Hello Creatorverse readers,
Most of Hollywood’s major players are starting to move into the designer game, but few have been more aggressive than Netflix. That’s certainly the motivation behind the streaming giant’s big announcement this week: a video podcast partnership with Spotify which will include some of The best Ringer shows.
From early 2026a selection of Spotify’s best video podcasts will be available on Netflix, including episodes of “The Bill Simmons Podcast”, “The Rewatchables” And “Conspiracy theories”.
Netflix investing in creators is nothing new. The streamer hosts series from top kids creators like Ms. Rachel (17 million YouTube subscribers) And Blippi (26 million YouTube subscribers) as well as a competition from the UK-based content collective known as Sidemen (22 million YouTube subscribers). A competition show of Mark Robert (71 million YouTube subscribers) is also cI will return to the streamer next year.
What is new is Netflix is specifically going after the podcasting space.
Podcasting is currently in the midst of a massive boom, especially when it comes to Netflix’s biggest audience competitor, YouTube:
As for Netflix’s audience battle with YouTubethis fight becomes a little one-sided. In August this year, Netflix accounted for 8.7% of total TV viewing time compared to YouTube reaches a staggering 13.1%.
Netflix’s new Spotify partnership could serve as a way to the streamer to accumulate views and become more competitive while maintaining its premium brand image. This premium brand image could become increasingly valuable as AI is taking over the podcasting space. This agreement also allows Netflix to experiment with podcasting and build its roster of talk shows with relatively low overhead. As costly as this agreement may have been, it probably wasn’t as expensive as developing a full original talk show lineup as Netflix has done in the past with “Chelsea”, “Patriot Act with Hasan Manhaj” or even “John Mulaney Presents Everybody’s Live”.
But what’s even more interesting about this deal is what happens The ringtone. On Wednesday, the company founded by Bill Simmons launched its first FAST channel exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, which means Ringer shows will soon be available on Spotify, YouTube, Netflix and Samsung TV Plus. Say what you want about the podcasting boom, but it doesn’t look like it’s contracting anytime soon.
Now let’s move on to the rest.
Kayla Cobb
Senior reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com
What’s new
SAG-AFTRA Announces New Microdrama Deal
The Actors Guild is turning to vertical video. A new SAG-AFTRA contract will cover microdramas who have budgets less than $300,000, which will include a significant part of these productions. The agreement will be available later this month. If you need a refresher, microdramas are all the rage right now. They are short, episodic scripted dramas designed specifically to watch on your phone which were popularized in China but are quickly spreading to the United States
Big names support Creators 4 Mental Health
Last Friday, several creators appeared on a scrolling billboard in Times Square in New York as part of an initiative promoting Creators 4 Mental Health. Jordan Howlett (15 million TikTok followers), Haley Kalil (15 million TikTok followers) And Dhar Mann (26 million YouTube subscribers) were among those who were part of the campaign.
Founded by Shira Lazar, Trend Manager, Creators 4 Mental Health prioritizes the mental well-being of creators through education, research and community development programs. I write a lot about the positives of the creator economy, but it can be an incredibly isolating and demanding way to make a living with many creators suffering from burnout. Creators 4 Mental Health tries to combat these problems.
Night acquires Experiential Supply Co.
Night, the talent management agency led by Reed Duchscher with clients like Kai Cenat (19 million Twitch subscribers) And Hasan Piker (3 million Twitch subscribers), acquired Experiential Supply Co. this week. The marketing company specializes in creating experiential and immersive experiences, like recruiting 25 veiled nuns to roam the streets during San Diego Comic-Con to promote “The Nun.” The company previously worked with major studios like Disney and Universal Pictures. As for Night, the acquisition continues the agency’s expansion. Last month, Night launched her own creative marketing agency.
Platform updates
YouTube gives banned channels a second chance
Creators removed on YouTube I now have the opportunity to request a new channel. Back in 2020, YouTube has banned several channels spreading disinformation about elections or COVID-19. Now, with this rollback, some of these creators may be able to return to the platform. However, not everyone benefits from grace. Creators licensed for copyright infringement or violation of YouTube’s creator liability policies (i.e. those who posted nudity, sexual content, hate speech, or violent content) will not be able to return.
That’s not the only change on YouTube this week. The platform also updated its video player appear cleaner and more immersive, comment thread introduction (meaning you can now comment directly on another poster’s comment) and adding custom likes. Get ready to see a little musical note when you like a music video.
X will share the country in which its users are based
As part of an effort to verify the authenticity of its users, X is rolling out a feature that will allow publicly share the country a user is posting from. It is well documented that X has a robot problem. Obviously, the powers that be hope that this new transparency will be useful.
Instagram Imposes PG-13 Limit on What Teens Can See
As part of a new policy which should deployment by the end of the year, Instagram will use the same standards that the film industry uses to label PG-13 content for its adolescent users. This means some swearing, mild violence and partial nudity.
It’s all part of a larger trend social media companies are cracking down on their young users. In a lawsuit filed earlier this month, New York City has accused several platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Google, Snapchat and TikTok from Fueling the Childhood Mental Health Crisis by encouraging social media addiction.
Movers and shakers
Hartbeat by Kevin Hart and Luma AI will host a “Live AI Film Battle”
Comedians and creators will compete this weekend in a one-of-a-kind event at Los Angeles Tech Week. THE “Live AI Movie Battle” will come from Hartbeat, Kevin Hart’s production company and the AI outfit Advancing AI. Hartbeat and Hart himself have been great allies for creators, extending the bridge between traditional and new media.
Forbes partners with Walmart for its second annual Creator Upfronts
For the second year in a row, Forbes organizes its Creator Upfronts in Los Angeles, and this time, the working summit will have Walmart as a partner. Dhar Mann, Tessa Brooks (22 million followers on Instagram) And Hannah Stocking (27 million followers on Instagram) should speak alongside heads from TikTok, Snap and the creator talent management company Sixteenth. This continues Walmart’s bet on the post-enterprise creator economy launched its affiliate program in 2022.
Alex Cooper opens Unwell advertising agency
Alex Cooper, host of “Call Him Dad” expanded its media empire with the Sick creative agency. The division, which will create content and develop marketing campaigns, is positioned as a means to brands to reach Gen Z women.
Who to watch
Devon Palmer
These last few weeks have been difficult, haven’t they? Treat yourself to Devon Palmer’s TikTok feed. Palmer (2.4 million followers on TikTok) writes and performs in sketches that usually start out as normal conversations before degenerating into chaos. Her the comedy is reminiscent of that of Tim Robinson if you replace the screaming with a doe-eyed man who often looks on the verge of tears. Not many creators can get a like from me before even watching their video, but Palmer is one of them.
Bonus content
- Meet Spotify’s World Class RADAR Creators of 2025, the Next Wave of Podcasting Talent (via Spotify)
- How TikTok lets its users scroll for hours a day (via The Washington Post)
- The “Womanosphere” is reshaping the conservative dating landscape (via Wired)
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This report provides in-depth weekly analysis of the creator economy. It highlights key trends, policy and technology developments, data points and industry leaders, all with the aim of making you smarter in this ever-changing space.
