Welcome to the Friday edition. Any fun plans this weekend? We’ve got a special surprise headed your way this Sunday at 12pm Eastern/9am Pacific. Keep an eye on your inbox—we can’t wait to hear what you think.

–Hannah Doyle

Jacksepticeye’s Documentary Hits #1 on iTunes

The Irish gamer’s autobiographical film, How Did We Get Here?, released on iTunes Tuesday with the option to rent or buy. That same day, it reached #1 on the iTunes documentary charts, and became the #32 most popular movie on iTunes overall.

The film follows Jacksepticeye on his first world tour in 2018, reflecting on how his life has been changed by YouTube fame.

Jacksepticeye is the pseudonym for Seán William McLaughlin, who’s been creating gaming videos on YouTube for nearly a decade. He has a following of over 50 million across all platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Twitch, and TikTok, making him the most popular creator in Ireland and the 9th most popular gamer on YouTube.

How did Jacksepticeye get here?

• He started uploading gaming videos to YouTube in 2012. The following year he was mentioned in a PewDiePie video, which boosted his following from 2,500 to 12,000 overnight.

• In 2017 Jacksepticeye signed with Disney Digital Network resulting in opportunities like a Disney XD appearance and hosting the D23 Expo Level Up! Games panel.

• The following year, he signed a deal with Twitch to produce exclusive content. He also had Ryan Reynolds on his channel to play the Deadpool video game with him.

• In 2018, he launched Cloak, a clothing brand with Markiplier.

• Last year, he appeared in the Disney movie Free Guy.

Our Take

If this week is any indicator, creator docs are on the rise. Social platforms have been around long enough now where creators have both 1) the ability to attract a big screen caliber audience and 2) substantial careers with successes and failures that can make for compelling stories. We predict more documentaries will emerge to show us the various roadmaps of modern entrepreneurship and guide the future generations of creators.

How Priyal Kukreja Grew 3 Million Subscribers in Less Than a Year

The India-based comedy creator brought in almost 200 million views to her YouTube channel this week alone, placing her in the top 40 most-watched YouTube channels in the world this week. 

According to Statista, India is YouTube’s largest user base, with 467 million users. That’s nearly double the U.S., which is the second largest user base at 240 million users.

Kukreja started her channel last April, posting slapstick Shorts like Prank Call and Brother Sister Fight nearly every day. Before YouTube, she was on TikTok, where she built a following of 248,000 over two years sharing similar light-hearted comedy. She also appeared on her brother’s YouTube channel, Dushant Kukreja, which has over 10 million subscribers.

In June 2020, India banned TikTok for geopolitical reasons, so Kukreja turned to YouTube to repurpose her TikTok content and build upon it. She’s since grown her audience via YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, and made partnerships with domestic Indian brands like TikTok alternative Tiki and skincare company Balu Herbals.

Our Take

India is a massive market for YouTube but it's still in its early days on the monetization front. Although India has twice as many users as the U.S., advertising demands aren't as high. eCommerce creator Ritoban Chakrabarti recently broke down that effect, showing that even though his India viewership was 7x more than his US viewership, his US views brought in about 20% more ad revenue. 

With a strong viewership whose languages include English and Hindi, we expect more creators to tap into the market, which is why MrBeast’s newest channel will be in Hindi.

Sponsored by The Ridge

The Ridge is Looking for Creators to Sponsor

That’s right. This is an opportunity for you to get sponsored by The Ridge. If you spend as much time on YouTube as we do, you’re probably familiar with The Ridge, an accessory brand known for its flagship wallet.

But today, we’re not talking about The Ridge wallet, we’re talking about The Ridge’s creator program—which is open for applicants.

When we (Colin and Samir here 👋🏻👋🏽) first started out as creators, it was really hard to know where to find brand deals and even harder to know which brands were serious about working with creators. Because The Ridge has worked with over 10,000 creators, they are incredibly creator-friendly; they work on flexible deadlines and easy payments, and they give creative freedom to creators.

Click here to apply to The Ridge Creator Program.

Ludwig Hires a President for his Gaming Company

Earlier this week Nick Allen, the COO of Loaded agency, a powerhouse in the gaming space that reps big streamers like Ninja, Shroud, and CouRage, left to join Ludwig’s Mogul Moves as its president and COO.

Allen had been at the agency for nearly three years, advising streamers like CohhCarnage and DrLupo. He’s also held positions at Esports and Twitch.

Our Take

It’s not every day that an exec from the largest gaming agency in the world leaves to work with one creator. People follow personalities, which makes the opportunity to work with a creator at times larger than working with a brand. And as creators develop into bonafide media companies, more high-quality hires will be drawn to leave traditional corporations to help build something new with creators.

🔥 Press Worthy

• FaZe Clan is hiring a brand partnerships manager.

• Smosh relaunches their dubbed Spanish channel.

• Addison Rae stars in an unscripted series with Snapchat.

• Minecraft streamer McYum reveals his identity.

• TikTok creators can now link Instacart shopping lists to their recipe videos.

• Cloak launches a St. Patrick’s Day collection with Jacksepticeye.