The Vertical Integration of Creator IP

Good Morning,

Steven Bartlett's media company, Steven.com (creator of The Diary of a CEO), secured an eight-figure investment led by Slow Ventures and Apeiron Investment Group, valuing the firm at an estimated $425M. Creators in Roblox’s Developer Exchange have earned over $1 billion in the last nine months. Zohran Mamdani’s win once again underscores the importance of playing the algorithm game for an election campaign.

Quartermast Creator Economy Index

Layoff Watch

• YouTube announced a reorganization prioritizing AI, featuring a voluntary exit program for select U.S. staff.

• Paramount announced a first round of layoffs affecting 1,000 employees, with many citing the need to reallocate resources.

The Weekly Roundup:

1. TikTok Creators Can Now Earn Up to 90% of Revenue from Subscriptions, a major shift announced at the platform's Creator Summit to boost creator-owned revenue (Mashable).

2. Threads Rolls Out Reply Approvals and Enhanced Activity Filters to give users unprecedented control over conversations and prevent spam, continuing its aggressive feature rollout (TECHi).

3. What's Next for Hollywood? Ari Emanuel on AI, Creator Power, and the Streaming Wars (All-In).

4. Audiochuck, Ashley Flowers' true crime podcast company, has secured an exclusive, multiyear deal with Tubi valued at $150M, effectively ending its partnership with the SiriusXM channel. (The Hollywood Reporter)

5. Canva releases Video 2.0 as a tool designed to go toe-to-toe with current video editing tools (Canva).

6. Feastables is teaming up with Liquid Death to release a new sparkling water product (Sporked)

7. Brands are Delaying Holiday Deals Later Than Ever This Year, with many Q4 brand deals being struck less than 30 days out from a campaign's live date, a tighter window than the traditional 30-60 days (Digiday).

8. B2B Influencer Marketing Sees 63% of Tech Buyers Trusting Social Video from industry experts, driving SaaS brands to shift budgets from ads to credible thought leaders (Cherry Lane).

9. Karat, the creator banking platform, is offering creators a 10% cash bonus (up to $100,000) on their platform earnings when they link those payouts directly to a Karat account. (Karat)

10. Creator Economy Job Growth Up 5% in LA from 2022 to 2024, contrasting with a 27% decrease in the motion picture and sound recording industries, highlighting the sector's resilience (TheWrap).

11. LinkedIn Remains a B2B Powerhouse, Delivering 2x Higher Conversion Rates than other social platforms for B2B marketers leveraging micro-influencers and niche thought leaders (Cherry Lane).

12. Podcasts and Newsletters Gain Traction in B2B Marketing, with the intentional nature of in-inbox content leading to higher message retention among senior decision-makers (Cherry Lane).

13. Emma Chamberlain, known for her successful Chamberlain Coffee venture, is hosting an eBay auction featuring items from her personal wardrobe. (Fashion Network)

14. Instagram Algorithm Continues to Prioritize Video Content in 2025, with short-form video being the most engaging content type for two-thirds of consumers (Sprout Social).

15. "No-Edit Edits" are Trending, with even brands leaning into the imperfect, analogue look as an "authenticity currency" (Favoured).

Upcoming Events

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

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

De-Influence

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