Good morning. ’Tis the season for creator holiday gifting. And no one is doing it quite like YouTuber Zack Nelson (aka JerryRigEverything), who re-wrote "T'was The Night Before Christmas" to promote his pocket knife.

"No package too large, no tape too tight—’tis the perfect gift for Christmas Eve night,” Nelson rhymes in a Short. “On Christmas morn’ you'll be the man of the hour...never has anyone wielded such power." And all of the sudden, yours truly—who has never had any interest in pocket knives—wants one.

— Hannah Doyle 

Sean Evans, Investor Group Buy Hot Ones Parent Co. for $82.5 Million

The YouTube show with hot questions and even hotter wings is now creator-owned. Yesterday, Hot Ones host Sean Evans and founder Chris Schonberger, along with a group of investors, purchased the interview show’s parent company, First We Feast, from BuzzFeed for $82.5 million.

The details: 

• The all-cash deal was led by investors including Soros Fund Management, Rhett and Link’s Mythical Entertainment, and Pod Save America parent company Crooked Media. 

• Evans will continue to host Hot Ones and become chief creative officer for First We Feast.

“We have enormous respect for Sean and Chris and the global pop-cultural impact they’ve achieved with Hot Ones and First We Feast,” Rhett and Link said. “As true believers in the creator-entrepreneur future of media, we are thrilled to be able to invest behind them as they grow this now-independent company to untold new heights.”

Going forward First We Feast plans to expand into more platforms, talent acquisition, and live episodes—the latter of which earlier this year garnered interest from Netflix.

2024: The Year of Creator Income Growth, AI, and Politics

2024 was a watershed year for the creator industry, from major platform changes to game-changing business moves. We surveyed you, our Publish audience, on your biggest learnings over the past year. Here are the highlights → 

Business was good, with 76% of full-time creators reporting higher income this year than last. Another big move: 63% of creators grew their teams this year.

AI isn’t just a passing trend. 70% of creators have used AI across their workflows, mostly for research and thumbnail ideas. ChatGPT was far and away the most-used AI tool for Press readers.

Creators are letting Hollywood come to them. More than 50% of respondents aren’t too concerned with how creators interact with the traditional film industry.

• “I feel like YouTube and Hollywood are two different beasts. Hollywood isn't the endgame for me at all; YouTube is,” one reader said.

• But: “I think [creators] are the heir to Hollywood,” said another. “The Martin Scorseses of the world will retire someday, and the young, brash, indie filmmakers who put their stuff on YouTube back in the day will make the rules and set the tone.”

Politics among creators were as polarizing as the US election. It was an even split between whether or not readers think talking about politics impacts creators’ trustworthiness. Overall, 80% of creators didn’t get political in their content this year.

Thank you to the hundreds of Press readers who participated in these surveys. Keep an eye out for a full survey breakdown, with more on creators’ relationships with advertisers and the No. 1 concern for creators-turned-filmmakers, hitting your inbox soon.

Sponsored by Central Talent Booking

How 2 Bears, 1 Cave Booked a Hollywood Icon

YMH Studios is home to some of the internet’s most laugh-out-loud podcasts, including 2 Bears, 1 Cave. While comedians Tom Segura and Bert Kreischer often tap into their network to book guests, landing A-list stars requires a different level of expertise.

Enter Central Talent Booking.

Last month, CTB secured the one and only Matthew McConaughey for their pod. His episode has since raked in over 1.5 million views on YouTube, with three shorts bringing in an extra 12 million.

Want to land guests who deliver that kind of impact? Learn how CTB’s 25+ years of industry experience can elevate your content today.

Normal Gossip Podcast Creators Take Step Back

The lifestyle podcast Normal Gossip, which tells stories of juicy gossip from ordinary people, has been a hit since it launched nearly three years ago—receiving around 45 million downloads across its 70 episodes.

Now, its creators, Kelsey McKinney and Alex Sujong Laughlin, are stepping away to work on other projects. They’re handing the reigns to new hosts and producers: Slate podcast alums Rachelle Hampton and Se’era Spragley Ricks.

Going forward: The new hosts plan to continue Normal Gossip’s format, but with their own perspective. McKinney and Laughlin will stay at Normal Gossip’s parent company, Defector Media, in different roles.

🔥 Press Worthy

• Film creator Alexandra Robinson is raising money for her short film, Meatball.

• Transform your content into a thriving business in 2025 by launching your membership community or streaming platform on Uscreen. Sign up before December 24 to get 50% off your first 6 months.*

• Trisha Paytas is starring in a one-night-only Broadway show.

• YouTube expands its auto-dubbing feature to education creators.

• Sticks releases a video on Emma Chamberlain’s life, with a stamp of approval from Chamberlain herself.

• Mad Realities launches a short-form pop culture trivia show, Hollywood IQ.

_{*This is sponsored advertising content.}

📚️ Thank You For Pressing Publish

The content we’re looking forward to reading, watching, and listening to this weekend.

• Read: Teen mom creator MariClare MacLamroc tells Teen Vogue how she started supporting her family through content, making up to $30,000 a month.

• Watch: Simone Giertz tackles the common habit of throwing clothes on a chair (thereby removing its sitting capabilities) by building a chair that can hold both you and your clothes…beautifully.

• Listen: The Ringer TV staff recommend a “holiday stocking stuffer” of the best shows to watch over the break.