Good morning. Did you catch the cinematic commercial from Ryan Trahan and Sticks promoting the new Joyride candies? Trahan’s going after the big dogs with this release, targeting Nerds Gummy Clusters (currently Target’s bestselling candy), Sour Patch Kids, and Trolli Crawlers. Looks like The Climb is getting more and more real.

— Hannah Doyle & Syd Cohen

Last March, Matthew “MatPat” and Stephanie Patrick retired from Theorist Media, the network of YouTube channels they started in 2011. 

Catch up quick: MatPat hosted all the channels under Theorist Media, including Game Theory, Style Theory, Film Theory, Food Theory, and GT Live. When he left, each channel got a new host. 

So how has Theorist Media done in the year since the Patricks stepped away?

We spoke with Theorist Media’s director of digital strategy Josiah Hritsko on Theorist’s priorities in its next era →

Keeping Theorist’s ethos consistent. Hritsko said the company is still using data (like Google Trends and View Stats) to identify niche video ideas, then utilizing the same scripting, editing, title, and thumbnail packaging to keep the brand’s identity.

While adapting to new audiences. Hritsko said Game Theory is attracting a new audience with its host, Tom Robinson, and covering more games like Poppy Playtime. Meanwhile, new Style Theory host Amy Roberts is growing the channel’s female viewership. 

“When we have new hosts coming in, there’s going to be some audience that leaves—who were just there for Matt—but we also have new audiences coming in for these new hosts as they discover our videos for the first time,” Hritsko said.

And experimenting with new formats. Consider: GT Live’s new Twitch channel, which includes co-streaming and memberships.

“That’s an awesome opportunity where now Ash, the host of GT Live, is able to pay more individual attention to the audience members because [they’re] not as constricted by all the other channels,” Hritsko said.

Looking ahead: Hritsko said Theorist will continue to use MatPat and Stephanie’s data-driven content approach, while also taking inspiration from brands like Dude Perfect on reaching a multigenerational audience.

“We are appealing to our core base, while also reaching new audiences. That’s how you grow and stay relevant on YouTube,” Hritsko said.

18 years ago, Bo Burnham became one of the first creators to bring musical comedy to YouTube—preceding Weird Al Yankovic by a month. Now, musical comedy is thriving across platforms. Here’s the latest news from the creators keeping the subgenre alive:

Kyle Gordon last week kicked off a 28-stop tour across North America playing music genre parodies, from his Eastern European pop hit “Planet of the Bass” to female empowerment country songs. Gordon has been making parodies since 2023 and has over 300K monthly listeners on Spotify.

Jazz Emu recently released a video on demand version of his new album, Ego Death, after closing out his UK tour. Emu (real name: Archie Henderson) is making what he calls “high art in the age of content,” including funk music about watching a TV show without your partner or the return of skinny jeans. He has an audience of 900K across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and X. 

On Company Time (OCT) makes comedy synth pop for over 350K followers on Instagram and TikTok, citing The Lonely Island and Tenacious D as inspiration. Their newest earworm, “Frictionless Wipe,” drops on Friday. “We wrote, produced, and performed this song with the intention of making you laugh, but also to give you a song that you can enjoy long after the joke gets old,” OCT said on Instagram.

Sponsored by Notion

Building a creative business takes more than just talent—it takes the right tools. Notion's new Creator Program is designed to give content makers the strategic support they need to thrive. With free access to Notion Plus and Notion AI, creators can optimize their workflows, track projects, and unleash their full potential.

Tier 1 creators receive 12 months of access, while Tier 2 creators get 6 months—all tailored to help you manage your work more efficiently and focus on what matters most: your creativity.

Boost your creator journey with Notion—learn more and apply now.

ChatGPT’s latest 4o update allows users to ask the AI to generate a new image from a drawing or modify an existing image. And it’s causing a stir among creators and thumbnail designers. 

What creators are saying →

Fiverr, the world’s leading marketplace for digital services, is partnering with creators to showcase the power of freelancing. Join the Creator Program and turn your influence into income.*

*This is sponsored advertising content.