Today's Creator Economy Pulse
Hollywood bets on creator‑driven horror to capture Gen‑Z audiences
Studios are scrambling to copy the surprise box‑office hits of low‑budget horror titles like *Obsession*, *Backrooms* and *Iron Lung*. Executives are turning to YouTube creators such as Curry Barker, Kane Parsons and Markiplier to tap the under‑35 audience craving original scares.
Instagram Premium Program Aims To Boost Users' Story Performance
Instagram is piloting a new subscription called Instagram Plus in Mexico, Japan and the Philippines, priced up to $2.20 per month. The service adds Story‑centric tools such as unlimited audience lists, re‑watch metrics, weekly spotlight, 24‑hour extensions and anonymous story previews. It is positioned for everyday users, distinct from the higher‑priced Meta Verified plan for creators and businesses. The rollout mirrors Snapchat+ and could open a new revenue stream for Meta beyond advertising.
Inside The Chernin Group’s Bet on Creator-Led Empires
The Chernin Group (TCG) is doubling down on creator‑led media, channeling $40 million into UK podcast powerhouse Goalhanger and expanding its stake in audio‑first brands like Audiochuck. The firm’s thesis treats community audiences as the core asset, favoring multi‑revenue models that...
Yes, You Can Turn Followers Into Substack Subscribers
Substack has rolled out tools that let creators import social‑media followers directly into their email lists, effectively turning platform fans into paying subscribers. The new "Follow" widget and API integrations pull contact data from X, Instagram and LinkedIn, then prompt...
TikTok Teams with Cameo for Creator Video Requests
This could get interesting 👀 TikTok partnered with Cameo — which means creators can offer personalized videos directly within the app It's a new revenue stream for creators and a new way to interact with your favorite TikTok creators for fans https://newsroom.tiktok.com/tiktok-partners-with-cameo-to-unlock-new-monetization-opportunities-for-creators?lang=en
![Best Times to Post on Social Media in Australia [Updated March 2026]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://brandfolder.sproutsocial.com/VXTUTVL1/at/fm83pz3hsnp8gqzk9nkfm5/Best-times-to-post_2025_feat-img_overall_AUS.jpg?auto=webp&format=jpg)
Best Times to Post on Social Media in Australia [Updated March 2026]
Sprout Social’s 2026 report analyzed over 68 million Australian social engagements to pinpoint optimal posting windows. Across all platforms, weekdays—especially Thursday—deliver the highest interaction rates, with morning commutes and late‑evening hours emerging as the strongest slots. Weekend activity falls sharply, limiting...
Creators Can Now Get Paid Instantly as Billion Dollar Boy Unveils New Payments Platform
Billion Dollar Boy launched Creator Payments, a new SaaS solution built into its Companion platform. The product consolidates invoicing, tax compliance, and onboarding, handling up to 14 administrative steps per creator. In partnership with Lumanu, it adds an Early Pay...
JAR Podcast Solutions Launches JAR Replay, Giving Brands and Podcasters a New Way to Activate Podcast Audiences —Without Ads in...
JAR Podcast Solutions launched JAR Replay, a product that lets brands retarget recent podcast listeners with premium Visual Audio ads while keeping podcasts ad‑free. The service identifies listeners via privacy‑safe signals and serves full‑screen sound‑on ads in brand‑safe mobile apps...
Steve Jobs Demoed Video Podcasts in 2005 – Podcasts Have Never Been “Audio Only.”
In October 2005 Steve Jobs demonstrated video podcasts on stage, just four months after Apple introduced podcast support in iTunes. The demo showcased video feeds playing on a new iMac, the iPod Video, and available for subscription through the iTunes...
Influencer Marketing Today: CreatorIQ-Sprinklr Tie-Up, BDB's Payment Play, and Breast Cancer Now's Influencer Push
CreatorIQ and Sprinklr announced a partnership that embeds CreatorIQ’s intelligence engine—processing 123 million creator posts daily—into Sprinklr’s social‑media reporting suite, promising unified measurement of organic, paid and creator content. Billion Dollar Boy, together with Lumanu, launched a "Creator Payments" service to...
Backyard Ventures Partners With “Between the Lines” To Expand Into Podcasting, Opening New Brand Opportunities
Backyard Ventures announced a partnership with the socially‑focused series Between The Lines to launch a full‑scale podcast and simulcast platform. The video series, created by former NBA champion Danny Green and hosted by Ivana Rojas, already commands over 474,000 followers...
California Bill Targets Family Vloggers, Giving Children the Right to Erase Monetized Content at 18
California Senator Steve Padilla introduced Senate Bill 1247, mandating social‑media platforms to let adult children request removal or editing of monetized content that features them as minors. The bill gives creators three business days to acknowledge a request and ten...
Influur Is Building a Creator-Powered Campaign Layer Around the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Miami-based creator marketplace Influur announced a multi‑city, creator‑led initiative to help brands engage audiences around the 2026 FIFA World Cup across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Rather than seeking official tournament sponsorship, Influur will build an independent, creator‑powered cultural...
Instagram Tests a Feature to Let You See Your Ex's Stories without a Trace — and It's Going to Cost...
Instagram is piloting a paid subscription that lets users watch Stories anonymously, extending the feature set with audience lists beyond Close Friends and a 24‑hour story extension. The test is live in Mexico, Japan and the Philippines and costs roughly...
Caroline Kwan Exposes TikTok Smear Attacks on Women
.@carolinekwan joined the podcast this week to chat about Chappell Roan, TikTok smear campaigns, and eternal hate campaigns against women https://t.co/vYf98TYZF2
Landmark US Verdict Against Meta and YouTube Signals New Risk for Influencer Marketing
An LA jury found Meta and YouTube (Google) intentionally designed addictive platforms, awarding $6 million to a plaintiff who alleged childhood mental‑health harm. The verdict assigned 70 % of liability to Meta and 30 % to Google, citing features like infinite scroll and...
SoFire’s Hot Campaigns: Alix Earle’s Skincare Launch Proves Why Authenticity Always Wins
Alix Earle, a 14‑million‑follower influencer, has launched the skincare line Reale Actives in partnership with dermatologist Dr. Kiran Mian. A cryptic teaser campaign sparked strong pre‑launch engagement, turning curiosity into a ready‑made audience. Earle’s content has long documented her cystic acne journey and Accutane...
Your Weekly Creator Economy Update
YouTube unveiled a Gemini‑powered Creator Partnerships suite that lets brands discover and manage creators using natural‑language prompts and first‑party audience data. The platform also plans API integration to streamline affiliate links and future on‑platform messaging. Simultaneously, industry voices are championing...
From Skeptic to True Believer: How OpenClaw Changed My Life | Claire Vo
Claire Vo, former product executive and AI startup founder, now runs her business, podcast, and family life with nine OpenClaw agents deployed across Mac Minis and old laptops. After an initial mishap that deleted her family calendar, she became a...
Twitch Tests New “Gift Turbo” Button on Usercards
Twitch is running an experiment where they add a "Gift Turbo" button to a persons usercard.
Twitch Earns Innovation Nod for Athlete‑musician Streaming Strategy
Twitch has been picked by Fast Company as one of the most innovative companies of 2026. Why? "For letting athletes and musicians in on the streaming action," I'm not quite sure how a recruitment strategy is innovative... but maybe it's better than just...
Creator Economy Briefing: Alix Earle Launches Skincare Brand, Unilever Appoints Influencer Agency, Ambassador Marketing Gains Traction
Today's creator‑economy briefing highlights a shift toward long‑term ambassador partnerships, the rise of influencer‑turned‑founders, and enterprise‑level investments in structured influencer programs. Brands are replacing one‑off campaigns with ongoing creator relationships to boost credibility, while Alix Earle launched her skincare line...
Twitchcon Enforces Strict Streaming Rules, Suspensions for Violations
Twitchcon is introducing stricter rules for streaming at the convention, including: - Keeping Paths Clear - No Streaming Areas - Film Permission-Based Lanyards Violations will result in temporary streaming suspensions during Twitchcon.
Trovo to End Livestreaming, Shift Focus to Gaming
Trovo is shutting down its livestreaming service on June 30, 2026. It will instead focus on its gaming business.
Why Haley Baylee’s Netflix Debut Is a Milestone for Influencers on Streaming
Influencer Haley Baylee is set to host Netflix’s new reality series Win The Mall, marking a notable shift as streaming platforms tap social‑media talent for mainstream programming. The show, scheduled for an autumn 2026 release, leverages Baylee’s high‑energy, digital‑first persona...
Results Are In: NBC’s Olympic Creator Bet Won Gold — Inside the Playbook
NBCUniversal’s Olympic Creator Collective delivered more than 4 billion impressions during the Milan‑Cortina Winter Games, a 437 percent jump from Beijing 2022. The program, now in its second iteration after a successful Paris pilot, paired over 25 influencers with athletes, while Project Fortius...
Threads to Publicly Show 10K+ View Counts, Optional
Threads will soon publicly display profile level recent view counts for accounts with 10K+ views in the last 30 days. Creators will be able to turn it off. via @lindseygamble_
YouTube’s Creator Partnerships Platform BrandConnect Is Getting Completely Revamped
YouTube is overhauling its creator‑marketing service, rebranding BrandConnect as YouTube Creator Partnerships and embedding it across YouTube Studio, Google Ads and Display & Video 360. The revamped platform leverages Google’s Gemini AI to sift through more than three million Partner Program creators, matching...
PLATFORMS BEHAVING BADLY
This week’s creator‑economy briefing highlights escalating platform governance and legal challenges. Grammarly’s new “Expert Review” feature, which let users receive feedback attributed to high‑profile writers for $12 a month, triggered a class‑action lawsuit alleging violation of publicity rights. Roblox announced...
What I Learned on Creator Spring Break
Jim Louderback reports that SXSW has become a creator‑focused spring break, featuring his hour‑long AI‑infused creator economy talk and attendance at over ten sessions. Highlights include TikTok offering ten‑times bonuses for content aimed at older women, a study showing 25%...
When Your Editor Becomes a Day Trader
The creator economy faced its first insider‑trading scandal when a MrBeast editor was banned for two years and fined $20,000 for using confidential information on prediction platform Kalshi. That incident highlights a surge in wagering, with roughly $300,000 now bet...
YouTube’s Quiet Monopoly
Alphabet’s recent disclosure shows YouTube generated roughly $60 billion in 2025, making it the third‑largest revenue stream for the parent company and outpacing Netflix by a third in total earnings. The platform now boasts about 325 million paid subscriptions—essentially matching Netflix’s subscriber...
Arbitraging Authenticity
The NFL is turning the Super Bowl into a "Creator Bowl," pairing $10 million TV spots with over 160 influencers to reach younger fans as Gen Z’s interest in traditional sports wanes. Athletes themselves are becoming creators, building portable audiences that...
TRUST RISES, KPIs CRASH
The newsletter spotlights three major shifts: a rising "trust graph" poised to become the dominant metric for platforms, TikTok’s USDS launch plagued by a cascading outage and controversial privacy changes, and the turbulent rebranding of the local AI agent Clawdbot....