ByteDance Hits $480B; U.S. Creator Ad Spend Jumps to $37B

Good Morning and Happy Thanksgiving,

The creator economy's financial engine is roaring, with a massive reported valuation hike for ByteDance to $480 billion following a minority-stake auction. Mirroring this growth, U.S. creator ad spend is projected to skyrocket to $37 billion in 2025 (a 26% YOY increase). Blue Ant Media will acquire Thunderbird Entertainment for approximately $89 million (CAD), a strategic deal projected to deliver $7 million in cost synergies and boost Blue Ant’s operational scale.

More focused investment continued as Slow Ventures put $1.1 million behind fitness creator Tayla Cannon's Rebuildr platform. Controversy hit X after the rollout of "About This Account" revealed unexpected location data for profiles driving U.S. political agendas- where were you when you created your X account?

Quartermast Creator Economy Index

Layoff Watch

• Dentsu’s international review ‘moving as planned,’ staff reductions to hit in December. While the exact scope for influencer marketing divisions is unclear, the overall agency sector is undergoing restructuring

The Weekly Roundup:

1. A new Pew Research Center study confirms: YouTube and Facebook maintain their dominance as the most-used social media platforms in the U.S., even as TikTok and Reddit continue their rapid ascent in popularity. (Pew Research Center)

2. Consumer Trust in AI-Generated Content Plummets: Consumer preference for AI-generated content dropped significantly to 26% in 2025 (down from 60% two years ago) due to concerns over repetitive outputs and declining trust. (Spreaker)

3. Twitch is being added to Australia's sweeping ban on social media access for children, a policy—the first of its kind in the world—that takes effect next month. (engadget)

4. Jay Neo, formerly of MrBeast's content team, forms Palo AI in Palo Alto to build a new generation of AI tools that apply proven lessons of viral content to creator workflows. (Diya TV)

5. Authenticity vs. AI is the 2025 Core Challenge: Brands must balance the efficiency of AI-driven hyper-personalization with the authenticity consumers crave, with transparency about data use being non-negotiable. (New Digital Age)

6. VaynerMedia is detailing its innovative strategy for "Applying Principles of the Creator Economy to AI," utilizing technology to deliver the hyper-personalized, culturally relevant brand content consumers now demand at scale. (Little Black Book)

7. The PR Agency Giving Creators a "Hollywood Moment": Emily Blair Media is making waves by translating celebrity-level media strategies for the creator economy's rising stars. (Net Influencer)

8. TikTok Shop Rolls Out November 'NewStar' Incentive Program: The commerce platform is offering up to $3,000 in Ads Credit to sellers who list new, high-quality products and achieve early sales traction, reinforcing its focus on product discovery. (CedCommerce)

9. Beast Games is scheduled to return to Prime Video in 2026 for its second season. The new installment from creator MrBeast will pit contestants against each other in a battle of "strong vs. smart" challenges. (Hollywood Reporter)

10. Andrometa launched YapWorld, a "Social AI" platform designed to fix two major tech failures: the divisive social media model and the lack of a clear monetization path for creators in the emerging AI companion market. (YapWorld)

11. Tether and Rumble partner to launch the Rumble Wallet—a cutting-edge non-custodial cryptocurrency wallet—integrating the crypto giant with the rapidly growing video streaming platform. (OKX)

Upcoming Events

• 1 Billion Followers Summit, Dubai: January 9 - 11, 2026

• Creator Economy Live West, Las Vegas: January 13-14, 2026

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