TOGETHER WITH

It’s Friday and Netflix’s very own FIFA game will hit the platform on June 11, giving subscribers the chance to “control players from all 48 teams” competing in the 2026 World Cup.

Today’s News

📱 TikTok launches a new app
✍️ Google lets influencers customize
🏠 Airbnb targets creators
🍴 Hugh Jackman eats his last meal

GOING PRO

TikTok is courting sports fans.

TikTok’s new Events app rewards users for generating buzz about big events

The app: Netflix isn’t the only tech giant capitalizing on the upcoming World Cup. As the big tourney draws nearer, TikTok is leaning into its position as FIFA’s first ever “Preferred Platform” with the launch of a new standalone app called TikTok Pro Events.

According to TechCrunch, Pro Events will let users complete fan challenges to earn a currency called “Stars” that can be redeemed for swag. For the World Cup specifically, users can earn Stars by searching trending hashtags related to the competition, visiting the FIFA World Cup digital hub, and sharing Cup-related content on their own TikTok accounts.

Redemption items include things like official World Cup merch and TikTok Shop coupons. Users can also convert their Stars into a charitable donation to TikTok’s philanthropic partner, Feeding America.

The context: TikTok describes Pro Events as a way to “deepen community immersion during major cultural milestones”—indicating that it plans to keep the app going after the World Cup wraps. That move makes sense, especially given the growing enmeshment of social platforms and live sports.

Pro Events’ structure is reminiscent of Twitch’s Drops, which rewards viewers with in-game items if they watch a certain amount of content about the video game from partnered streamers. TikTok’s decision to apply that same concept to live sports (and, theoretically, to other in-person events) tracks with the creator economy’s general shift toward more IRL fan experiences.

With the World Cup as its test run, Pro Events will show TikTok just how much buzz fans are willing to generate in exchange for gamified rewards.

🌟 SPONSORED 🌟

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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

Google Search is catering to big creators.

Google is giving creators with at least 100,000 YouTube subscribers, 100,000 X or Instagram followers, or 300,000 TikTok followers the ability to claim and customize dedicated Search profiles. (The Verge)
Meta has announced a new AI creator assistant designed to offer Facebook creators “personalized recommendations” based on their individual “content style, performance, and community.” (Meta)
A documentary titled TikTok Never Dies—which follows three social media stars as they navigate the U.S. government’s battle to ban TikTok—premiered yesterday at Tribeca Film Festival. (Wired)
According to Chief Operating Officer Rose Wang, Bluesky is taking inspiration from Reddit as it shifts away from the “public square” style of feed favored by platforms like X. (CNBC)

CREATOR COMMOTION

Airbnb wants in on the creator craze.

Airbnb wants to work with creators. Its CEO thinks creators need Airbnb, too.

The Experiences: Airbnb may be best known for hotel alternatives, but the company is setting its sights on much more—including creator-powered fan events.

Back in 2016, Airbnb pushed further into overall travel planning with an expansion called “Trips.” As part of Trips, it introduced a selection of activities curated by locals (aka “Experiences”).

In the decade since that launch, Experiences has also expanded. While thousands of independent locals still offer tourists outings, Airbnb has increasingly tapped celebs like Conan O’Brien and Sabrina Carpenter to host splashy events. Now, according to PhocusWire, the company plans to add creator-led experiences to its platform after tests showed strong conversion.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky apparently described those creator experiences as a huge opportunity—“especially as travel becomes more personalized and driven by communities”—and said interest from creators has been “really hot.”

The creator side: Chesky also noted that Airbnb sees itself as a way for creators to ramp up their earnings. The rationale behind that vision might be surprising to the creators themselves; according to Chesky, “[t]he posting is waning a little bit” and “the economics are starting to go down” across platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

The CEO added that “there’s a maximum, you can only post so much before it feels very commercial and solicitous. So, there’s got to be other ways to make money.”

We’re not sure where Chesky’s assertion about a drop in economics is coming from, but we do agree that creators should always be keen to diversify their revenue streams. Those interested in adding IRL experiences to their portfolios should keep an eye on Airbnb’s next moves.

While the company hasn’t released any data about its tests or said which creators it’s working with, it plans to add listings for creator Experiences in the coming months.

WATCH THIS 👀

Vegemite and Tim Tams, anyone?

Hugh Jackman’s last meal is as Australian as it gets

The celebrity feast: It’s hardly a secret that YouTube viewers love good food and hot celebrity gossip. Add in charismatic creators like Amelia Dimoldenberg and Sean Evans, and it’s no surprise that every A-lister from Billie Eilish to Paul McCartney is lining up to appear on shows like Chicken Shop Date and Hot Ones.

Over five seasons of Last Meals, Mythical has added its own macabre twist to that genre—and the show’s latest guest star is as A-list as it gets. We won’t spoil everything on the menu for Hugh Jackman’s final feast, but suffice it to say, it’s hard to imagine a meal more Australian than Tim Tams, meat pies, and Vegemite.