Good morning. And hello from sunny Anaheim! Today’s the day: Our secret new project is now available for everyone. Read on to learn more about it—and how to grab a copy for yourself.
Before we get to that, however, on to VidCon.
Three Takeaways From VidCon 2024
(Left to right) Colin and Samir talk with Stephanie Patrick and MatPat about their life in “retirement” on Thursday / Photography by Jesse Leon
For the last two days, we’ve been at VidCon, the annual creator convention held in Anaheim, CA. It’s always a good opportunity to attend events, meet friends (both old and new), and get a finger on the pulse of topics currently dominating creator conversations. Three takeaways from VidCon so far →
On what creator retirement actually looks like. To open Thursday’s Industry Track, Colin and Samir caught up with Matthew and Stephanie Patrick to hear how things have been going since Matthew hosted his final Game Theorists video in March.
“Everyone keeps asking, ‘What’s retirement [been like]?’” Matthew said. “Right now, it took my 80-hour work week and reduced it to a 40-hour work week...which feels like a vacation.”
Stephanie noted that training new hosts has not only allowed Matthew to operate more behind the scenes, but also “de-personalized” Theorist Media’s channels—which made the sale to LunarX in 2022 a “less risky acquisition” over the long term.
On ways creators can adapt to the rise of YouTube TV viewership. “Thinking like an old school TV programmer has its advantages,” Danyel Mendoza, director of content planning for Disney and National Geographic’s YouTube channels, said. “Consider seasonality, scheduling, and live content so there is always something going on when someone visits your channel.”
On the importance of finding audience-product fit for creator merch. Several creators—including Hank Green, Freddie Wong, and Karen “Puzzles” Kavett—discussed why it’s important to test audiences’ appetites for new merch concepts in small batches before going all in.
Green pointed out that most product lines don’t turn a profit until roughly 80% of the inventory has been sold.
“An idea isn’t a good idea until it fits into reality,” he said.
P.S. Nate here—if you’re in Anaheim, I’ll be hosting a conversation with Hank and John Green at 1:30 PT today. We’ll talk about Crash Course, their fight against tuberculosis, and more. Hope to see you there!
Jomboy Goes Linear With Cable Deal
Jomboy Media, founded by Jimmy “Jomboy” O’Brien (left) and Jake Storiale (right), announces its partnership to air its Warehouse Games / The Warehouse Games
Creator-led sports media company Jomboy Media announced a partnership with broadcast company Bally Sports yesterday.
Starting this Sunday, Jomboy’s popular Warehouse Games series, including Blitzball and Slapball, will play on 17 regional sports channels across the US.
Wind up: Jomboy launched its Warehouse Games franchise almost three years ago and has since amassed over 200 million views on the channel. Its video production largely mimics TV, with real-time editing and live commentary on Jomboy’s backyard-style games.
As part of the partnership, Jomboy will also make original weekly content with Bally Sports, including coverage of Warehouse Games matches featuring Jomboy personalities plus special guests like sports broadcaster Chris Rose.
FYI: While OTT apps and streaming viewership are on the rise across categories, cable TV is still the most-preferred medium for sports content.
Sponsored by Artlist
Artlist Releases New Voiceover Feature for Creators
From music to motion graphics, Artlist has brands and creators covered with the creative assets they need to bring their stories to life. And now, they’re adding AI voiceovers to the mix.
Artlist’s new AI voiceover generator lets creators craft immersive, professional narrations. With an exclusive, high-quality catalog of different voices to choose from, you can create a voiceover for your next video right inside the Artlist platform.
The new feature is available in both Max and Business subscriptions. It’s also available as a standalone plan.
Introducing The Publish Press Newspaper: Volume 2
Inside The Publish Press Newspaper Volume 2 / Photography by Taiga Fukuyama
For the last five months, we’ve been debating a question in our studio: Is this the year creators become the new Hollywood?
What we mean: The line between modern and traditional entertainment has never been blurrier. Look no further than MrBeast’s nine-figure game show with Amazon Prime Video—a record-breaking deal that served as a catalyst for our investigation into this trend.
So…is this finally the year creators and Hollywood meet on their inevitable collision course? You’ll find out in Volume 2 of our Publish Press Newspaper, a limited-edition, 28-page print zine that commemorates three years of The Publish Press.
Sections include:
The Year Creators Went Hollywood
Creators on Creators: Cleo Abram x Johnny Harris
A Look at Sneakily-Useful Creator Products
And a Letter from Colin and Samir
Each zine features a unique, handwritten number, and this drop will never restock—once they’re gone, they’re gone.
Head to presspublish.store to pick up your copy now.
🔥 Press Worthy
Rhett and Link donate Good Mythical Morning props to the Smithsonian.
TikTok creator Hallie Batchelder joins Alex Cooper’s Unwell Network.
Max Fosh is going on tour.
Logan Paul is allegedly suing Coffeezilla over his CryptoZoo videos.
Figma is rolling out a UI redesign.
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