Exclusive or everywhere?
That’s one of the biggest tensions for top creators as their content migrates to TV screens. It has also likely contributed to a shift in strategy for Netflix, which has gone from signing exclusive deals with creators to allowing them to keep their shows on YouTube.
Rhett & Link and Nick DiGiovanni will start publishing their shows simultaneously on YouTube and Netflix. Sean Evans’ “Hot Ones” is also reportedly in talks for a similar arrangement, per Bloomberg.
Netflix’s willingness to be flexible shows how important creators have become to its growth strategy—and the broader TV landscape. It also suggests that the pool of creators who make TV-quality content and are willing to give up YouTube is small.
People now spend 1.7 hours per day, or 26% of their daily digital video and TV time, watching creator videos, according to an estimate from Media Dynamics. That’s still less than time spent on “professional videos” like movies and TV shows on both linear and streaming TV. But the median age of a viewer of creator content is 21, compared with 61 for linear TV and 43 for streaming.
Cost is likely another big factor behind Netflix’s flexibility. The company doesn’t have endless cash to offer every creator an exclusive deal.
In this week’s episode of the Scalable podcast, we asked Kim Larson, YouTube’s global head of creators, what she makes of Netflix going after YouTubers this way.
“It’s very validating,” she told us. “What a vote of confidence in our creators and the fandom that they’ve built.” Still, she admitted that YouTube is “wary of creators splitting their audience.”
It’s important to note that Netflix’s exclusive deals this year were mostly with podcasters rather than bread-and-butter YouTube creators. As we’ve previously reported, podcast hosts may be more open to exclusivity than other YouTubers because audiences don’t yet have the same loyalty to YouTube for podcasts as they do for other content.
Still, podcaster Mel Robbins, who has more than 6 million YouTube subscribers, recently told Axios she would not consider an exclusive deal because she wants her content to be accessible to everyone.
Robbins is seemingly not alone. Over the past few months, more podcasters have launched their own channels on free ad-supported streaming services, called FAST channels, betting that’s where they can find new audiences and revenue.
In July, MeatEater added a second FAST channel for its podcast on Amazon Prime Video. Scott Galloway launched one on Roku and other platforms in May, saying “the most undervalued real estate in media right now is free.” Other free streaming platforms, such as Tubi, have also been adding episodes of creator content to their services.
These podcasters are joining an established group of creators with dedicated FAST channels, including Dhar Mann, Michelle Khare, MrBeast and Alan Chikin Chow.
As you can see in the timeline below, many creators launched their channels in mid to late 2025, when Samsung TV Plus made a big push for creator content. Notably, many of those deals were exclusive, meaning that creators can’t work with other FAST providers. Even so, they can still strike deals with other types of entertainment platforms: Mark Rober, for example, was among the first YouTubers to score a Netflix deal in August 2025.
The draw of FAST channels for these creators and podcasters is that they aren’t tethered to a single platform and viewers can access a broad library of content, rather than a specific show, 24/7 for free.
The money isn’t bad either: While ad-revenue sharing rates vary depending on the platform, they can be competitive with YouTube’s 55% cut to creators on long-form content. Plus, FAST channels are growing quickly: Global FAST channel ad revenue could hit $17 billion by 2029, per Digital TV Research.
But a major issue with FAST services is that they tend to bucket all creator content in a separate tab or destination. On Roku, “Creators” are buried under “More” in the categories section, meaning that viewers who aren’t specifically going there to watch creator content may never find it while browsing. FAST channels also lack the prestige of Netflix and other premium streamers.
Even so, we expect plenty more creators to launch FAST channels, especially since doing so won’t cost them a shot at a Netflix deal.
As for YouTube, it’s found another creative way to compete with Netflix without funding content. Last month, YouTube and NBCUniversal announced a new subscription bundle for YouTube Premium that includes Peacock.
Tune into today’s podcast for why we think this move is more about sports than creators. Hint: February was the only month so far this year when YouTube wasn’t in the lead in TV watchtime, per Nielsen. The top spot that month went to NBCUniversal and Versant, which aired the Winter Olympics. NBCUniversal has exclusive broadcast rights to the Olympic Games in the US through 2036.
Plus, hear more from Kim Larson about the common threads top YouTubers share and how to actually build a sustainable career on the platform.
By the Numbers: $500 Million
That’s the valuation of Alex Cooper’s media company Unwell after an investment from Hollywood super agent Patrick Whitesell’s investment firm WTSL.
The “Call Her Daddy” host bootstrapped the company with her husband Matt Kaplan in 2023. Since then, Unwell has expanded beyond podcasting into other businesses including traditional entertainment, physical products and marketing.
One of those businesses is Unwell Beverage Co., which Bloomberg reported will be shutting down later this year, citing people familiar with the matter. The news broke just after the valuation was made public. We’re curious whether WTSL took that into account.
As Bloomberg noted, the shutdown of Unwell beverages, which was built in partnership with Nestle, is a prime example of the challenges big creators face in diversifying their businesses. But the beverages industry is also crowded and Cooper isn’t the first to struggle there: Sales of Logan Paul and KSI’s much-hyped Prime hydration drink have plummeted since launching in 2022.
Unwell has also recently faced executive turnover and complaints from former employees over workplace conduct. Unwell Beverages Co. could be a casualty of that turmoil.
Even so, Unwell is among only a few creator-founded companies to nab such a valuation. The company says it’s been profitable from day one, and the new funding will help it grow and make acquisitions.
Cooper and Whitesell appeared on CNBC this week to discuss the investment. Whitesell said few creators have scaled their businesses like Cooper and likened her to Dr. Dre.
Cooper also dodged a question from anchor Andrew Ross Sorkin about allegations in Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy’s new book, involving a sexual harassment threat if she couldn’t get out of her contract.
“I’ve been pregnant, Andrew,” Cooper quipped back. “I am in my mother era. I’m no drama right now.” Tell that to Alix Earle, who has promised to talk about her beef with Cooper in her upcoming Netflix reality TV show.
The Round Up
Phia’s co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni knew their AI shopping startup was “cookie stuffing,” or taking credit for sales it didn’t actually generate, according to Bloomberg. The report also says that Phia’s average daily revenue dropped from about $80,000 to between $10,000 and $28,000 when the company turned the cookie stuffing feature off in July.
Gates and Kianni haven’t publicly commented on the situation and are continuing to release episodes and clips from their podcast “The Burn Outs.” A spokesperson for the company had initially told the outlet it was made aware of the situation when Bloomberg reached out.
Twitch is using creator content to help train parent company Amazon’s generative AI models, a move that has sparked backlash from users and creators. On Wednesday, Twitch said it added a setting that lets people opt out. (This reminds us of when Meta launched an AI tool that allowed users to generate images from people’s faces in public Instagram posts. In that case, the backlash was so bad that Meta quickly pulled the feature.)
Facebook rolled out a standalone Creator Studio app, which includes an AI assistant offering creators personalized content recommendations and tips for growing their audience.
Acast, a podcast monetization platform, acquired Backyard Ventures, a podcasting network with a roster of more than 200 creators. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
ICYMI: Whatnot, a live shopping startup, announced it raised $545 million in Series G funding led by Iconiq, Lightspeed and Avra at a $20 billion valuation. Last year, it was valued at $11.5 billion.
Soundbite
The more the athletes get to talking on these mics, the less jobs I’m going to have...I’m a fan first. We want to hear it from the athlete’s mouth. We want to hear their story from their perspective.
Nicole, who has 1 million Instagram followers, was previously a journalist and in-game host for the Lakers before becoming a full-time creator. She also hosts a podcast called “The Pre-Game,” which covers topics like pop culture, beauty and sports.
Despite the rise of athlete-hosted podcasts, her strategy remains the same: personality-driven content. “That’s what makes my podcast unique. It’s an extension of my girl group chat,” she said.
For our full interview with Nicole, check out Thursday’s podcast.
Spotify Spotlight
• More tech platforms are teaming up to battle YouTube! Spotify is now streaming some of its video podcasts on Twitch, The Ankler’s Like & Subscribe newsletter reported. Earlier this summer, Spotify and Netflix also signed an exclusive deal with Jay Shetty’s podcast “On Purpose,” which is no longer available on YouTube.
Twitch, meanwhile, isn’t known as a podcast destination, but it’s been expanding beyond gaming into other content genres. At our Scalable Summit earlier this year, we spoke to Twitch CEO Dan Clancy about Netflix’s podcasting push and what Twitch learned from its own exclusive-deal era.
• Spotify announced a label for AI-generated artists following user backlash. The company will also exclude them from algorithmic or editorial recommendations on the app.
Creator Moves
Alix Earle invested in supplement company Cymbiotika. She’ll also promote the brand and potentially co-create a future product. It’s a similar setup to her deal with Poppi, a healthy soda brand that sold to Pepsi for $2 billion last year.
Tan France’s YouTube show with Architectural Digest about designing his dream home in Utah is now available on Netflix. “Yes, I know. I’m selling my home. That was never the plan…However, [that] doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the show,” France said in an Instagram video.
Since Netflix’s “Queer Eye” wrapped earlier this year, France has stayed busy. He launched a YouTube show called “Honorable Gays!” that dissects messy Reddit dilemmas and returned for season two of “Deli Boys” on Hulu. We recently spoke to him about his YouTube strategy and how entertainment and fame are rapidly changing.
Talent Tracker
Adam Boorstin joined MrBeast as general manager of WatchTime Studios, the production arm of the YouTuber’s company. Boorstin was previously co-CEO of Studio71, which was acquired by creator management firm Fixated in April. Boorstin replaces Corie Henson, who stepped down after just under a year.
Chris Cavell joined AI video startup HeyGen as head of talent and cultural partnerships. Previously, he was a producer for “The Jennifer Hudson Show” and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and a talent executive at meditation app Calm.
