Hey Creatorverse readers,
Most major players in Hollywood are starting to lean into the creator game, but few have been more aggressive than Netflix. That was certainly the motivation behind the streaming giant’s big announcement this week: a video podcast partnership with Spotify that will include some of The Ringer’s top shows.
Starting in early 2026, a curated selection of Spotify’s top video podcasts will be coming to Netflix, including episodes from “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” “The Rewatchables” and “Conspiracy Theories.”
Netflix investing in creators is nothing new. The streamer is home to series from top children’s creators like Ms. Rachel (17 million YouTube subscribers) and Blippi (26 million YouTube subscribers) as well as a competition show from the U.K.-based content collective known as the Sidemen (22 million YouTube subscribers). A competition show from Mark Rober (71 million YouTube subscribers) is also coming to the streamer next year.
What is new is Netflix specifically going after the podcasting space.
Podcasting is currently in the midst of a massive boom, especially when it comes to Netflix’s biggest viewership competitor, YouTube:
As for Netflix’s viewership battle with YouTube, this fight is becoming a little one-sided. In August of this year, Netflix accounted for 8.7% of total TV watch time compared to YouTube’s staggering 13.1%.
Netflix’s new Spotify partnership could serve as a way for the streamer to rack up views and become more competitive while maintaining its premium branding. That premium branding may become increasingly valuable as more AI slop invades the podcasting space. This deal also lets Netflix experiment with podcasting and build out its talk show roster with a relatively low overhead. As expensive as this deal may have been, it likely wasn’t as expensive as developing a full original lineup of talk shows like Netflix did 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’s going on with The Ringer. On Wednesday, the Bill Simmons-founded company launched its first FAST channel exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, meaning Ringer shows will soon be available on Spotify, YouTube, Netflix and Samsung TV Plus. Say what you will about the podcasting boom, but it doesn’t seem like it’s contracting anytime soon.
Now onto the rest.
Kayla Cobb
Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com
What’s New
SAG-AFTRA announces a new contract for microdramas
The actor’s guild is moving into vertical video. A new contract from SAG-AFTRA will cover microdramas that have budgets under $300,000, which will include a significant portion of these productions. The agreement will be available later this month. If you need a refresher, microdramas are all the rage right now. They’re short, episodic scripted dramas specifically designed to be watched on your phone that were popularized in China but are moving quickly into the U.S.
Big names support Creators 4 Mental Health
Last Friday, several creators appeared on a scrolling billboard in New York’s Times Square 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 part of the campaign.
Founded by What’s Trending head Shira Lazar, Creators 4 Mental Health prioritizes the mental wellbeing of creators through education, research and community-building 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 those problems.
Night acquires Experiential Supply Co.
Night, the Reed Duchscher-run talent management agency with clients like Kai Cenat (19 million Twitch subscribers) and Hasan Piker (3 million Twitch subscribers), acquired Experiential Supply Co. this week. The marketing firm specializes in creating experiential and immersive experiences, like recruiting 25 veiled nuns to walk 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 its own creator marketing agency.
Platform Updates
YouTube is giving banned channels a second chance
Terminated creators on YouTube now have the opportunity to request a new channel. Back in 2020, YouTube banned several channels that spread election or COVID-19 misinformation. Now with this walkback, some of those creators may be able to return to the platform. However, not everyone is getting grace. Creators who were terminated for copyright infringement or for violating YouTube’s Creator Responsibility policies (i.e. those who posted nudity, sexual content, hate speech or violent content) will not have the option to return.
That’s not the only YouTube change this week. The platform also updated its video player to appear cleaner and more immersive, introduced comment threading (meaning you can now comment directly on another poster’s comment) and added custom likes. Prepare to see a little musical note when you like a music video.
X will share which country its users are based
As part of an effort to verify the authenticity of its users, X is rolling out a feature that will publicly share the country a user is posting from. It’s been well documented that X has a bot problem. Clearly, the powers that be are hoping that this new transparency will help.
Instagram is putting a PG-13 limit on what teenagers can see
As part of a new policy that is expected to roll out by the end of the year, Instagram will be using the same standards the film industry uses to label PG-13 content for its teenage users. That means some swearing, mild violence and partial nudity.
This is all part of a larger trend of social media companies cracking down when it comes to their younger users. In a lawsuit filed earlier this month, New York City accused several platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Google, Snapchat and TikTok of fueling the mental health crisis among children by encouraging addiction to social media.
Movers and Shakers
Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat and Luma AI will host a “Live AI Film Battle”
Comedians and creators will compete against each other this weekend in a first-of-its-kind event at LA Tech Week. The “Live AI Film Battle” will come from Kevin Hart’s production company Hartbeat and the AI outfit Luma AI. Hartbeat and Hart himself have been a big ally for creators, extending the bridge from traditional to new media.
Forbes is partnering with Walmart for its second annual Creator Upfronts
For the second year in a row, Forbes is hosting its Creator Upfronts in Los Angeles, and this time around the working summit will have Walmart as a partner. Dhar Mann, Tessa Brooks (22 million Instagram followers) and Hannah Stocking (27 million Instagram followers) are expected to speak alongside heads from TikTok, Snap and the creator talent management company Sixteenth. This continues Walmart’s bet on the creator economy after the company launched its affiliate program in 2022.
Alex Cooper opens Unwell ad agency
“Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper expanded her media empire with the Unwell Creative Agency. The division, which will create content and develop marketing campaigns, is positioning itself as a way for brands to reach Gen Z women.
Who to Watch
Devon Palmer
It’s been a hard few weeks, hasn’t it? Treat yourself to Devon Palmer’s TikTok feed. Palmer (2.4 million TikTok followers) writes and stars in sketches that typically start as normal conversations before devolving into chaos. His comedy is reminiscent of Tim Robinson’s if you replace screaming with a doe-eyed man who often looks like he’s on the verge of tears. There are precious few creators who can get a like from me before I even watch their video, but Palmer is one of them.
Bonus Content
- Meet Spotify’s RADAR Creators Global Class of 2025, the Next Wave of Podcast Talent (via Spotify)
- How TikTok keeps its users scrolling for hours a day (via The Washington Post)
- The ‘Womanosphere’ Is Reshaping the Conservative Dating Landscape (via Wired)
Want more? Explore WrapPRO now.
This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.
