Good morning. If you’re looking to fill the Olympics-shaped hole in your heart with something a bit more uncanny valley, Beijing has been hosting the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games. Events include boxing, track, and table tennis.

The overthrowing-humanity trials are presumably still in the qualifying rounds.

PS—We still have a few slots left for Coffee with Creators this Friday, August 28. Sign up here.

— Hannah Doyle & Syd Cohen

Today’s lineup:

One of China’s biggest video hosting sites, Bilibili (basically the Chinese version of YouTube) just made moves to compete in Western markets.

Last week, Bilibili relaunched its international app and dropped its policy that required an ID or passport for users to sign up, making it easier for more people to upload. It also plans to combine Chinese and global videos in one feed.

Some creators, including Colin and Samir, are already seeing their videos on the site—posted without their involvement. 

How we got here: Bilibili launched in 2009 as a Chinese alternative to YouTube due to the country's censorship laws. Now, it’s one of the country’s most popular websites with over 350M monthly active users and is in the top 100 of most-visited websites globally. 

Worth noting: Some US creators have already built their Bilibili audiences. MrBeast started posting as early as 2024 and has 8.8M followers on the platform. Other users note that although Bilibili has a functioning monetization program, it also has less funds to pay creators than YouTube.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a Chinese platform seek popularity in a Western market (heard of TikTok?). With dozens of fake creator pages popping up, YouTube creators might take the opportunity to claim their presence on the platform to control their content.

Three years ago, Vancouver, BC urban planning creator Uytae Lee released a video on single staircase building codes. It’s since topped 2M views and been cited in policy changes from cities and states like Vancouver, BC and Washington state.

“About half of my emails are city councilors saying, ‘Hey I watched your video, showed it at a council meeting, and now we’re voting on single-staircase building codes,’” Lee told us.

How he got here: Lee studied urban planning in Nova Scotia, where he made his first YouTube videos as a student in 2013. After graduating he moved to Vancouver, BC and launched his urban planning channel, About Here, in 2018, making videos on regional city and housing issues such as city infrastructure and building elevators. 

“With urban planning, there’s already a ton of discourse that happens at your local municipal level. As a content creator, oftentimes my job is just making that existing conversation more accessible,” Lee said. 

Dollars and sense: About Here makes up about half of Lee’s income, funded mostly through sponsorships with companies like Canada Broadcasting Corporation and TELUS. He calls his channel a “loss leader” as it opened up the opportunities for the rest of his work, which includes speaking engagements, teaching at University of British Columbia, and consulting. 

What’s next: Lee wants to keep making 4-5 videos a year, and is reverse-engineering the revenue to match, with more sponsorships and possibly a Patreon. His next video will be screened at the Vancouver Public Library next month.

“There’s something special about this niche where the people who watch it are really invested and you end up getting very passionate about zoning bylaws because it feels so tangible,” Lee said. “You can change these laws and your neighborhood could quite literally change.”

Sponsored by Central Talent Booking

America’s Sweethearts is one of Netflix’s most watched shows worldwide. For three seasons and counting, the series offers a candid look into life as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.

Kate Mackz has built a massive audience by knowing exactly who people want to hear from and creating interviews that feel personal, timely, and impossible to scroll past.

So when Reece Weaver emerged as one of the breakout stars of America’s Sweethearts, Kate knew she would be a perfect guest for her viral running series.

Through her ongoing partnership with Central Talent Booking, Kate brought the idea to the team, and CTB helped turn it into a booking.

The result? Reece joined Kate for an episode of the series, bringing one of America’s Sweethearts’ breakout personalities into Kate’s signature format.

With more than 26 years of relationships across entertainment, sports, music, and culture, CTB helps creators secure the talent that can take their content to the next level.

Ready to land your next big guest? Partner with Central Talent Booking.

This summer, CAA hit the gas on its creator department—with major creator signings like food creator Eitan Bernath, the launch of its $250M creator acquisition holding company, and rumored talks to represent Unwell Media. 

One potential reason why: Media exec Brent Weinstein joined CAA to lead its digital and podcast departments in May 2025. Prior to that, Weinstein worked at UTA for over a decade, helping build the agency’s creator program.  

This signaled a big step for CAA—an opportunity to get serious about creator business and catch up to industry competitor UTA, which was the first major talent agency to launch a digital division in 2006. 

How we see it: When the entertainment industry's biggest agencies start bidding this hard for creator talent, it tells us creators have become a premium asset. More advocates fighting for creator business means better deals, more services, and more ways to monetize. Overall, it raises creator's leverage whether singing with a management company like Night Media or Odd Projects, or running their business on their own.