It's Sunday and here’s a handpicked selection of stories to give you a snapshot of trends, updates, business moves, and more from around the creator industry.

But first, we’re wishing a fond farewell to Ask.com. The search engine formerly known as Ask Jeeves is calling it quits. It’s hard out there for a search engine these days, but Jeeves might find the job market to be even tougher.

CREATOR COMMOTION

Where in the world is Filian?

Influencers are vanishing, exposing scams, and trying to buy Spirit Airlines

The vanishing act: Where’s Filian? The VTuber is one of the most prominent representatives of her community and has even served as the host of the VTuber Awards. But after she vanished from social media and abruptly wiped the content from her accounts, fans are wondering if the VRChat standout is gone for good—or if she’ll return in a new form somewhere down the line.

The fundraiser: Spirit Airlines’ market cap maybe in the seven-figures, but buying the airline is going to cost a lot more than that. That’s what a creator named Hi There Hunter learned when he launched a fundraising campaign in an attempt to acquire the failing low-cost airliner. Hunter raised a whopping $22 million. That’s a huge sum for a creator-led campaign, but not enough to shortcut Spirit’s creditors, debt, leases, and bankruptcy process.

The warning: Jacksfilms wants Roblox fans to watch out for live stream scams. The veteran creator is known for targeting hucksters in the YouTube community, and he found some new targets in the world of Roblox. A recent video of his shares evidence of giveaway scams that run through fake live streams consisting of prerecorded footage.

The return: Dixie D’Amelio is back on YouTube with new music on deck. The elder D’Amelio sister has taken some time away from social media, but she ended her hiatus with a vlog on her YouTube channel. Now she’s eyeing a revival for her music career as she focuses on writing and recording new material.

The YouTube special: One month after being hospitalized due to injuries sustained in an accident, Eugene Mirman has brought a new piece of work to YouTube. The Bob’s Burgers voice actor’s latest special is titled Here Comes The Whimsy, and we could all use a little bit of that these days.

SPORTS & GAMES

Dude Perfect is going bananas.

Content creators are changing the game across baseball, soccer, and cycling

The cameo: Dude Perfect and the Savannah Bananas are a match made in heaven. The creator perspective has brought a new angle to pro sports, disrupting leagues like the NBA and NFL in the process. If creators are going to take over the sports world, why not bring them into a silly spectacle like Banana Ball? That’s exactly what the Dude Perfect guys did, and their Savannah Bananas cameo even included a trick pitch.

The creator league: The Baller League has become a YouTube phenomenon. Millions of viewers are tuning in to watch indoor soccer matches contested by creator-led teams. The likes of iShowSpeed struggle to compete with soccer legends like Ronaldinho on the pitch, but when they match up as opposing managers, the results are far more even—and more exciting, if the deluge of traffic is any indication.

The cyclists: The Unibet Rose Rockets are off and pedaling in the Giro d’Italia. In February, we discussed the formation of the cycling team, which is shaking up its sport by combining high-level performance with social media content. The Rockets have struggled to gain a spot on the pro cycling circuit, but they’re in the Giro d’Italia. Imagine how wild the vlogs will be if they actually win the thing.

AGENCY DEALINGS

Worker discontent is growing in The Melon Patch.

This week in the digital media biz…

The strike: The IATSE is striking against CoComelon’s live-action programming. Shows like The Melon Patch have allowed CoComelon to expand beyond its animated roots. The union representing theatrical stage employees, however, has found something rotten in the melon patch. The IATSE cited producers’ unwillingness to provide “fair wages and benefits” for crew members as it initiated a work stoppage affecting CoComelon shows.

The appeal: Meta and YouTube are pushing back against a social media addiction verdict. A jury decision in California—which held Meta and YouTube liable for their addictive social feeds—threatens to strip Section 230 protections and upend an entire industry. In response, the two Big Tech firms have officially appealed the decision via filings in an L.A. court. The verdict of the appeal could set an important precedent.

The LinkedIn partner: Creator Authority has joined the LinkedIn Marketing Partner Program. The so-called “LinkedIn influencer marketing company” facilitates deals on the platform known for its professional content. As an official LinkedIn marketing partner, Creator Authority will be able to move faster as it executes influencer campaigns alongside partners like SAP, Dropbox, and HubSpot.

The expansion: Indigenous House is adding podcasts to its library of Native content. The seven-month-old streaming service is committed to empowering Indigenous American voices, and it is doing exactly that with a podcast called Power in Numbers, which touches on cultural, social, and political topics. The first episode of the show asks a pertinent question: “What the &#@$ Is Happening Right Now?”

WATCH THIS 👀

“Baby Shark” was just the beginning.

Bebefinn has a movie out, and it’s a chart-topper on Netflix

The Netflix film: Bebefinn is a piece of kid-friendly IP under the umbrella of Pinkfong, the South Korean company behind Baby Shark.

To expand Bebefinn to a new format, Pinkfong brought a new movie based on the IP to Netflix—and it quickly hit #1 in the streamer’s kids’ category. The timing of that success could spell big things for both Pinkfong and Netflix. After all, if the streaming service is going to lose CoComelon rights to Disney+, Bebefinn could emerge as a prized asset.

Check out a trailer for Bebefinn Sing-Along Movie: Into the Pinkfong World here.

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