If you ask Max Fosh for help with something, you're going to get some interesting results.

Would you say yes to this marriage proposal?

The big question: If you ask prankster Max Fosh to help you plan "the most unique proposal of all time," well…that's what you're going to get. When a subscriber reached out for that very purpose, the British YouTuber was quick to jump on the opportunity to give the lucky couple—aka Ollie and Elise—"a moment that they'd never forget."

His big idea is writing a proposal across the heads of twenty men. (Or, rather, nineteen men and Fosh sporting a bald cap.) Needless to say, a diamond ring was far from the shiniest thing in sight when Ollie got down on one knee.

Check out the full video here to find out whether Elise said yes.

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