Three words we know you love to hear: It’s giveaway time. 

We’ve got a MacBook Air and a Press Publish hat in a new colorway up for grabs. If you’re reading this, you’re already entered. Might as well send this newsletter to a friend who wants to keep up with the business of creators so they get a chance at a new laptop too, right? We’ll announce the winner next Friday, August 9.

— Hannah Doyle & Nate Graber-Lipperman

Cody Ko Takes a Step Back from TMG Studios

Last week, TMG Studios—the podcast network co-founded by comedy creators Cody Ko and Noel Miller in 2021—announced that Ko will no longer be involved in “day-to-day operations” at the company.

Context: In June, YouTube creator Tana Mongeau alleged on an episode of her Cancelled podcast that Ko had a sexual relationship with her while she was underage.

• In the weeks since, several other creators including Jarvis Johnson and D’Angelo Wallace have called on Ko to address Mongeau’s comments. Last week’s TMG announcement is Ko’s first public response to the controversy.

• Ko has lost over 450,000 combined YouTube subscribers across his main three channels over the last 30 days, according to analytics tool Social Blade.

Looking ahead: TMG added three new shows to its podcast network in May—though the creators behind one of those shows, Emergency Intercom, announced this month that they’re leaving TMG to produce the podcast independently moving forward.

Unpacking Meta’s AI Studio

Meta just launched AI Studio, a tool that allows creators to make an AI chatbot either 1) in their likeness or 2) as a character based on interests like photography or travel.

The details: Creators can use AI chatbots to answer DMs and Story replies. Using their likeness, creators can customize the chatbot’s responses based on their content, personal details, and off-limits topics. Meta says chatbot responses are clearly labeled as AI.

What creators are saying: So far, creators including photographer Luis Angel Espinal Barclay and tech commentator Don Allen Stevenson III have implemented the new tool in their content.

Some like Kane Kallaway say the feature can be a huge time saver, while others are more skeptical of its value. “Building a community is great when it’s you interacting and doing the building,” food creator Melanie McDonald commented on Meta’s news post. “People don’t want to be speaking to an AI version of the person they are following.”

FYI: This feature rolls out after Meta just scrapped its AI chatbots with celebrity-inspired personalities like MrBeast and Kendall Jenner.

Reddit Goes All in on Sports Content

This week, Reddit announced a new partnership program to work with professional sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB, and PGA on in-app activations including player AMAs and exclusive behind-the-scenes videos.

Keep in mind: Sports content is one of the fastest growing niches on Reddit, with 26% year-over-year growth in interest groups and 249 million global monthly engagements (like posts, votes, or comments) in Reddit sports communities, according to the company.

Under the new deal, leagues will also post video highlights from games and special content during major events like the Super Bowl. Reddit’s sports partnership could also open up opportunities for creators with active Reddit communities, like Barstool Sports and IShowSpeed, to partner with participating leagues in new ways on the platform. 

➕ Community Tab

LA creators: Mark your calendar for our next Publish event on Saturday, August 24, in Venice. We’ll hear from a special creator, get insider insight on their biz, and meet other creators in the area. See you there!

🔥 Press Worthy

• Ludwig is hosting a track and field event with creators from OTK and FaZe Clan.

• Challenge creator Tanner Braungardt shuts down his trampoline park.

• MatPat is lobbying for creators on Capitol Hill.

• MoistCr1TiKaL is taking an indefinite hiatus from The Official Podcast and Red Thread.

• Nick DiGiovanni launches four iced coffee “creations” with Dunkin’.

• Twitch is still not profitable 10 years after Amazon acquired the streaming platform.

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