YouTube outspending Hollywood & Troveo helps creators cash in

It’s Wednesday,

60% of creators are making LinkedIn their main move in 2025, with new research showing it's now the go-to for B2B engagement, conversions, and a fresh audience that’s more open to creator-driven content.

Quick updates…

🏢 Dude Perfect is leveling up its creator footprint with a new Texas-based studio, designed as a creative hub for influencers and digital talent.

🫣 MrBeast’s pitch decks are quite ugly. Court documents from the MrBeast Burger lawsuit revealed pitch decks prepared by his team for potential brand partners, and Business Insider went through them.

💬 Instagram is adding more filters for the inbox so creators can sort through endless DM requests. The update includes a way to filter by account type (verified accounts, businesses, etc.) and to sort by recency or the number of followers the sender has.

🛒 X (Twitter) launched an official merch store, debuting branded apparel and accessories—a fresh revenue stream and branding play.

🎁 Snapchat rolled out physical gift cards in retail stores, making it easy for users to gift Snapchat+ subscriptions and encourage adoption of its premium offerings.

💼 Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness empire, completed another round of layoffs, as the company pivots to emphasize beauty, fashion, and food products.

🖼️ Apple is set to acquire Pixelmator, the popular image-editing app, marking an expansion of its creative software suite to better serve digital creatives.

📈 Polymarket, a predictions platform, reportedly paid US influencers to promote election betting—a move that brushes up against U.S. regulations banning such wagers.

YouTube’s content spending surpasses Hollywood studios

YouTube is outspending Hollywood, and it’s shaking up the industry…

Why it matters: New research from Ampere Analysis shows YouTube’s content payouts to creators now rank it among the top three global content spenders, alongside Disney and Comcast. While Hollywood studios bet big on costly productions, YouTube’s user-generated content model has quietly become one of the most profitable and influential in the market.

Key numbers:

• YouTube’s content spending is projected to hit nearly $16 billion, with payouts tied to creator success.

• Disney’s content investment, including sports rights, still leads at $35.8 billion, followed by Comcast.

What’s different: Unlike studios that front substantial budgets on high-stakes productions, YouTube only pays creators after they achieve engagement milestones. This model reduces risk and draws massive audiences at a fraction of traditional production costs.

The impact: As viewers shift from TV and film to creator-driven content, studios face mounting pressure to rethink their spending and content strategies in a streaming and social video-dominated world.

Reddit, Zynga founders back new platform for creators to license content to AI firms

Well, creators are getting a new way to make money from AI…

Why it matters: With lawmakers lagging in regulating AI, Troveo aims to bridge the gap by letting creators and content owners license their work to AI companies while retaining ownership. Founded by Marty Pesis, who recently sold his startup Vouch to MrBeast, Troveo launches with $4.5 million in seed funding from investors like Reddit’s Alexis Ohanian and Zynga's Mark Pincus.

The pitch: Troveo enables creators—like filmmakers and digital rights managers—to license content for AI training, ensuring they're compensated as AI companies use their data. The platform lets users upload content, maintain ownership, and secure recurring revenue from AI firms.

Early traction: Troveo says it has deals in place to distribute over $5 million to content owners by year’s end, with major AI companies on board.

Bottom line: For creators wary of AI using their work without compensation, Troveo could offer a profitable partnership, turning AI from an adversary into an ally.

YouTube pushes for more government support for UK creators

YouTube’s advocating for a boost in government support for UK-based creators…

Why it matters: With over 15,000 creators now employing staff, YouTube channels are evolving into mini-media hubs that contribute significantly to the UK economy. However, creators face challenges in accessing essential resources like studio space, financing, and streamlined film permits.

Key asks from creators:

• Industry education: Training programs to build local talent and support

• Studio space: More accessible workspaces, especially outside London

• Film permits: Simplified processes for public filming

• Access to finance: Easier access to loans and other funding

• Recognition: A call for parity with traditional media and access to industry events

The bottom line: As the creator economy grows and tools like generative AI become more accessible, YouTube’s push could help pave the way for broader creative opportunities—if the government steps up.

UK creators can take the survey here.

Creator notes 📝

Read: Who spends the most time on social media (Social Media Today)

Watch: 7 binge-worthy YouTube series that are worth spending hours watching (CNN)

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