Good morning. Did you watch The Sidemen Charity Match this weekend? They raised over 1 million pounds during the three-hour soccer (or football) livestream, with over 2 million concurrent views and nearly 20 million views total. But the most surprising part? The gameplay was actually impressive—goals, slide tackles, and all. Not bad for amateurs.

–Hannah Doyle

Gaming Critic Launches a Publishing Company

After 11 years of reviewing video games on YouTube, Jason Gastrow, aka Dunkey, is trying his hand at publishing video games.

Last week, Gastrow announced his forthcoming company Bigmode, a video game publisher that will focus on indie titles.

He enters a competitive (and crowded) playing field. With companies like Curve Digital, Ukuza, and Team 17 in the indie market, plus Sony, Ubisoft, and Nintendo dominating the big leagues, the incumbents have a lot going for them.

And even if Gastrow can go toe to toe with the best of them, he’s climbing uphill. According to VG Insights, over 5,000 of the 6,000 gaming titles released on the gaming platform Steam in the first half of this year were indie titles. And 80% of them have made less than $5,000 in gross revenue during their lifetimes.

But: Gastrow is betting that the 7 million+ followers and vast gaming expertise he’s accumulated over a decade on YouTube will give him an edge.

“For years and years and years, I have always sought out the very best indie games out there and have tried to do them justice, putting millions of eyes on the games that actually deserve attention,” Gastrow said in the launch video.

His expectation with Bigmode? To make more of those kinds of games—and to maintain his YouTube channel in tandem.

Our Take

Being the outward-facing entertainer and internal business leader and operator is not an easy balancing act. Add in the competitive gaming field and Bigmode has a tough road ahead. But as business reporter Jason Schreier pointed out—Gastrow is just as qualified as many other gaming publishers out there.

TikToker Raises $1.5 Million in 6 Days

Elon Musk has inspired a lot of things—Grimes songs, Twitter threads, and now TikTok truckers.

Tired of waiting on Musk to deliver the Tesla electric semi (more on that in a sec), logger and TikTok creator Chace Barber decided to build his own.

Quick backstory: Elon Musk promised a Tesla Truck in 2017. Fast-forward five years, and those who put down a deposit (including Barber) were getting antsy.

So in December 2021, Barber started his own motor company, Edison Motors (tagline: Stealing Tesla’s Idea), and began converting one of his old loggers into an electric semi. So far, he’s raised over $1.5 million.

And he’s taken a different route than Musk: “When you have large VCs sitting on your board, they’re going to try to maximize the return on their investment. They’re going to ask you to do things like planned obsolescence and make a ton of money off parts,” Barber said in a TikTok.

So instead of traditional funding, Barber opted for crowdfunding—and even called his earliest investors to better understand their needs: “A good truck that runs,” Barber said.

Our Take

TikTok isn’t known as a platform for fostering community, but this fundraising proves it can do so. Capitalizing on the rising interest in electric vehicles and doing it with followers in mind, Edison Motors could create the first electric semi born on TikTok.

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NBA Player Gets the AI Treatment

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić is adding a new star to his TikTok account—Luk. AI, an AI-created virtual creator designed in his own likeness.

As of last week, the AI accounts for most of the Slovenian basketball player’s social posts, taking on prompts on what kind of content to produce based on fans' responses.

Our Take

While most AI integrations feel like sad substitutes for the real thing, this AI feels more like an action figure—which could be a template for future creator-AI integration. If the AI is an accessory to supplement other videos, adding another character into the mix, it can strengthen the overall content and fan–creator dynamic.

👀 Creator Moves

• 100 Thieves is looking for a “PrEditor” (producer, shooter, and editor). Must have expert knowledge in Call of Duty and two years of experience creating on YouTube.

• PrestonPlayz and BriannaPlayz are looking for a Director of Short Form Content to oversee their socials team and execute a content strategy.

• Linus Tech Tips is hiring a writer/producer for their TechLinked YouTube channel. Must be based in Canada.

🔥 Press Worthy

• Ludwig is hosting a chess and boxing event.

• YouTube adds a tip jar feature for Shorts.

• Yes Theory finished their Project Iceman documentary.

• TikTok ups its description character limit.

• BeReal may monetize by charging users.

• Ryan Trahan is taking pre-orders for merch.