Good morning. NASA is currently running its first Twitch stream from space, showing daily life aboard the International Space Station. We’ll be tuning in to see how accurate Interstellar really was.

— Hannah Doyle 

TV, AI, and Podcasts Reign on YouTube

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan just shared the platform’s “big bets” for 2025. Here’s what creators need to know about YouTube’s priorities →

TV is now the most-used device for YouTube viewers in the US, surpassing mobile and desktop by watchtime. 

• YouTube is experimenting with more creator features on TV, like Watch With, which will let creators share live commentary and reactions to games and events.

• “For more and more people, watching TV means watching YouTube,” Mohan wrote. “But the ‘new’ television doesn’t look like the ‘old’ television. It’s interactive and includes things like Shorts (yes, people watch them on TVs), podcasts, and live streams, right alongside the sports, sitcoms and talk shows people already love.”

Podcasts remain a top format. YouTube is now the most frequently used listening platform in the US, outranking Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Mohan said YouTube will debut more podcasting tools for 1) support 2) monetization and 3) discovery in the coming months.

Monetization is a major focus for YouTube. 

• Last year, more than 50% of channels earning north of five figures made money from sources outside ads and YouTube Premium. 

• Mohan said the platform is creating more ways for creators to partner with brands through programs like Select Creator Takeovers. He added that creators are earning more through shopping recommendations and channel memberships, the latter of which grew more than 40% last year.

YouTube is investing in AI workflow tech and setting up more guardrails. Some tech highlights:

• Later this month, video auto-dubbing is rolling out to all creators in the YouTube Partner Program.

• Mohan said that YouTube is using machine learning to estimate a user’s age in an effort to improve child safety on-platform.
  

Inside Try Guys’ Streaming Performance

In May, The Try Guys launched a membership streaming service called 2nd Try, offering subscribers exclusive shows and early access to YouTube videos.

Now nearly a year in, Try Guys founders Zach Kornfeld and Keith Habersberger shared their learnings from managing a streaming service and YouTube channel →

What worked: Streaming revenue supported shows across YouTube and 2nd Try.

• Comedy shows like Escape The Kitchen ranked in the top 10 on streaming despite underperforming on YouTube. 

• “It’s super exciting seeing [Escape] in the top 10, which validates why we did [the streaming service]. We wouldn’t be able to make it work at all without subscriber support,” Kornfeld said.

What didn’t: The group spent more time on 2nd Try at the expense of effort put into YouTube.

• 2nd Try live specials lost money and didn’t drive subscribers as planned.

• “We want to do a better job at communicating so you know what you’re getting on 2nd Try, and what you’re getting on YouTube,” Habersberger said.

Big picture: Challenges aside, creator-owned streaming services are in the middle of a boom. Nebula recently tapped a Pushing Daisies producer to help with its upcoming sci-fi anthology series, and DropoutTV’s popular DND show, Dimension 20, recently sold out Madison Square Garden.

How Pokimane Sustains a Decade-Long Streaming Career

Pokimane has streamed for nearly 13 years on Twitch as one of the platform’s most entrepreneurial creators—with investments, a talent management company, and a snack brand. 

Here are two of our favorite takes from her recent sit-down on The Colin and Samir Show.

On adapting to post-pandemic streaming trends: “When I had a contract with Twitch [in 2020], I'd stream 4–5 days a week, longer hours. Nowadays I stream twice a week—that’s all,” Pokimane said, explaining that live viewership has decreased across the board since the pandemic, while Just Chatting streams and clips viewership has risen. “Mainly because the day to day audience has diminished and I find myself wanting to touch base on so many other platforms.”

On planning for the future: “The way I'm trying to restructure my business next year isn’t ‘how much more money can I make?’” Pokimane said. “It’s ‘how can I pay off expenses that I want to have?’ [...] Then ‘how do I not maximize revenue, but enjoyment in my day?’ For years I chased views, financial goals, career goals, but now I want to chase a life goal.”

Hear about Pokimane’s management company, thoughts on Kai Cenat, and more on The Colin and Samir Show here.

🔥 Press Worthy

• Unwell is hosting a Spring Break event in Miami next month.

• Tom Brady launches a newsletter.

• Gaming creator Shroud raises $1 million for charity.

• MrBeast is partnering with Moose Toys to create animated shorts inspired by his MrBeast Lab toy brand.

• BuzzFeed is launching a social platform.