Good morning. After weeks of anticipation and a truly nationwide search, we’re so excited to introduce the newest member of the Publish team, writer Syd Cohen.

She comes to us with know-how in both the YouTube commentary space and Hollywood, she wears the coolest glasses, and she knows how to score major thrift finds. Please join us in giving her a warm welcome. Want to hop on a 10-minute call to meet Syd and tell us what you’d like to see in the Press? Schedule a hang here.

— Hannah Doyle & Syd Cohen

Good Good Gains $45M Investment

Creator golf group Good Good Golf is taking its biggest swing yet—yesterday, the group announced a $45 million fundraise led by the newly-formed Creator Sports Capital under the leadership of former YouTube exec Benjamin Grubbs.

Quick snapshot: Good Good started on YouTube in 2020, and it’s quickly grown from a channel with friends playing golf to a commerce and events brand sponsoring PGA tour players and running live tournaments on NBC. About 75% of its revenue comes from golf products, while AdSense, events, and sponsorships make up the rest.

Good Good CEO Matt Kendrick shared with us how the group plans to use the $45 million to double down on content and commerce →

Globally. “We’re looking to become a more worldwide brand as golf is a worldwide sport,” Kendrick said.

• They’re eyeing Japan and South Korea, which are the second- and third-largest golf markets outside the US. Asia’s golf equipment market is expected to generate $2.4 billion this year alone.

• “That starts with dubbing content in their languages and creating content locally with ourselves and new talent we identify in those markets, then start deploying products there,” Kendrick said.

Locally. Good Good aims to get their products in domestic “green grass accounts” like pro shops at driving ranges and golf courses. 

“There are about 20,000 golf courses in the US and we’re only in about 300 of them, so we need to develop a more well-developed sales team to deploy that product,” Kendrick said.

And live. Good Good will continue to expand into live events with traditional golf partners like NBC and the PGA. It’ll also build out its YouTube channel by 1) hiring more producers and on-screen talent and 2) exploring new properties like podcasting and both scripted and unscripted series.

“We love that we’ve built a great fan base and that’s always going to be our core. Also alongside that we need to think about how we build a golf brand that has a long-standing legacy behind it,” Kendrick said. “We know that we need to continue to push the envelope, and that’s what this funding does.”

Zoom out: Good Good is the latest creator group to take on major outside investment, following Dude Perfect’s $100 million raise in October and MrBeast’s reported search for a “couple hundred million dollars” last month.

Lilly Singh Launches Network for South Asian Creators

After 15 years on YouTube, a late-night television show, and a production company, Lilly Singh is taking the next step in her career: founding HYPHEN8, the first media network aimed at platforming South Asian YouTube creators.

Singh is partnering with Skara Ventures, a VC aimed at supporting underrepresented groups, to offer South Asian creators… 

• Mentorship 

• Connections to South Asian brands through advertising sales and brand partnerships

• Optimized channel monetization 

“When I began posting on YouTube in 2010, there weren't many resources to create content, especially for someone that looks like me," Singh told Entrepreneur. With audiences craving authenticity over virality, she wants to fill her network with creators who understand how to connect with their audience. South Asia remains YouTube’s largest demographic, home to an audience of over 500 million.

Big picture: The network play is becoming increasingly popular for creators looking to build businesses with longevity—consider Alex Cooper’s Unwell or Johnny and Iz Harris’s NewPress.

Kick Revamps Partner Program

Livestreaming platform Kick’s Creator Incentive Program (KCIP) recently rebranded as the Kick Partner Program, and many users are reporting increased earnings.

Context: Founded in 2022 by Ed Craven, Bijan Tehrani, and Tyler “Trainwreckstv” Niknam, Kick’s goal was to divert more revenue to creators with a 95/5 split. 

Here’s how Kick’s new Partner Program compares to KCIP →

• “Affiliates” are now called “creators,” and there’s no longer a minimum follower requirement. 

• Creators can qualify for monetization after streaming for five hours. 

The effects: Craven hosted a stream featuring 16 partners who shared their experiences with its Partner Program. “[Kick] has done so, so much for me,” one partner said. “The equipment I have in my room [...] is because of the 95/5 and [the Partner Program].”

🔥 Press Worthy

• Twitch gives creators the option to opt out of discount events.

• Emma Chamberlain is set to make her acting debut in the upcoming horror film Forbidden Fruits.

• Political streamer Hasan Piker interviews Bernie Sanders and AOC on Twitch during a “Fight The Oligarchy” rally in Las Vegas.

• Good Work celebrates reaching 1 million subscribers.

• Podcast creator Chris Williamson looks to raise $3-4 million for his energy drink brand, Neutonic.

• Jomboy’s Courtney Hirsch is promoted to CEO.

• The Indian government is launching a $1 billion creator fund.

📚️ Thank You For Pressing Publish

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

• Read: For The NewYorker, writer Amanda Petrusich profiles musician Lucy Dacus about love and time over a steakhouse appetizer.

• Watch: Film creator Isaac Carlton recreates a scene from a Netflix movie, documenting the process (including a Planters nutmobile and a very shiny wig) over a nine-day period.

• Listen: In Brittany Broski’s musical debut, she releases a sultry cover of Harry Styles’s “Adore You.” One fan’s comment on the music video says it all: “I’m so glad she drank that kombucha.”