|
TOGETHER WITH |
|
|
It's Friday and YouTube Shorts is getting another infusion of AI as Veo 3 gives creators the ability to turn text prompts into eight-second videos. |
|
Today's News |
🎮 Fortnite challenges Roblox 👓 Meta invites devs to make apps 🗞️ U.K. news orgs call out YouTube 🐤 MrBeast joins Angry Birds 3 🥛 Feastables just got milk
|
|
|
|
GAME ON |
|
Fortnite is taking on Roblox with in-game item sales and a 0% revenue split |
The market: In 2024, Roblox shelled out nearly $1 billion to compensate developers for creating and selling everything from in-game environmental assets to avatar accessories. |
One of its top rivals, Fortnite, similarly lets devs use its engine to make and publish spaces called Islands, and pays them based on the resulting engagement—but up until recently, Fortnite has been missing out on the booming digital item market. |
The announcements: As of this week, however, that's no longer the case. In a company blog post, Fortnite announced plans to introduce item sales this coming December. At that point, developers will be able to make both "durable items" (like reusable skins and weapons) and "consumable items" (which, like a power-up or loot box, are used once). |
That's not the only move Fortnite is taking to compete with Roblox. The battle royale game has also announced plans to drop the cut it takes of developers' sales from 50% to 0% through the end of 2026. |
The caveat: Note that under Epic's conversion formula - which subtracts platform/store fees and then divides by V‑Bucks spent by players - that works out to about 74% of what players spend in real money. Starting January 1, 2027, creators' share will go back to 50% of V‑Bucks value, which corresponds to about 37% of real‑money spending. |
Fortnite's last two reveals could also provide a big boost for devs. In addition to tweaking its engagement payout system so that "creators that bring in new or lapsed players will receive 75% of those players' contributions to the engagement payout pool for their first six months," the game is also giving creators the ability to bid on spots in a new "Sponsored Row" shelf that will hit its Discover page in November. |
|
|
|
UAE just launched its first-ever global creator accelerator |
If you're a creator or a digital-first startup in the creator ecosystem looking to launch a high-growth business, it's time to apply to Creators Ventures. |
Presented by Creators HQ in partnership with 500 Global, Creators Ventures is a 10-week hybrid accelerator designed for creators and creator economy-focused startups with scalable and meaningful business ideas. |
The potential funding opportunity: $13.6M by Creators HQ. |
|
Creators Ventures will kick off on October 27, 2025 and run until January 12, 2026. Creators and startups accepted into the program will receive… |
Hands-on guidance on MVP prototyping, business fundamentals, and product development across 10 weeks Strategic support to build strong brands, products, and IP Access to a network of seasoned mentors, operators, and founders 4 weeks of in-person programming in Dubai Real opportunities to fundraise and pitch to investors Global exposure by pitching onstage at the 1 Billion Followers Summit
|
Applications close October 3rd. Submit yours to join the next wave of creator-entrepreneurs: |
|
|
HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰 |
|
|
|
ACROSS THE POND |
|
YouTube is taking over U.K. TV—and broadcasters aren't happy about it |
The context: YouTube's massive TV presence is sewing tension among traditional broadcasters. |
In the U.K., the video platform's living room TV watch time is second only to the BBC, with viewers watching an average of 39 minutes per day in 2024—and while YouTube's influence continue to grows, legacy entertainment industries are increasingly struggling to connect with audiences. |
The reasons for that imbalance are simple: creators are more relatable to audiences, less beholden to execs, and tend to offer free content. Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that U.K. households have to pay £174.50 for an annual license to watch network TV. (FYI, the license fee primarily funds the BBC, which does not air commercials.) As a result, the BBC has seen a consistent fall in the number of licenses paid for per year. |
The complaint: In response, the BBC has joined forces with S4C, STV, Alba, and other public broadcasters to lodge a complaint aimed at forcing YouTube to give their content increased visibility and revenue on its platform. |
Participating broadcasters noted that they want YouTube to give them more prominence because "we need trusted, independent journalism to thrive" in order to combat misinformation on "the platforms young people use." And because they are contributing to "the shared social fabric," these broadcasters also believe they deserve a bigger revenue cut. |
Next steps: Whether or not YouTube is willing to entertain those demands remains to be seen. The platform has already put systems in place to prioritize news content from trusted publishers around hot-button topics like elections, so it may be amenable to expanding those efforts—but then again, it has also told moderators to slow down on removing videos with misinformation. |
Most likely, it will be up to Ofcom (the U.K.'s regulator for broadcasting, internet, telecommunications, and postal industries) to get involved. The Guardian reports that Ofcom has "signaled" acceptance of broadcasters' desires, which could result in an official investigation. |
|
THE BIZ |
|
The cast of Angry Birds 3 includes MrBeast, Salish Matter, Anthony Padilla, and Ian Hecox |
The casting news: The Angry Birds Movie 3 is beefing up its cast list by tapping some of social media's biggest names. Top creators MrBeast and Salish Matter have signed onto the film alongside Smosh founders Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox (who will be reprising their previous roles as returning characters Hal and Bubbles). |
Those YouTubers are the latest stars to join a roster of Hollywood celebs, which so far includes Jason Sudeikis, Keke Palmer, Josh Gad, Rachel Bloom, and Danny McBride. |
The context: With Hollywood increasingly looking to online platforms for fresh injections of talent, we're not surprised to see Paramount opening its doors to stars like MrBeast (aka Jimmy Donaldson) and Matter. The former creator is the top-watched YouTuber in the entire world, while the latter proved with her recent skincare debut that she commands attention from tends of thousands of preteens and teenagers. |
Both stars have also had minor voice roles in previous productions, with Donaldson picking up small bits in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Under the Boardwalk, Kung Fu Panda 4, and Love, Death & Robots, and Matter playing "Kraken Kid" in 2023's Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken. |
The future: So, will people turn up at theaters just to hear their favorite creators? Paramount seems hopeful that the answer is yes—and that the loyal followings of those social media stars will pull Angry Birds 3's numbers up from the previous sequel, which box officed at $152 million globally (as compared to the original film's $352 million). |
|
WATCH THIS |
|
Feastables is branching into beverages |
The milk man: A role in The Angry Birds Movie 3 is just one of many recent accomplishments on MrBeast's resume. Between MrBeast Lab Swarms, Lunchly, and a rumored upcoming mobile network, Jimmy Donaldson has built an impressive cross-vertical empire. The creator has channeled his YouTube fame into everything from an Amazon Prime original show to an animated series—and now, he's getting into the beverage biz, too. |
The latest addition to his snack brand, Feastables, is a chocolate milk designed to be a healthier alternative to existing bevs. In a new Short, Donaldson describes the drink as "a great source of Vitamin D, A, and potassium" before soliciting opinions from everyday consumers. Check out the full clip here. |
|
Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here. |
Want to introduce your brand to Tubefilter's audience? Sponsor the newsletter. |
|
Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. |
