We’re back from the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai. The annual event, which is hosted by the United Arab Emirates’ Government Media Office, brings together creators, business leaders and celebrities from around the world. We also recorded our first live podcast on stage. Thank you to everyone who came to watch!
As the United Arab Emirates spends millions of dollars to attract international and US-based creators, it’s also cracking down on local creators: The deadline for influencers in the UAE to obtain an “Advertiser Permit” in order to earn revenue from sponsorships or accept gifts from brands is January 31.
It follows a federal media law that came into effect last year, requiring creators to have a media license as well as a commercial license, which they’ve needed since 2018. The licenses can cost up to several thousand dollars, but the fee for the “Advertiser Permit” is waived for UAE citizens and residents for the first three years.
International creators will also need a temporary “Visiting Advertiser Permit” that must be submitted through an ad or talent agency authorized to operate in the UAE.
While that might not seem like much if you’re making good money as a creator, it introduces a new barrier to entry to the creator economy. The law disproportionately affects small or emerging creators, potentially consolidating more attention and revenue to the top.
And it’s not just about the money. Permit holders must also comply with media content standards and may have to get approval from authorities before publishing an ad.
That could change how creators approach content creation in the country, particularly around sensitive topics like politics. As we discussed in last week’s podcast, one of the reasons that creators are so popular in the Middle East is because the traditional media landscape is highly regulated.
At the same time, these permits could be a way for the UAE government to start tracking how many creators there are in the country—something that is high on our wishlist for the US! It also helps to professionalize the industry, as only creators who are serious about creating content as a business are likely to pay the fee.
But what we find most interesting is the potential ripple effect this could have on other countries. While the US is one of the most advanced markets in the creator economy in terms of spending and creator strategies, it has long lagged other countries in regulation.
For example, the FTC has guidelines in place for creators to disclose paid partnerships, but those rules can be circumvented by using ambiguous language or burying disclosures like #ad in long captions or among other hashtags. The rules, which date back to 2009, are also rarely enforced.
That puts the onus on brands, platforms, industry organizations and creators themselves to regulate influencer marketing or make sure they are in compliance.
Still, it’s unlikely that the US will follow in the UAE’s footsteps anytime soon. Just look at the futile attempts to overturn or amend Section 230, a nearly 30 year-old law that exempts digital platforms from being held responsible for user-generated content.
It’s also worth pointing out that the UAE doesn’t have an income tax, while the US does. Many people we spoke to in Dubai interpreted the “Advertiser Permit” as just that: An income tax on creators.
In other news…
Sports Desk
2026 will be a big year for sports—and creator economy companies are getting ready.
Sports is one of the few content categories that still garners big traditional TV audiences. But that attention is quickly splintering as broadcasters face increasing competition from YouTube, streamers and social platforms.
The latest: TikTok is pushing further into sports with a new partnership with the FIFA World Cup 2026, which includes more original content on the short-form video app. In December, TikTok also launched GamePlan, an in-app hub for sports teams, leagues and broadcasters where users can find official accounts, buy tickets and create content. It reminds us of X’s portals for the NBA and NFL.
Fanatics, the sports merchandising giant, on Tuesday announced it will launch a sports media and entertainment studio with OBB Media. Fanatics Studios will create, produce and distribute films, documentaries, scripted and unscripted content, live events and digital series focused on sports and culture.
Meanwhile, Spotify is working on a plan to invest in more fitness content as it sees more types of creators beyond podcasters uploading videos.
“We see people doing exercise with Spotify all of a sudden,” Gustav Söderström, the new co-CEO of Spotify, told Bloomberg. While Spotify users have long created playlists for their runs, “they never watched Spotify doing yoga in front of it, so it kind of opens up this very big, interesting opportunity for us.”
These moves follow NBCUniversal once again tapping creators for The Olympics, which kick off Feb. 6.
Disney’s TikTok Clone
Disney+ is adding TikTok-like vertical videos to its streaming service. Last year, Disney-owned ESPN also introduced vertical videos to its app.
These videos aren’t intended to be teasers for long-form programming, Erin Teague, Disney Entertainment and ESPN’s executive vice president of product, told Deadline. Instead, the idea is to bring original and repurposed short-form video to the platform. That’s happening as competition with YouTube and other social platforms for the TV screen heats up.
An in-app short video feed could also be a good home for the user-generated content made through Disney+’s partnership with OpenAI. We (and others!) think Netflix could be next to launch a short video feature.
The Round Up
Meta Platforms is planning to cut 10% of staff in its metaverse Reality Labs unit, the New York Times reported. The cuts could begin as early as Tuesday.
Australia social media ban update: Meta said it shut down about 544,000 accounts on Instagram, Facebook and Threads belonging to users it believes are under 16 years old to comply with the law.
Fox Entertainment launched Fox Creator Studios, a new division of the company that will develop new formats and IP with creators. It’s starting with food and has signed deals with personalities including celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and popular YouTube baker Rosanna Pansino.
Starglow Media, a podcasting company founded by former UTA agent Jed Baker, was acquired by youth-focused ad company SuperAwesome. Starglow Media focuses on kid-friendly audio shows, such as “Mysteries About True Histories” and shows based on top kid franchises like Blue’s Clues, Paw Patrol and Dora the Explorer.
YouTube will be the main focus for publishers this year, according to Reuters Institute’s annual trends and predictions report. Publishers expect traffic from search engines to drop more than 40% over the next three years, according to the report. That’s largely because readers are less likely to click through to other websites when AI overviews are shown at the top of search results.
Today in TikTok
• We’re starting to get some answers about how TikTok will reorganize as it prepares to divest its US business to avoid a ban. Some US staff were told last week they will move to a new global entity separate from a new joint venture led by Oracle and other investors, according to Business Insider. This includes workers who focus on US products that will remain tied to TikTok's global operations after the deal closes, including some e-commerce, advertising and marketing roles.
• Kim Farrell, TikTok’s global head of creators, is also leaving the company, Scalable has learned. As part of the shakeup, the company is combining its creator and publisher teams and laying off about 20 US-based staffers and some other roles globally, Business Insider was first to report.
Soundbite: Dubai Edition
Is it time for a new social app? Taz Patel, an advisor to AI startup Perplexity, thinks so.
Patel believes this new app will be “built by creators themselves” using AI. That’s unlike other social apps like Instagram and TikTok that were built by tech founders. “Creators can be technologists with AI,” Patel, who previously co-founded influencer marketing firm Captiv8, said during a panel discussion moderated by Jasmine.
Meanwhile, George Strompolos predicted during a fireside chat with Kaya that an AI-generated film or TV series would break through to the mainstream in 2027.
Stompolos, the former YouTube executive and founder of Fullscreen, is now the CEO of Promise, a new entertainment studio which produces original films and series with generative AI filmmakers.
Creator Moves
Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang” won the first-ever best podcast award at The Golden Globes on Sunday night. Jasmine called it, saying on our podcast that Hollywood wasn’t ready to give the award to a social media-native host. Kaya had predicted Alex Cooper would win.
Dan Bongino is returning to podcasting after leaving his post as deputy director of the FBI. He will relaunch his two-hour daily show, “The Dan Bongino Show,” on Feb. 2 with Cumulus Media, a podcasting distribution company. The video livestream of the program will be available exclusively on right-wing video site Rumble, while the audio version will be available on other podcasting services.
Link Management, a new creator management firm, announced its launch and its client roster, which includes creator Danielle Walter, NFL Majorette Chloe Holladay and “Love Island USA” Season 7 contestant Jalen Brown.
Talent Tracker
Dina Powell McCormick joined Meta as president and vice chair. The former Goldman Sachs exec was deputy national security adviser to President Trump during his first term. Trump was quick to praise her hiring on social media.
Andréa Mallard, the chief marketing officer of Pinterest, left the company after more than seven years.
Reed Duchscher, the CEO of creator management firm Night, joined the board of directors of Funko, the maker of pop culture collectibles, as an independent director. Duchscher is the former manager of MrBeast.
Andrew MacMannis joined Beehiiv as vice president of ad sales and customer success focusing on brand and agency partnerships. The newsletter publisher also plans to double the size of its ad solutions team. Previously, MacMannis was senior VP of sales and customer success at LiveIntent, an email advertising marketplace used by publishers and brands.
