Good morning. Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, released a Vox-style video on his YouTube channel over the weekend that explained the country's changing immigration system. Charts, stats, and slick motion graphics—does the future of political messaging look a lot like a Johnny Harris or Cleo Abram upload?

— Hannah Doyle & Nate Graber-Lipperman

Dude Perfect Plots Their Expansion

Friends Tyler Toney, Cody Jones, Garrett Hilbert, and twins Coby and Cory Cotton have grown an audience of 100+ million by making family-friendly sports videos on their channel, Dude Perfect, for the last 15 years. 

In that time, they’ve starred in videos, managed a team of 28, and launched a streaming platform, live shows, and merchandise. 

Now, they’re entering a new chapter. Fresh off a $100 million fundraise and after hiring their first CEO, Andrew Yaffe, Dude Perfect sat down with Colin and Samir to share the new trick (shots) up their sleeve →

Launching new channels. Using a framework of “Stadium, Show, Shelf” (which represent live experiences, content, and merchandise), DP plans to launch YouTube channels covering golf, fitness, outdoors, and kids animation. 

• “Our goal is not to jump in and be the number one in each category, but if we can create a sustainable model in each of those, enjoy the process, and add people to the team, it’s a no-brainer,” Toney said. 

Scaling the DP app. Dude Perfect’s family-friendly streaming app has 2 million downloads and a team that vets every piece of content on the platform. Now, DP wants to use the streaming platform to work with more creators and incubate talent (like the host of their gaming channel, Sparky).

• “At the end of the day [finding family-friendly content] is a real problem and creators want to differentiate themselves on that side of the equation, so being associated with the Dude Perfect app is a good step toward that,” Hilbert said.

Big picture: Dude Perfect wants to be “the most trusted brand in entertainment.” With Yaffe handling operations, the original DP cast can focus on content and a new challenge: growing the brand beyond their likenesses.

“We don't want the whole thing to hinge on us being on the treadmill every other week,” Coby said. “At the same time, we love doing this.” 

Hear more about Dude Perfect’s plans for the future on The Colin and Samir Show.

Is This the Twitch Adpocalypse?

Top Twitch streamers are reporting significant decreases in ad revenue from the platform this month, comparing it to YouTube’s infamous “adpocalypse” from 2017.

In one extreme example, finance creator Jason “TheStockGuy” Frank shared that his average advertising income was down 95% from just last week.

Zoom in: Creators think Twitch’s updated content guidelines that took effect at the start of the month might be impacting ad revenue.

• Twitch announced that streams discussing topics such as elections and immigration would receive a new “Politics and Sensitive Social Issues” label.

• “[It] not only allows viewers to opt out of seeing content with that label but also allows for brands and advertisers to opt out of having their ads run on channels that contain content of this nature,” esports journalist Richard Lewis wrote on his Substack.

Lewis reported that over a dozen corporations, including energy company Chevron, paused spending on Twitch over allegations that streamers were sharing anti-Semitic and other hateful messages.

Big picture: Gaming streamer Ludwig Ahgren predicted that, even if there is a Twitch “adpocalypse” going on, it won’t last long, as new brands will swoop in to buy ads as rates plummet.

However, Ahgren argued that Twitch needs to figure out better methods of content moderation than widespread labels or kicking creators off the platform entirely. “They cannot continue to make their main way of demonetization banning,” he said.

Sponsored by Spotify

Spotify Rolls Out Its Biggest Podcast Update Yet

Spotify for Podcasters is now Spotify for Creators—Spotify is making a big investment in upgrading its platform for video creator content.

Here’s what’s new for creators:

• Earn from Premium and Ads: Starting in January, eligible video podcast creators in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia can monetize their content through Spotify's Partner Program. Creators will earn revenue from Premium subscriber views of their videos and from dynamic ads placed in episodes for ad-supported listeners.

• Boost Discovery with Clips: Upload short-form, vertical video clips (up to 90 seconds) with custom thumbnails directly on Spotify to make your episodes stand out and attract more listeners.

• Track Listener Engagement: Use Spotify for Creators’ advanced analytics to follow your audience’s journey, from discovering your content to engaging deeply with your episodes.

Spotify Creators see the difference. Dropouts, hosted by Zach Justice and Jared Bailey, grew by 40% in only three months after adding video to Spotify.

Earn, grow, and engage on a podcast platform with over 600 million users. Learn more about Spotify for Creators.

Scripted Minidramas Could Take Over Your FYP

TikTok is contemplating a move to add scripted, serialized dramas with minutes-long episodes (reminiscent of the now-defunct Quibi), according to The Information.

• “Minidramas” are already massively popular on short-form video platforms in China—including TikTok’s sister app, Douyin.

• TikTok might start by streaming shows such as “The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband,” a minidrama that found success (and 419 million views) on the streaming app ReelShoot.

Zoom out: TikTok isn’t the only platform prioritizing serialized content. YouTube is encouraging creators to organize their videos into “seasons,” making creators’ channels easier to navigate on TVs.

➕ Community Tab

We're polling you, our Publish readers, about your experiences, POVs, and businesses to finish out the year with insights into the future of the creator industry. This poll is part of an ongoing series we'll share in December.

🔥 Press Worthy

• Instagram is letting users “reset” their content recommendations.

• A new study from Bank of America finds fewer people are making money from content creation than they were three years ago. 

• Whether you’re a streamer, podcaster, or YouTuber, Memberful makes it easy to monetize both casual viewers and loyal fans with custom membership tiers — it's membership on your terms. Start for free today.*

• Kids’ video workshop Creator Camp earns backing from Barbara Corcoran on Shark Tank.

• Food creator Molly Baz launches a line of flavored mayo.

• TommyInnit is going on tour.

• Pew Research finds that the majority of news creators are men—and commentators lean conservative overall.

_{*This is sponsored advertising content.}