Exploring the Intersection of Podcasting and Television – Edinburgh TV Festival panel takeaways
In a recent session at the Edinburgh TV Festival, a panel of industry experts—Darby Dorras, Lisa Higginson, Simran Shah, and Neil McCallum—came together to discuss the evolving relationship between podcasting and television. The conversation illuminated how the two...
Latest wave of speakers announced for TellyCast Digital Content Forum 2024
Little Dot, Spirit Studios and Channel 4 execs added to panels TellyCast, the leading international TV industry podcast and events business, has announced a new batch of prestigious speakers for the TellyCast Digital Content Forum 2024, Europe’s only industry event...
Pizza Hut TikTok promotion hints at new social currency and democratised influencer model
Social media is often referred to as a currency and now, maybe, it really is – thanks to an intriguing promotion launched by Pizza Hut in the Middle East. Dubbed ‘Pay With Your Trend”, the promotion allows consumers to buy pizza with user-generated TikTok content....
Spirit Studios and Quintus Studios reinvent hit YouTube series Outsmarting as linear TV series and podcast
Channel 4-backed independent production company Spirit Studios has announced a partnership with distributor and channel owner Quintus Studios to expand its Outsmarting YouTube series into a long form linear TV series and podcast. Originally a 10 x 10’ series for C4,...
Roblox distributes more than $800m a year to US content creators
Gaming/entertainment platform Roblox has published its first economic and social impact report, in a bid to demonstrate its importance to the US economy. Among its findings, the company says “the impact of our Developer Exchange Programme (from 2017-2023) was nearly...
Banijay Entertainment Picks Up global rights to digital first format The Infiltrators
Content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment (Masterchef, Survivor, Big Brother) has acquired the exclusive format rights for The Infiltrators, a heist-themed gameshow from Cowshed Studios, the production company within creative agency, Cowshed Collective. The deal was...
Joe Sugg: Pioneering Digital Content and Building a Media Empire
Joe Sugg’s rise from a small-town roof thatching apprentice to a digital content powerhouse encapsulates the evolution of online media. Known for his diverse content on YouTube, Joe is navigating the complexities of digital business, transforming his online presence...
Digital first megahit Simon’s Cat launches Web3 community and crypto currency
Banijay Rights has announced that Simon’s Cat (a Banijay UK company) and Web3 marketing and development agency Anonymous Labs have joined forces to launch a new Meme Token. The Simon’s Cat Meme Token, $CAT, will be the cornerstone of the Simon’s Cat Web3 community,...
Channel 4 and Snapchat team up for Paris 2024 Paralympics
As the Paris 2024 Paralympics Games gets under way, Channel 4 has teamed up with Snapchat to launch a new AR feature on Channel 4’s Snapchat profile. Using the feature, fans will be able to put themselves into the heart of the action by trying out Paralympics events...
YMU appoints Coleman and Middleton to podcast and social strategy roles
Digital first agency YMU has unveiled two key appointments. Rhyanna Coleman, former Spotify executive, has joined as leader of YMU’s rapidly expanding podcast division. At the same time, Drew Middleton, former LADbible strategy head, will lead digital marketing and...
ITV diversity strand Fresh Cuts shifts to digital-first short-form model
ITV and MultiStory Media, part of ITV Studios, has announced the return of the Fresh Cuts diversity strand. This year, for the first time, selected talent will produce/direct short-form series which will air on streaming platform ITVX and ITV’s digital channels as...
Moonbug expands YouTube preschool hit Cocomelon into live action
YouTube preschool kids phenomenon Cocomelon is getting its first live action spin off. Called Melon Patch Classroom, the new series will focus on a popular character called Ms Appleberry and was revealed in a teaser trailer. Owned by Candle Media division Moonbug...
After a brat summer, get ready for a ‘demure’ autumn
While 2023 was the year of Barbie and the ‘swifties’, 2024 will be remembered as the year that Charlie XCX inspired a ‘brat summer’. Or will it? Just as the marketing community started dissecting the implications of brat, along comes a transgender influencer called...
Digital Born, Bred and Booming: panel takeaways
The Digital Born, Bred and Booming panel session at this week's Edinburgh TV Festival brought together some influential digital content executives to discuss their journeys, the challenges they face, and their strategies for staying relevant. Moderated by Laura Marks,...
YouTube continues to eat into traditional TV strongholds
YouTube’s emergence as the world’s leading streaming platform has been emphatically underlined this week by two new pieces of research. Firstly, the latest edition of Beano Brain’s 100 Coolest Brands Report has named YouTube as Generation Alpha’s (aged 7-14) favourite...
SiriusXM strikes mother of all deals with Call Her Daddy’s Alex Cooper
Liberty Media-backed audio entertainment giant SiriusXM has unveiled an extensive new multi-year agreement with global podcast powerhouse Alex Cooper, host and executive producer behind top-ranking podcast Call Her Daddy. The deal, estimated to be worth between...
Channel 4 races past 1.6bn social views in first seven months of 2024
Channel 4 has released data which shows its social audiences are growing rapidly. For the period from January 1 to August 4, the media firm passed 1.6 billion UK views, powered by a 331% increase in UK views of full episodes on YouTube. Across the year so far shows...
‘Olympic Influencer’ Tom Daley teams with Malibu on social campaign
Paris 2024 is widely acknowledged to have been a landmark for ‘Olympic Influencers’. With the International Olympic Committee relaxing the rules relating to social media activity by athletes, the likes of Ilona Maher and Fred Richard have emerged as global stars this...
Channel 4 and Brooklyn Brewery invite Kojey Radical to host Block Party
Channel 4 Sales has unveiled its first campaign partnership with Carlsberg in a social series for craft beer brand Brooklyn Brewery. The series is available on Channel 4’s YouTube, Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as on Channel 4 Streaming. Featuring British...
More speakers revealed for TellyCast Digital Content Forum 2024
TellyCast, the leading international TV industry podcast and events business and owner of The Drop has announced a second wave of speakers for the TellyCast Digital Content Forum 2024, Europe’s only industry event dedicated to the digital-first content sector. The new...
After Party nets Scenes recommission for Sky Sports
Production company After Party Studios has scored a second season of Sky Sports YouTube series Scenes, commissioned by Sky Sports Football. A digital docuseries, Scenes delivers a high-energy take on the match day experience for football fans, bringing them closer to...
The Sidemen unveil plans for Australian expansion
Social media stars The Sidemen are looking to expand their content creation activities in Australia. As reported by Mumbrella, the UK-based YouTube stars are working with digital publisher Common to support their growth in the market. The Sidemen have built an...
Snap Inc grows audience, revenues and Snapchat+ subscribers
Snap Inc, the company behind social media platform Snapchat, has reported growth in both audience and revenues for the first half of 2024. In its regular letter to investors, the company said it has reached “more than 850 million monthly active users (MAU) and 432...
Commissioning roulette vs digital content creation: Why social is the real opportunity for TV production companies
CoLab x Co-Founder Matt Ford has worked at broadcasters, social publishers, production companies, both traditional and digital, and with talent & creator agencies – he’s seen it all. In this exclusive opinion piece for The Drop, he argues that there is a golden...
New tech start up Retrograde plans to ‘democratise creator industry with AI’
Digital first entrepreneur and influencer Grace Beverley has launched a new company which is aiming to “democratise the creator industry using AI”. Called Retrograde, the firm is a partnership with seasoned tech entrepreneurs Jake Browne and Gary Meehan – and is...
Juve YouTube series heads for UK kids channel Pop
UK children’s channel Pop has acquired Team Jay, a digital-first animated series produced by Serie A football club Juventus in Italy. The deal is the latest in a line of traditional TV channels and streamers snapping up YouTube-originated content. The series...
Jake Paul’s W breaks records at Walmart, secures multi-million dollar backing
Leading digital first creators continue to be magnets for investors as they rollout new products into traditional FMCG product areas. Following in the footsteps of MrBeast (Feastables) and Sidemen (Best Cereals), Jake Paul’s men's personal care brand W has raised $14...
Little Dot Studios seals pact with Pro7Sat1-backed Studio71 and JOYN
All3Media-owned content studio and digital media network Little Dot Studios has unveiled a new partnership between its German office and ProSiebenSat.1-owned digital enterprise Studio71. The pact involves the launch of two factual-based channel brands on the German...
Digital platforms consolidate leadership over TV among young audiences
For the first time, less than half of UK-based 16-24-year-olds are watching broadcast TV in an average week, according to media regulator Ofcom’s annual study into the nation’s media habits. Just 48% of young audiences tuned in during an average week last year, down...
TellyCast Digital Content Forum launches buyer’s lounge ‘The Bridge’, with Quintus Studios attached as sponsor
TellyCast, the leading international TV industry podcast and events business (and owner of The Drop), has unveiled plans for a dedicated Buyers Lounge at this year’s edition of the Digital Content Forum (November 7th, BFI Southbank). Entitled The Bridge, the...
Digital creator investor Electrify forges alliance with aviation channel Mentour Pilot
UK-based Electrify Video Partners has invested in leading aviation YouTube channels Mentour Pilot and Mentour Now. Electrify said the strategic partnership demonstrates its “continued commitment to investing in informative and inspirational creators”. Mentour Pilot,...
Channel 4 and Vinted unveil new season of Second-Hand Showdown
Channel 4 and Vinted are joining forces for a new series of Second-Hand Showdown, a cross-platform factual entertainment series that focuses on second-hand style. The new season of the branded entertainment series will debut on August 12 on YouTube and E4, with new...
BGF invests a further £5.5m in digital media group KOMI
Manchester-based digital media business KOMI Group has secured an additional £5.5 million in growth capital investment from SME investment group BGF. This follows a previous multi-million-pound investment from BGF in November 2022. BGF said the new tranche of funding...
BBC Studios and Final Straw launch Date Me At My Worst on YouTube
BBC Studios and Joe Sugg’s Final Straw Productions have launched what they are calling “the world’s most honest dating show” on YouTube. Entitled Date Me At My Worst, the social experiment-based show is hosted by TikTok star Max Balegde. The premise of Date Me At My...
Clone Heads: How Objekt worked with C4.0 on its new doppelganger format
Alex Kempner and Bart Frank, co-founders of innovative production company Objekt, have established a strong track record in digital first content creation. Here, Alex offers some insights into Clone Heads, an innovative and irreverent two-part comedy game show for...
First speakers and date announced for TellyCast Digital Content Forum 2024
TellyCast, the leading international TV industry podcast and events business, has announced the first speakers and panels for the TellyCast Digital Content Forum 2024, Europe’s only industry event dedicated to the digital-first content sector. Returning to BFI...
Reconfigured travel brand LOST iN acquires BuzzFeed’s Bring Me!
Travel media brand LOST iN has acquired BuzzFeed's Bring Me!, which it describes as one of the largest travel and experience publishers on the internet. The Los Angeles-based company said the strategic acquisition will significantly bolster its content library and...
Cowshed Collective to develop original formats with Stand Out TV
Independent content creation company Cowshed Collective has unveiled a strategic partnership with Stand Out TV, to develop a slate of original programming formats. The collaboration marks a significant milestone for Cowshed Collective as it expands into creating...
Sky Blues add Fortnite map to esports and gaming empire
Premier League champions Manchester City have launched a new gaming experience called ‘The Ladder’ on Fortnite. To celebrate, the club is releasing content across its channels during the men’s first team pre-season tour in the US, with activations planned around...
4Studio’s Risley claims major hit for Minor Issues
4Studio managing director Matt Risley has lauded the success of Minor Issues, a new digital-first format in which a panel of kids rank and rate the performance of rappers. Risley said: “The numbers don't lie when it comes to social platforms, and we're chuffed to see...
Snap partners with VideoAmp to provide agencies with new planning tools
Social media firm Snap has announced a partnership with media measurement and optimisation company VideoAmp, which will provide agencies with new reach planning and measurement tools. The new alliance will allow agencies to scenario plan with Snapchat in mind, and...
Fed up of development hell? Then bypass the content gatekeepers
In recent years, I have had countless conversations with talented people in the TV production business about what I typically refer to as “guerrilla commissioning”. In simple terms, it’s a kind of DIY alternative to the tired, time consuming methods of...
BBC Studios extends FAST relationship with Samsung TV Plus
BBC Studios and Samsung TV Plus have unveiled the expansion of two leading BBC FAST channel brands in EMEA. BBC Drama will make its debut in the MENA region on Samsung TV Plus, while Top Gear is launching on Samsung TV Plus across MENA, Italy, Spain, France, Germany,...
Warner Bros Discovery signs up YouTube creators for Paris 2024 coverage
Warner Bros. Discovery claims that audiences will be immersed in the Paris Summer Olympic Games “like never before” this summer as a new collaboration between the US media giant and YouTube is set to bring the event to a diverse set of fans, expanding the reach of...
Digital-first content economy on a par with streamers, says Ampere
A ground-breaking new report from consultancy Ampere Analysis has underlined the significant commercial muscle of the digital first creator economy. The report set out to compare YouTube’s investment in content with the major US studios and streaming platforms. With a...
Strong Watch launches digital first Ranked format on BBC platforms
Hat Trick-backed Strong Watch Studios has produced a 6 x 15 minute digital series for BBC iPlayer and BBC YouTube. Called Ranked, the new short form series asks strangers to put their egos to one side and accurately rank themselves out of five based on a series of...
Little Dot Studios clinches output deal with The People Profiles
Content studio and digital media network Little Dot Studios has entered into an output deal with YouTube channel The People Profiles, starting with an initial order of 60 feature documentaries. The partnership will see the publication of originally produced...
Channel 4 Sales renews digital first content partnership with Ever Clean
Channel 4 Sales has teamed up with cat litter brand Ever Clean to deliver a new season of popular digital-first series Existential World of Cats. Fronted by comedian Abi Clarke, Existential World of Cats provides insight into cat behaviour, combining humour with...
Night Media shakes up studio division, parts company with leadership team
Night Media CEO and founder Reed Duchscher is revamping Night Studios, the production division that he launched in 2022. As part of the shake up, the Night Studios leadership team of Alex Piper (ex-YouTube) and Jared Jacobs (ex-Blumhouse) will leave the company....
BBC Studios Global Digital Brands makes key partnership hire
BBC Studios has named Devina Seth as brand partnerships director within its Global Digital Brands team. Her appointment is the latest within the growing division as it continues to expand its digital advertising offering, with a particular focus on social video...
After Party and Sidemen’s ‘Best Breakfasts’ brand partners with gamer Sketch
Creative production company After Party Studios and the Sidemen have joined forces with gaming and Twitch talent Sketch to produce digital content for Sidemen’s new Best Breakfasts brand. A tongue in cheek sketch, which is Sketch's first time fronting an ad, will...
Quintus Studios, A+E Networks EMEA, Spirit Studios in digital/ linear true crime co pro
A+E Networks EMEA and Germany’s Quintus Studios have joined forces with UK indie Spirit Studios to co-produce the true crime series Missing, Presumed Dead. The series consists of 10 episodes, each lasting 60 minutes, and delves into the narratives of real individuals...
The Sidemen team up with ITV Studios for The Chase: Sidemen Edition
ITV Studios’ quiz show, The Chase has teamed up with The Sidemen to merge traditional TV with digital content creation. The Chase: Sidemen Edition, launched on The Sidemen’s YouTube channel, and exclusive clips and behind-the-scenes content are featured on The Chase’s...
Former YouTube Originals’ Luke Hyams launches new prod co with The Sidemen Doc
Former YouTube Originals EMA boss Luke Hyams and Sunita Mirchandani Hyams have launched a new production company called Pangaea. The company's debut production The Sidemen Story has premiered exclusively on Netflix UK, capturing the remarkable decade-long journey of...
Little Dot Studios Expands Digital Media Network With 10 New Channel Brands
All3Media's Little Dot Studios has launched 10 new digital broadcast channels as it looks to expand the reach of its owned-and-operated network. Using data to identify cross-over areas of interest in audiences, the 10 new channel brands will increase Little Dot's...
YouTube: 4 Big Bets for 2024
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has just filed a opinion piece on the social media giant's blog site outlining YouTube's major priorities for 2024. We've summarised them here; #1: AI: Partner, not Overlord YouTube isn't afraid of AI; they see it as a tool to amplify human...
Snap Slashes Workforce by 10%
Social media giant Snap Inc., the owner of Snapchat, announced another round of layoffs, this time eliminating roughly 10% of its global workforce, or about 530 employees. This move follows a string of similar actions by the company in recent years, reflecting broader...
Jellysmack ties with Neil deGrasse Tyson’s StarTalk TV for Pluto TV channel
Neil deGrasse Tyson's StarTalk media network has expanded its reach with the launch of StarTalk TV, its first-ever live linear channel debuting on Pluto TV. This new channel marks a significant development for StarTalk, aiming to deliver 24/7 science programming in an...
YouTube a Major Threat to Traditional TV, Warns Evan Shapiro
Evan Shapiro, a media commentator and producer, has stated that YouTube is the most significant TV channel in the world and poses a serious threat to traditional broadcasters. During this week's Royal Television Society forum in London, industry experts predicted the...
Netflix Acquires ‘The Sidemen’ Documentary
The Sidemen Story, a documentary about the social media superstars, has been acquired by Netflix. It is the debut project from Luke Hyams’ production company Pangaea. Hyams was formerly YouTube's EMEA content chief. The documentary, announced by Hyams on LinkedIn,...
Caspar Norman joins Supercar Blondie producer as COO
Caspar Norman, former Chief Operating Officer at Barcroft Studios has joined Supercar Blondie media network SB Media Group as Chief Operating Officer. He reunites with former Barcroft Studios colleague Alex Morris, who is SB Media Group's Chief Creative Officer. ...
CoLab x Partners With Passion Distribution
CoLab x, the branded content agency founded by former Channel 4 and YMU Group executives Matt Ford and Maryam Hamizadeh, has announced that it has secured investment and strategic support from international content distributor Passion Distribution. CoLab x specialises...
Little Dot Sport and Team GB collaborate on digital original series
Little Dot Sport, the award-winning digital content studio and media network Little Dot Studios’ sport-specialist label, has been chosen to produce and distribute a new original content series for Team GB. Named ’A Cut Above’, the new 8-part original content series...
TikTok and Peloton strike exclusive partnership
Peloton, the connected fitness platform, and TikTok have announced a collaboration that aims to bring Peloton's workout content directly to the TikTok community. Peloton will have a dedicated hub on TikTok, #TikTokFitness Powered by Peloton, that showcases its...
Strong Watch Studios Snags LADbible Exec Bryony Hopkins as Head of Production
UK digital-first producer Strong Watch Studios has recruited Bryony Hopkins as its Head of Production. Hopkins brings a wealth of experience from her stints at LADbible, Cowshed Collective, and major players like BBC News and BBC Three. As Head of Production at...
Viral Nation strikes unscripted TV programming deal
Social media marketing, talent, and technology company Viral Nation has announced a new partnership with Canadian TV production company Buck Productions to develop original programming featuring Viral Nation's social media talent. The programming in development...
Little Dot partners with YCC for extreme weather series
Digital content studio and media network Little Dot Studios has partnered with Yale Climate Connections (YCC) to produce a 12-part digital-first YouTube series "Wild World of Extreme Weather." The series, hosted by US meteorologist and weather presenter Alexandra...
Latest speakers announced for TellyCast Digital Content Forum 2023 sponsored by BBC Studios
TellyCast the leading international TV industry podcast and events business today announces the latest speakers for the TellyCast Digital Content Forum 2023 sponsored by BBC Studios, the UK's only industry event dedicated to the business of social-first video....
Thom Gulseven and Ben Powell-Jones launch Strong Watch Studios
Former LADbible executives Thom Gulseven and Ben Powell-Jones, have launched Strong Watch Studios, a digital-first broadcast company backed by Hat Trick Productions. The company aims to "plug the gap between TV broadcast and digital publishing," according to Gulseven....
Little Dot Studios Partners with Living History Films
Little Dot Studios has partnered with Living History Films to produce a new digital-first series American Viscountess. With unique and unprecedented access, American Viscountess follows Julie Montagu, Viscountess Hinchingbrooke, as she visits friends and owners of...
9 Story strikes digital distribution deal with MonRae Productions for Dan TDM series
9 Story Distribution has acquired worldwide VOD rights (excluding UK and Ireland) to two new live-action titles from MonRae Productions: Let’s Game (100 x 5 min) and Challenge DanTDM (10 x 10 min). Both series target a 6-11 year-olds and have featured on Sky Kids in...
BBC Studios appoints Nat Poulter as VP of Digital
BBC Studios has hired Nat Poulter, former Co-CEO of global social publisher Jungle Creations, as Vice President of Digital - Commercial. Poulter will be responsible for building a cross-platform digital consumer proposition. In this new role, Poulter will be focused...
First speakers and date announced for the TellyCast Digital Content Forum 2023 sponsored by BBC Studios
TellyCast the leading international TV industry podcast and events business today announces the first raft of speakers for the TellyCast Digital Content Forum 2023 sponsored by BBC Studios, the UK's only industry event dedicated to the business of social-first video....
The Drop on holiday
Thanks to everyone for checking out The Drop since our launch 6 months. We're taking a short break to recharge and reset the batteries. We'll be back in a few weeks' time with more news, features and exclusive info on this year's TellyCast Digital Content Forum,...
Britanny Broksi launches YouTube interview format Royal Court
Social media star Brittany Broksi has launched a digital-first celebrity talk show format called Royal Court. Revealed in an interview with Rolling Stone, the news series kicks off on YouTube today (July 20) with special guest musician Orville Peck. Although the show...
Formats – the next frontier for digital content creators?
Over the course of the last six months, one central theme has kept coming up in The Drop’s stories – how can digital first content producers turn their creativity into cash? The answer, it seems, is multiple revenue streams, with platform ad revenue share, branded...
Pearpop links brands and creators with Boost Mode feature
Online platform Pearpop, which describes itself as a marketplace for social collaborations, has unveiled a new feature called ‘Boost Mode’. Designed to strengthen the bond between brands and digital-first creators, it allows brands that are active on the platform to...
Descript survey spotlights creative and commercial impact of Generative AI
Almost two-thirds of content creators have tried using generative AI tools, according to Descript, a US-based company that provides a state of the art full-workflow video and audio editor system. The eye-catching figure is one of several AI-related findings to emerge...
Cowshed Collective’s Ford and Hamizadeh launch branded content agency CoLab X
Cowshed Collective MD Matt Ford is launching a new agency that will “unite talent and brands through content”. Called CoLab X, the agency is co-founded by Ford and another member of Cowshed Collective’s leadership team Maryam Hamizadeh. Explaining the goal of the new...
Quintus acquires global rights to German digital-first reality format 7 vs. Wild
Quintus Studios, the international factual content distributor and channel owner, has acquired the international format distribution rights to 7 vs. Wild, a hit reality format that first came to prominence via YouTube in Germany. Developed by German YouTube...
Channel 4 spotlights digital first performance in new Annual Report
UK broadcaster Channel 4 has used its 2022 Annual Report to herald the performance of digital first platform Channel 4.0. Launched in October 2022, Channel 4 said that the platform has generated more than 42m views, with 75% from 13-24 year-olds. Commenting, Channel 4...
Little Dot Studios: 10 ways to make the most of YouTube Shorts
Earlier this year, Google-owned YouTube announced that its short-form platform YouTube Shorts had hit 50 billion daily views. There’s been no update since – but there’s no question that Shorts has become the most potent rival to TikTok in the digital-first short-form...
Manchester United expands social footprint with new Snapchat profile
English Premier League football club Manchester United has launched its first official profile on Snapchat. Announcing the news, the globally renowned club said it is on “a mission to inspire and entertain millions of fans around the world with new experiences that...
Endevr and Royal Foundation projects shine light on misery of homelessness
Quintus Studios has launched a new documentary on its Endevr channel that addresses the issue of homelessness. Called Poverty in Paradise, the film explores the homeless problem in Las Vegas just a few miles from the glitz and glamour of the casino strip. Quintus...
Insight TV partners Gatsby for Wu-Tang Clan digital-led production
Amsterdam-based Insight TV, which creates millennial-focused global channels, has unveiled its first-ever social-first integrated production: New York State of Mind. Created in partnership with Gatsby Shoes, the four-episode series delves deep into the life of Young...
Monrae lands new Sky Kids commissions featuring YouTube gamer talent
MonRae Productions, the content creation division of digital first agency MonRae Management, has won a new 40 x 5 mins commission from Sky Kids. Entitled Let’s Game: Worldbuilders, the 40-part order is an extension of Sky Kids’ Let’s Game franchise. Co-produced with...
PQR: The Drop’s Quarterly Review of Platform Trends & Themes Q2:23
2023 continues to be a transformational year for social media platforms – with Twitter under threat from Threads and Twitch facing a potent challenge from Kick. In The Drop’s second edition of PQR, we also look at TikTok’s pivot towards partnerships, YouTube’s foray...
Dua Lipa releases season three of At Your Service podcast
Popstar Dua Lipa has launched a third season of her podcast, Dua Lipa: At Your Service. The new season will include conversations with renowned artists, thought leaders and cultural icons – kicking off with Amelia Dimoldenberg, the red-carpet interviewer and host of...
Snapchat+ hits subscriber landmark…while Meta targets Twitter with Threads
Short-form social media platform Snapchat has heralded further growth for its subscription service Snapchat+. Released a year ago today, the service now boasts a total subscriber base of 4 million, marking a significant milestone. Commenting, Snapchat said: “a year...
Bengtsson upped to MD of Sidemen management firm Arcade Media
Victor Bengtsson (pictured) has been named as managing director of Arcade Media, the company that manages leading digital-first talent including the Sidemen. Commenting on his appointment as managing director, Arcade Media MD Bengtsson said: “Working with this team...
Runway secures $141m in funding to develop its AI-powered creator tools
Runway, a leader in generative AI, has raised $141m in its latest round of (Series C) funding. The company specialises in building AI-powered creator tools for creators. It cited backing from "Google, NVIDIA, Salesforce Ventures, and existing investors, among others."...
LADbible Group launches LADstudios into US, unveils debut formats
LADbible Group launches LADstudios, its factual entertainment division, in the US. According to LBG, the move will “cement the publisher’s ambition to develop original content in the region. This is to target younger generation on its platforms.” LBG stated that...
Night Media’s Reed Duchscher: A memo to creators
Former NFL manager turned entrepreneur and investor, Reed Duchscher is the founder of digital-first talent agency Night Media. Based out of Dallas, Duchscher works with leading social influencers like Dude Perfect, MrBeast and Preston. He has shared valuable insights...
TikTok pushes brand/creator collaboration via Creative Challenge initiative
TikTok is testing a new feature to enable collaboration between short-form digital-first creators and brands. It's called TikTok Creative Challenge, and it allows creators to submit video ads to brand challenges. They can receive rewards based on the performance of...
Morris and Wigley recruited to accelerate SB Media Group expansion
SB Media Group has appointed Alex Morris and James Wigley to drive global expansion. This is for the business which owns Supercar Blondie, a leading automotive entertainment brand. They have a community of around 95 million followers worldwide. Based in Dubai and...
Unilever and TikTok announce creator-led #CleanTok partnership
TikTok has unveiled a partnership with FMCG giant Unilever around its #CleanTok community, which the platform says has generated 78 billion views to date. Explaining the backdrop, TikTok said the cleaning-obsessed community “has taken the once mundane category of...
BBC Studios hires Twitter alum for social ad sales drive
BBC Studios, the commercial subsidiary of the BBC, has appointed Julie Mayville as director of social advertising sales, effective immediately. Mayville will be responsible for creating and implementing the commercial strategy and go-to-market launch for the company’s...
Gleam Futures makes bold stand against beauty filters
Creator and influencer agency Gleam Futures has called on UK legislators to toughen up the law relating to social media beauty filters like TikTok’s Bold Glamour. With the government currently preparing the details of its heavily-flagged online safety bill, Gleam...
Cannes Lions: ringside takeaways for digital-first content creators
The Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity was found 70 years ago by cinema advertisers – but these days you’re more likely to find execs from Google, Amazon, TikTok and Microsoft strolling along the Mediterranean seafront with delegate badges. While the event is still...
Jellysmack teams with Culture Genesis to support under-represented creators
Jellysmack and Culture Genesis have unveiled a $25m initiative to support under-represented YouTube creators and publishers. The move comes at a time when Black creators drive higher media value for marketers but earn 35% less than their non-Black peers, according to...
Twitter plans pivot to video, seeks to recruit creators
Twitter owner Elon Musk is planning to place more emphasis on video on the platform going forward. According to reports from sources including Reuters, Twitter’s new CEO Linda Yaccarino and Musk hosted an investor presentation last week where they discussed plans to...
TikTok forges alliance with IP-driven studio Candle Media
TikTok has announce a strategic partnership with Candle Media, the IP-driven company behind Hello Sunshine and Moonbug Entertainment. TikTok said the deal will “leverage Candle Media’s storytelling capabilities across its business units to launch new and inspiring...
Val Morgan Digital to rep BuzzFeed brands in Australia and NZ
Australian digital first publisher Val Morgan Digital (VMD) has signed a strategic partnership to represent BuzzFeed and its subsidiary brands Tasty and BringMe in the Australian and New Zealand markets. The addition of the Buzzfeed portfolio means VMD will now reach...
TheSoul Publishing is handed expanded digital content brief by Crayola
Digital content studio TheSoul Publishing (TSP) has extended its partnership with arts and crafts brand Crayola. Building on the success of an initial campaign that boosted Crayola’s YouTube channel performance, the expanded partnership will see TSP working with the...
Facebook adds Reels features and monetisation tools to win over creators
As the battle to woo creators intensifies, Facebook has released a series of updates that it says will make it “easier than ever to create Reels, build an audience with professional mode for profile and earn a steady income on Facebook.” Confronted by competition from...
Call of the Wild: Exploring Jungle Creations’ rapid growth with CEO Melissa Chapman
Melissa Chapman is CEO of Jungle Creations, a social first publisher that distributes high quality content across a portfolio of media brands. Founded in 2014 on the back of a single Facebook page, the company now reaches 145m followers. This is via brands such as VT,...
The Goat serves up marketing wisdom in digital-first culinary format
WPP-owned social agency, 'The Goat' has come up with a novel way of passing on digital-first marketing wisdom – a video podcast with a culinary theme. Called 'Served', the pod launched at the end of May, with a second episode dropped this week. In each video -...
Little Dot and Ascot Racecourse celebrate Frankie Dettori’s career in documentary special
Little Dot Sport, the sports division of digital content agency Little Dot Studios, has produced a one-off documentary for Ascot Racecourse featuring iconic jockey Frankie Dettori. The 25-minute special reflects on Dettori’s remarkable career and talks through his 77...
Twitch forced into u-turn over ‘bad’ branded content guidelines
Amazon-owned streamer Twitch has been forced into an embarrassing u-turn after attempted changes to branded content rules met with a creator backlash. The problems began last week when Twitch unilaterally announced new guidelines on how the platform’s users could...
A3MI to shop global rights for TV adaptation of online format Blue Therapy
Global TV distributor All3Media International is partnering with producer Luti Media. They are taking couples therapy series, Blue Therapy (working title) to the global market, leveraging various content distribution platforms. Based on the Blue Therapy YouTube series...
The Real World: How digital creators have diversified their businesses with IRL brand extensions
One of the key messages that has come through loud and clear since the launch of The Drop in January is that most digital-first creators/studios struggle to make a living purely from the ad revenue around their content. With vast fan-bases required to generate a...
LADbible celebrates Pride with football-themed episode of The Gap
Digital publisher LADbible Group (LBG) has dropped a special edition of its formatted series The Gap to celebrate Pride. The 26 minute episode sees LBG sit down with former professional footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger and current professional footballer Jake Daniels,...
Bridgstock joins Jungle Creations as executive director of data & product
Anna-Lee Bridgstock has joined Jungle Creations & The Wild By Jungle as executive director of data & product. Announcing the news, Jungle Creations CEO Melissa Chapman called Bridgstock “an absolute force in our industry” adding that “innovation and craft have...
Gleam Futures unveils new signings: F1’s Lissie Mackintosh and Sephy & Wing
Talent agency Gleam Futures has announced two high-profile signings to its roster of digital content creators and influencers: motorsport expert Lissie Mackintosh, best known for her profile in Formula One, and podcast creators Sephy & Wing, creators of the ‘Goes...
Pinterest unveils LGBTQAI+ content line up to celebrate Pride Month
Social media platform Pinterest is celebrating Pride Month by publishing a range of content that celebrates the LGBTQAI+ community. Key elements include partnerships with digital-first video network Tastemade and RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Sasha Colby. Pinterest has...
Lightricks study lifts the lid on creator economy: encounters enthusiastic response to AI and dislike of term ‘influencer’
Lightricks, a leading maker of mobile photo and video editing tools, has published the results of a study conducted in partnership with research firm YouGov. Based on responses from 1000 US-based creators, the study found that more than 50% of respondents are in...
Sidemen to open nationwide chain of Sides chicken restaurants
YouTube collective The Sidemen have announced plans to launch a chain of high street restaurants to support the expansion of their Sides fried chicken brand. All told, the group plan to open 10 restaurants this year, creating around 100 jobs. These will join two...
Free Spirit: Matt Campion describes Spirit Studios’ entrepreneurial approach to content creation
Matt Campion is creative director and co-founder of Spirit Studios, a cross-platform production company supported by Channel 4’s indie growth fund. Under Campion’s stewardship, Spirit has created TV series such as ITV’s The Stand Up Sketch Show and digital first...
Social media marketers are prioritising nano influencers and short-form video, says HubSpot/Meltwater report
CRM platform HubSpot and social intelligence firm Meltwater have published an in-depth report about trends in social media marketing across EMEA. Based on responses from 1200 marketers across different jobs and sectors, the report identifies key trends that digital...
MonRae Management signs Minecraft creator Bekyamon
Digital first talent agency MonRae Management has signed Brighton-based female gamer bekyamon to its roster. She joins a line-up that includes DanTDM, Yammy, TommyInnit, Bola Sol and Jenny Mustard. Bekyamon (real name Becky) is a Minecraft creator whose witty...
YouTube doubles down on Shorts and Posts by ending Stories
Google-owned social platform YouTube is shutting down YouTube Stories, a feature introduced six years ago as a rival to Instagram Stories. Going forward, the platform is seeking to push creators towards YouTube Shorts and Community Posts instead. In a blog post,...
eOne unveils podcast-to-TV partnership with Canadaland
Hasbro-owned film & TV studio Entertainment One (eOne) has sealed a first-look deal with online news/podcasting platform Canadaland. The goal of the partnership is for eOne to adapt Canadaland’s podcasts into scripted and non-scripted TV shows. Commenting on the...
Jungle Creations co-CEO Nat Poulter leaves for ‘new pastures’
Nat Poulter, co-CEO and co-founder of Jungle Creations, has announced he is leaving the digital first company to seek “pastures new”. His departure, flagged up on LinkedIn, means Jungle’s other co-CEO Melissa Chapman will now become CEO. Revealing his departure,...
Building A Brighter Future: Exploring Future Studios’ game plan with chief creative officer John Farrar
Future Studios, a division of Future PLC, has emerged as one of the leading content creation businesses in the digital-first arena. Formed following the £23.5m acquisition of Barcroft Media in 2019, it produces high volumes of content for social platforms, TV and the...
BBC3 greenlights VR-themed dating show hosted by influencer Olivia Neill
BBC3 and BBC Northern Ireland have jointly greenlit a documentary fronted by Northern Irish influencer Olivia Neill exploring love in the metaverse. The commission underlines the growing impact of digital first talent on the traditional TV business Produced by The...
Wheelhouse-backed Additive Creative signs new wave of digital talent
Additive Creative Partners, the digital talent management arm of media company Wheelhouse, has signed up a roster of new digital content creators. The division, which was launched in 2022, has added nine clients, including Lauren Kettering, Legit Tim, James Wright,...
YouTube used Brandcast to burnish big screen credentials
Google-owned YouTube used its hotly-anticipated Brandcast event to declare that “the universe of creators is growing every day. From 15-second shorts to 15-hour live streams, more creators are coming to YouTube than ever before—which means more fans coming to watch,...
Channel 4 launches season two of digital first doc strands Untold
UK broadcaster Channel 4 has unveiled a new series of its digital first investigation strand Untold, which features on C4’s in-house digital channels and YouTube. Aimed at 16-34s, the second series features investigations into topics such as breast reduction surgery...
Kai Cenat and IShowSpeed turn to Rumble for ‘creative control’
‘Free speech’ is emerging as an intriguing new battleground in the world of digital first content. Last week, outspoken right wing commentator Tucker Carlson announced plans to launch a show on Elon Musk’s Twitter, calling it the only remaining large free speech...
Understanding the UK creator economy: Eight talking points from the new TellyCast/K7 Media report
This month, The Drop’s sister platform TellyCast joined forces with K7 Media to launch a new report about the digital content ecosystem. Entitled Like & Subscribe: Understanding the UK Creator Economy, the report set out to provide a broad insight into this...
Banijay taps Twitter alum to lead digital diversification strategy
Banijay, owner of brands including Masterchef and Survivor, has appointed Damien Viel as chief digital and marketing officer. In this new role, Viel will take charge of the group’s marketing and digital diversification strategies, supercharging innovation worldwide....
Little Dot invests in Formation Games and launches TikTok-related series
Digital content agency Little Dot Studios (LDS) has invested in independent sports game studio Formation Games. As part of the investment, LDS has produced two TikTok series in anticipation of the launch of Formation Games’ inaugural game, CLUB, featuring sporting...
Dailymotion puts out call for content creators to reach 1 billion MAUs by 2026
French media giant Vivendi has announced plans to breathe new life into its Paris-based social media platform Dailymotion by wooing content creators. Speaking to newspaper Le Figaro, Maxime Saada, who is CEO of both Dailymotion and Canal+ Group, said the ambition is...
Musk tasks Yaccarino with transforming Twitter into everything app X
Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has finally found a CEO for Twitter, six months after he seized control of the social media platform. Taking up the hot seat at the end of June is Linda Yaccarino, former head of advertising at Comcast-owned NBCUniversal. When Yaccarino...
Meta explores new performance-based payment model for creators
Meta has announced plans to update and expand its Ads on Reels test, a move that it says will “make it possible for more creators to earn money for their engaging reels”. The move comes as leading social media platforms look for ways to build attractive monetisation...
LADbible study shows huge shift in Gen Z media usage and attitude to influencers
New research from digital first publisher LADbible Group has revealed that nearly half of Gen Z aren’t planning beyond the next 6 months. Based on a survey of 2000 18-24 year-olds, LBG found that Gen Z favour short-term planning over long term life events “to...
Passion doubles down on digital by moving UpStream
Tinopolis-owned content sales arm Passion Distribution has launched UpStream Media, a new business focused on digital rights management and digital growth opportunities, with the aim of maximising the value of content for clients and partners. Having built a roster of...
Proposed rescue plan values Vice Media Group at $300-$400 million
Latest reports suggest that a rescue plan is being worked out for Vice Media Group, which last week was revealed to be on the verge of bankruptcy. Under the terms of the proposed deal, the company would be worth $300-$400 million – less than a tenth of its peak...
Little Dot Studios partners with DTM for YouTube-focused expansion
German touring car championship DTM is partnering with digital content agency Little Dot Studios for the 2023 season to target new audiences and increase the digital global reach of the racing series. The collaboration will see Little Dot Studios’ German office...
Absolute Zero: Channel 4’s Sacha Khari outlines the strategy behind 4.0
Last week, UK producer’s association PACT held a seminar for its members called Beyond The Box. Designed to help film and television creators make the most of opportunities in the multiplatform world, it featured speakers from leading digital first companies including...
Sidemen plan for the Viewture with multi-million pound investment
YouTube supergroup Sidemen has signed a multi-million-pound deal with innovative investment firm Viewture. The financial injection will be used to grow Sidemen’s online presence and continue its expansion into real world franchising opportunities. Viewture provides...
Vice Media reported to be on the verge of bankruptcy
Vice Media Group, one of the pioneers of digital first media, is reportedly on the brink of bankruptcy. The company, which saw its valuation peak at $5.7bn in 2017, had been looking for a buyer – but its proposed price tag of $1.5bn has not attracted any takers. News...
Meta shuts down Facebook Watch Originals; Mina Lefevre on the move
First reported in Deadline, social media giant Meta has called time on its Facebook Watch Originals programme. As part of the fallout from its decision, Meta head of development and programming Mina Lefevre is leaving the firm. Lefevre joined Meta in 2017 from MTV...
DAZN’s social first subsidiary Team Whistle shifts into short-form
Team Whistle, a youth-oriented division of DAZN, has unveiled its first ever short form slate built in partnership with a new generation of up and coming creators hired by the publisher. The move follows the launch of its ‘Whistle Creator Programme’ in February. The...
Come Dine With Me franchise enters metaverse with Minecraft
ITV Studios label MultiStory Media and metaverse specialists Metavision have partnered up to launch Channel 4’s factual entertainment franchise, 'Come Dine With Me' into the metaverse, with players now able to go head to head to become the ultimate dinner party host...
Meta and Alphabet post Q1, 2023 results: Key Takeaways
Big tech financial results are like buses. You hear nothing for months then suddenly there is an outpouring of information and insights in the space of a few days. For this week’s download, The Drop takes a look at Meta and Alphabet’s latest headlines. Meta (owner of...
Paramount greenlights TV series from Australian digital first comedy duo
The Inspired Unemployed, a duo of digital first Australian comedians, have been commissioned to make a TV series for Paramount in Australia and New Zealand. The eight-parter will be produced by Warner Bros. International TV Production Australia. Jack Steele and Matt...
Drop ‘til they shop: digital retail platforms woo creators in bid to build social commerce business
The battle to secure poll position in social commerce intensified this week with BNPL (buy-now-pay-later) platform Klarna introducing new features ranging from AI-powered, personalised shopping feeds to creator shops. Klarna said the move would “cement the company as...
Channel 4.0 greenlights female fronted prank show, Tapped Out
Channel 4.0, Channel 4’s digital-first brand for YouTube, has surpassed 25 million views and attracted 104k subscribers, in just six months. To mark this milestone, the digital first channel has announced all-female line-up prank show, Tapped Out. Since its launch in...
Mars Wrigley boards FilmRise’s social media powered reality show Follow Me
US studio and streaming business FilmRise has joined forces with Venture 10 Studio Group and Mars Wrigley to produce a new reality competition series Follow Me, that shows fans what it takes to become famous in the social media age. Hosted and executive produced...
Buzzfeed cuts staff and shuts news site as downturn bites
Digital first content provider Buzzfeed has unveiled plans to cut its workforce by around 15%. Revealed via an internal memo and a stock market filing, the company said the reduction in workforce, which will affect around 200 people, “is part of a broader strategic...
Snapchat extends use of My AI chatbot to entire user base
Social media platform Snapchat is seeking to secure a headstart over its major rivals TikTok and Instagram by making its AI-powered chatbot My AI available to all of its users. Currently My AI is only available to its Snapchat+ subscription base. Unveiling the news at...
Plotting a path for LADbible Group: How the US, TikTok and brand partnerships hold the key to success for digital first heavyweight
Not many digital first producers and publishers have managed to monetise social content at scale. But one of the few to have done so is LADbible Group (LBG). This week, LBG Media released its annual report for 2022. For the latest edition of The Drop, we take a look...
Mansa, creator-first platform for global black culture, comes out of stealth
Leading black figures in the worlds of entertainment, tech and finance have come together to launch Mansa, a platform for global black culture. Mansa is described as a ‘new AVOD streaming platform’, but its ambition also extends to social first and short form content....
Meta-owned Instagram adds new features in bid to close gap on TikTok
Meta social media platform Instagram has added a range of new features to short-form brand Reels that digital observers say will make it look even more like arch-rival TikTok. In its blog, Meta said: “We strive to make Instagram a home for creators like you to express...
Evan Shapiro urges TV industry to wake up to the creator economy in MIPTV keynote
TV industry thought leader Evan Shapiro, professor of television at New York University, used MIPTV in Cannes to warn media companies against thinking in “silos”. During a keynote speech to delegates, he said content owners need to stop thinking about the “creator...
BBC Studios’ new ad sales function – an overview
Following BBC Studios' Social's launch of a dedicated ad sales team, we delved into the detail of the offering and how it benefits advertisers. What does BBC Studios’ new ad sales function offer advertisers? BBC Studios Social is now proactively offering a range of...
The Goat Agency to host TikTok vs YouTube Shorts live webinar
Leading social agency Goat is hosting a webinar later this month which will attempt to answer one of the hot topics in digital first media right now – what’s the difference between Chinese phenomenon TikTok and its rival YouTube Shorts? Aimed primarily at brands, but...
Digital Native: how Brandon B built a creator-led production company
Brandon Baum is a 23-year old content creator, better known to his social media fan base as Brandon B. With a total audience of around 9 million followers, Baum has managed to amass more than 5 billion global views in just two years. In late 2022, he established a new...
TF1-owned Newen Studios makes concerted move into digital first
Newen Studios, the content division of leading French media company TF1, has launched a new digital first division called Newen Digital. Underlining the TV industry’s growing interest in non-traditional media opportunities, the nascent business will serve as “an...
BBC Studios launches investigative podcast series Vishal
BBC Studios is poised to launch Vishal, an investigative podcast series exploring the long unsolved case of Vishal Mehrotra. The nine-part series drops on April 17th. The podcast investigates the disappearance of eight-year-old Mehrotra, who was taken from the streets...
Musk gives impromptu BBC interview, says Twitter “roughly breaking even”
Always unpredictable, Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk went from enraging UK public broadcaster the BBC to giving the corporation a warts and all interview within a matter of days. Speaking to the BBC via Twitter Spaces, he said that his colourful six-month...
TikTok owner ByteDance sees rapid uptake of new social media app Lemon8
ByteDance, the Chinese company behind mobile first phenomenon TikTok, is making waves again - thanks to the rapid growth of its new social media app Lemon8. Described as artsy and aspirational, the new content-sharing platform has racked up around 17 million downloads...
Pinterest names global head of originals
Social media platform Pinterest has strengthened its content team by appointing Laurel Stier as global head of originals. Stier joins from Google-owned YouTube where she has been global head of unscripted content for the last year. Speaking about the new post via...
ITV launches social media awareness campaign
UK broadcaster ITV has launched a new social media awareness hub, designed to help participants on ITV-produced or commissioned shows deal with trolling online. The hub is part of an ongoing commitment to duty of care for participants of its shows. Developed by ITV's...
Brand ambassador: forging authentic partnerships with content & talent
Sam Glynne is head of UTA’s Entertainment & Culture Marketing group in EMEA. Previously head of Global Branded Entertainment at Fremantle, she was drafted in last year to set up the EMEA branch. In her new role, she manages UTA’s brand clients and is building the...
100 Thieves pledges support for female content creators
LA-based gaming organisation and lifestyle brand 100 Thieves has unveiled a new programme designed to raise the profile of female content creators. Called Spotlight Series, the initiative will “empower women creators using the 100 Thieves platform”. Launched via its...
Snapchat launches AR-based omnichannel solution for businesses
Social media platform Snapchat has made no secret of its belief in augmented reality (AR), which it claims represents “a profound technological paradigm shift that is going to significantly impact businesses across nearly every industry”. With this in mind, it has...
KSI takes time out from social media after racial slur on Sidemen Sunday
YouTube star KSI is taking a break from social media after making a racist slur during a ‘Sidemen Sunday’ video sketch. The incident took place during an online spoof of Channel 4’s iconic gameshow Countdown and caused an immediate social media backlash. This has...
Channel 4 unveils roster of young digital first talent
In 2022, Channel 4 announced that it was on the hunt for fresh faces as part of its digital talent search – aimed at nurturing up and coming talent as well as finding the future faces of unscripted content. This week, C4 unveiled four young digital first stars. Each...
I want my MTV: Reimagining an iconic media brand for Gen Z
Cat Collins is VP, international, digital & social, MTV Entertainment Studios – part of global entertainment group Paramount. Having started out as an entertainment journalist, the last 15 years of her career have seen her develop her digital first skills at...
Gleam Futures signs up interiors influencer Toby’s Home
Talent agency Gleam Futures has added UK-based interior designer Toby Perryman-Payne, known to his growing fanbase as Toby’s Home, to its digital first roster. Unveiling its new signing, Gleam said: “A practicing interior designer, Toby has perfected the art of making...
BBC Studios launches ad sales function
BBC Studios’ social team has launched a bespoke in-house ad sales function to drive revenue across social platforms including YouTube and Snapchat. According to BBCS, the new ad solution means advertisers can now directly align with 90+ premium BBC Studios’ social...
Aux Mode provides free to use YouTube Shorts revenue calculator
Content monetisation, insights and IP protection consultancy Aux Mode has created a free to use calculator that shows how much money creators should in theory be making under YouTube Shorts’ recently launched monetisation programme. According to Aux Mode, based on the...
BBC Podcasts unveils slate of new and returning true crime shows
BBC Podcasts has announced the return of two popular true crime series: Lady Killers and The Lazarus Heist. It has also unveiled a new series called Killing Victoria, which takes an innovative look at the various failed assassination attempts against the influential...
LADbible goes ringside for launch of PFL European expansion
Digital first publisher LADbible Group has entered a strategic partnership with mixed martial arts franchise the Professional Fighters League (PFL). The collaboration comes as the US-backed PFL sets out to establish itself on European soil via a strategic joint...
PQR: The Drop’s Quarterly Review of Platform Trends & Themes Q1: 23
2023 is already shaping up as a pivotal year for social media platforms. Will TikTok be banned in the US? Will Elon Musk manage to revive Twitter’s fortunes? Can YouTube creators make money out of Shorts? In The Drop’s first Platform Quarterly Review (PQR), we look...
TikTok CEO meets US Congress in bid to diffuse political hostility
ByteDance-owned social media platform TikTok has launched a charm offensive to try and distance itself from accusations that it is a clandestine espionage tool for China. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew appeared before the US Congress in Washington DC on Thursday and faced...
Pinterest unveils wide-ranging video origination deal with Dotdash Meredith
Social media platform Pinterest has announced a year-long partnership with IAC-owned digital publisher Dotdash Meredith that will bring nearly 200 original videos to the platform, timed with key periods in the calendar such as wedding season and holidays. Dotdash...
Twitch CEO steps down; then new CEO announces 400 job cuts
Emmett Shear, CEO and co-founder of Twitch, has announced that he is leaving the platform. Speaking via the company’s blog, the head of the Amazon-owned streamer said he is stepping down to spend more time with his young family. Shear will continue to have an advisory...
Little Dot Studios acquires social media analytics firm Locowise
Little Dot Studios has acquired Locowise, a company that specialises in social media reporting, analytics and benchmarking to measure content performance and improve outcomes. Starting with immediate effect, Locowise move under LDS ownership, together with clients...
Channel 4.0 and e.l.f Cosmetics to collaborate on branded series
Channel 4.0, Channel 4’s digital-first brand for YouTube, has signed a branded deal with e.l.f. Cosmetics. Popular with teens, the brand, which is clean, vegan, cruelty free and Fair Trade Certified, will become the ‘official beauty partner’ of Channel 4.0. The...
Measure for Measure: Will we ever give up ubiquitous vanity metrics in branded content measurement?
After spending nearly 15 years at a TV broadcaster, the ritual of opening the ‘overnights’ every morning was a custom. These gave a clear indication of programme performance ‘overnight’ and its success and perhaps ‘failure’. We can all argue the toss about how data is...
Embattled Buzzfeed puts its faith in short form vertical video and AI
Digital media company Buzzfeed has reported revenues of $436.7 million for 2022, up 10% compared to 2021. However, the picture for Q4 2002 was less positive, with revenues down 8% to $134.6 million. Advertising revenue was particularly hard hit in Q4, down 27%...
MTV launches raw digital-first series about grief, featuring four celebrity guests
Paramount-owned MTV has unveiled a new digital series called MTV Faces. The four-part show, produced exclusively for MTV Digital, explores themes of grief through the eyes of celebrity guests Brenda Edwards, Jordan Stephens, Kelsey Parker and Roman Kemp. The...
Channel 4.0 greenlights social experiment format It’s Mutual from Future Studios
Future Studios, the video production division of Future Publishing has scored a new digital original commission for youth culture network brand Channel 4.0. It’s Mutual, commissioned by Catriona White, is a seven part, social experiment-style gameshow series. Each...
Jungle’s Engaged brings emotion and empowerment to toilet talk
At last November’s first-ever Digital Content Forum in London, a group of leading digital first creators gave sneak previews of original projects they were working on. One of the projects was Engaged, a female-focused short-form series presented by Jungle Creations...
Little Dot Sport picks up Team GB contract
Little Dot Studios’ sport specialist label Little Dot Sport has been awarded a YouTube channel management and paid media contract with Team GB, starting immediately. The two-year contract will see Little Dot Sport provide support on the management of the Team GB...
BBC Studios Audio hires new comedy talent for podcast and radio production
BBC Studios has made three new appointments working across comedy productions for BBC Studios Audio. Ella Woods takes up the newly created role of development producer, while Kate Dehnert and Cody Dahler have joined as staff writers. Charged with developing new...
Gamechangers: How MonRae helps digital first talent build careers
Bronagh Monahan is co-founder of MonRae, a talent management and production company that she launched in partnership with former Endemol exec Elspeth Rae in 2021. A singer-songwriter by background, Monahan established her digital-first credentials at Gleam Futures...
TikTok extends paid-for, long-form content with Series launch
TikTok has announced the launch of Series, its boldest departure yet from the ultra short form space it has become known for. Positioned as a premium, paid-for product, TikTok calls Series “a new way for creators to share their stories, talents and creativity while...
Dorsey’s Bluesky and Snoop Dogg’s Shiller crash social media party
Just when you thought social media couldn’t possibly make space for any more platforms – two come along in a week. First, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey (pictured) launched a beta version of Bluesky on Apple’s App store. Then music industry iconic Snoop Dogg and tech...
Jellysmack launches creator-led FAST channels on Roku
Global creator company Jellysmack is expanding into the FAST segment through a new partnership with The Roku Channel. The partnership will see the launch of two new linear channels, Hello Inspo and Mysteria, created around series from 17 of Jellysmack’s creator...
Meta launches 90 second Reels on Facebook, adds new features
The short form content market entered a new phase this week with news that Meta is now supporting Facebook Reels of up to 90 seconds in length. Until now, Facebook Reels have been limited to 60 seconds. The changes bring Facebook into line with Meta’s other social...
Audiences & Authenticity, Diversification & Data: How Social Publishers are building businesses that generate multiple revenue streams
Tellycast’s first-ever Digital Content Forum was held on November 30th at the BFI. Sponsored by BBC Studios, the event attracted a dynamic crowd of digital-first studios, broadcasters, branded content experts, social publishers, podcasters and video creators. During...
Former VaynerMedia MD Baumann takes a walk on The Wild side
Digital-first publisher and producer Jungle Creations has appointed Sarah Baumann as the new managing director of its fast-growing social agency The Wild. The news was dropped by Jungle Creations’ co-CEO Melissa Chapman, who said:: “As the agency enters its new...
Future tackles educational deficit with YouTube series Glow Up Your Grades
Future Studios, the factual content and video production division of Future Publishing, has launched a ground-breaking digital series aimed at helping UK students succeed in their English GCSE exams. Hosted by teacher, author and presenter Mehreen Baig, Glow Up Your...
ITV Studios’ long-running soap Emmerdale heads for the Metaverse
UK media company ITV Studios has unveiled a new research and development project based around its soap Emmerdale, in partnership with The Screen Industries Growth Network (SIGN) and the York University-based XR Stories team. Launching in March 2023 ‘Extending...
Immediate Media’s podcasts join Spotify’s Megaphone platform
Immediate Media has announced a partnership with Spotify’s podcasting brand Megaphone to host its podcast portfolio. From March 2023, Immediate-produced shows will be hosted and monetised through Spotify’s market-leading platform. A leading podcast producer,...
Little Dot Sport secures Rebel Team motorsports contract
Little Dot Studios’ specialist sport label Little Dot Sport has been awarded the social media channel management and asset creation contract for motorsports star Ferdinand Habsburg’s Rebel Team. The deal starts with immediate effect. Following a competitive pitch, an...
Cowshed Collective: Matt Ford on the new-look business
Last month, digital-first content company Cowshed Social relaunched as Cowshed Collective, a move which signals a new phase of expansion. Primarily positioned as a bridge between brands and talent, the new structure paves the way for closer ties with creators, a move...
StudioB seeks head of business development to build bridges with brands
Digital-first production company Studio B has kickstarted the search for a head of business development. The North London-based firm, which creates a mix of long form and short form content for social platforms, is targeting a mid-to-senior level executive who can...
Danny Robins podcast Uncanny to be adapted for TV by BBC2
BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds podcast Uncanny, hosted by Danny Robins (pictured), is being adapted as a non-scripted series for television. The series, which features real-life stories of supernatural encounters told by the people they happened to, will come to BBC2 and...
Online Video & Social Media are the new mainstream for Gen Z, says research
A new survey by Hub Entertainment Research has confirmed what many digital first studios already know – that online media has replaced TV as the preferred destination for young audiences. Based on data from 1,900 US consumers, Hub found that 13-24 year-olds are...
Meta launches broadcast channels for Instagram creators
Meta has unveiled Instagram Broadcast Channels, describing it as “a new way for creators to deepen connections with followers” at scale. Starting this week, the new feature is available to a handful of US creators including snowboarder Chloe Kim and streamer Valkyrae...
Snapchat targets one billion users in next 2-3 years, reaffirms faith in AR
Snap’s senior management team used the company’s 2023 Investor Day to forecast that its Snapchat platform will reach “over one billion people in the next 2-3 years”. Currently the digital first platform has around 750 million monthly active users. Drilling down into...
Get Yourself Connected: 5 key insights for brands seeking digital talent
Connect Management is a digital-first talent agency that currently has a roster of 130 creators and influencers on its books. Expanding almost on a weekly basis, its broad array of clients reaches 170 million+ followers globally and engages with over 400 million...
Frederator to create long-form series based on BuzzFeed short-form animation
Cross-platform animation studio Frederator Network, a division of WOW! Unlimited Media, has entered an exclusive content deal with digital first media firm BuzzFeed. The deal provides Frederator Network with the first right to develop and produce longform series based...
BBC Studios unveils wide-ranging content partnership with Snapchat
BBC Studios has announced a new content partnership with mobile-first platform Snap. Under the terms of the partnership, the BBC Group’s commercial subsidiary will deliver made-for-mobile, short-form content to the Snapchat Discover platform. Some of the content will...
BBC Motion Gallery partners ABKCO on Rolling Stones short form series
BBC Motion Gallery, the archives division of BBC Studios, has linked up with indie record label ABKCO to create a short form series about iconic rock group The Rolling Stones. The six-part series, The Rolling Stones Chronicles, launched on ABKCO’s Vevo-hosted YouTube...
Konbini deal with France’s 6Play flags digital-first opportunity on FAST
One of the hottest topics in the global content business right now is the growth of ad-supported FAST channels – a boom market in the US and Europe. Until now, the opportunity has typically been framed as a chance for TV studios and IP owners to generate a new revenue...
Pinterest forges video alliance with Condé Nast Entertainment brands
Social media platform Pinterest has unveiled a global content partnership with two of Condé Nast Entertainment’s (CNE) most iconic brands, Vogue and Architectural Digest. As part of the deal, Vogue and Architectural Digest will produce over 160 exclusive videos...
Creating branded content for social platforms
On November 30th at the BFI, Tellycast held its first ever Digital Content Forum. Sponsored by BBC Studios, the event attracted a sell-out crowd of digital-first studios, broadcasters, social networks and creators. With a diverse range of participants including the...
Laila Ali fronts A+E Networks branded content series with Ancestry
Female boxing champion Laila Ali is hosting a branded content collaboration between A+E Networks’ History Channel in the US and genealogy brand Ancestry. The short form series is being used alongside a series on the channel called History’s Greatest of All Time with...
YMU’s Hamizadeh joins rebranded and restructured Cowshed Collective
Digital-first content company Cowshed Social has rebranded as Cowshed Collective. The company, which specialises in targeting Gen Z audiences, has also appointed Maryam Hamizadeh as chief business officer and reorganised around four divisions. Commenting on her...
Jodie Whittaker in new digital-first FT Film about online safety for kids
Business media publisher the Financial Times has dropped a new digital-first film this week that explores the lack of regulation and responsibility for children’s welfare. Called Capture, the 15-minute drama features Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker, Paul Ready and...
YouTube Shorts hits 50bn daily views, as platform eyes social commerce
Social platform YouTube has reported an 8% drop in ad revenue for Q4, 2022 to $8bn – the result of a downturn in the economy. There was better news in terms of audience metrics, however, with YouTube Shorts recently hitting 50 billion daily views. The new figure for...
Social platforms outline plans for Black History Month
Leading social media platforms have been spelling out how they plan to celebrate Black History Month (February 1-March 1, 2023 in the US and Canada). TikTok has unveiled a dedicated programming line-up, including its inaugural Visionary Voices list. Explaining how...
Snapchat Snapshot: A quick guide to Snap Inc’s 2022 results and what they mean for digital first creators
Snap Inc shares plunged 14% on Wednesday after the company’s annual results came in below expectations. Hit by weakening ad revenues, the owner of mobile-first platform Snapchat reported tepid growth, reduced profitability and full year losses of $1.43m – its biggest...
Fremantle signs up AI firm Papercup to localize YouTube content in Arabic
Leading content studio Fremantle has unveiled a partnership with UK AI start-up, Papercup. In a two-year deal, Papercup will localise hundreds of hours of video content from Fremantle’s catalogue of world-famous talent shows into Arabic. Founded in 2017, Papercup...
LADbible Australia ramps up production around new YouTube channel
LADbible Group’s (LBG) Australian division is launching a new Australian YouTube channel and three locally produced digital first series. As part of the company’s expansion into the market, it is also opening a new dedicated studio in Sydney. The first of the three...
Vice set to launch TV series based on Twitter feed
Vice TV is poised to launch a new TV series based on a viral Twitter feed. Called Super Maximum Retro Show, the series is produced by Jimmy Kimmel’s production company Kimmelot and ITV America, and will launch on Tuesday March 7. The new series is based on...
Buzzfeed turns to AI to drive content strategy
Digital publisher BuzzFeed is reportedly planning to use AI to personalise and enhance its content, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal. The WSJ says that Buzzfeed CEO Jonah Peretti sent a memo to staff in which he laid out his vision for the coming year:...
Arcade reports stellar response to latest drop of Sidemen’s 20 vs 1 format
Digital talent agency Arcade Media has reported a strong audience response to the latest content drop from YouTube super group and content creators The Sidemen. Speaking via his LinkedIn post, Arcade Media director and The Sidemen head of content Victor Bengtsson said...
2023: The Year Digital Publishers become Digital Broadcasters
Thom Gulseven is director of creative strategy at LADbible Group (LBG), one of the leading creators and distributors of digital-first content. At time of writing, LBG’s portfolio of channels has an audience reach of over 1 billion and 361 million followers. Home to...
Google Play’s Tiam Lim (and Jack Grealish) join Roblox’s expanding team
Gaming platform Roblox has hired former Google Play VP Tian Lim to lead the product team for its creator group, the division focused on user-crafted games and experiences. Commenting, Lim said: “I’m excited to engage with the Roblox community of developers and...
VFM and NTV acquire Quintus Original ‘Beyond Borders’
Quintus Studios, the international factual content distributor and channel owner has announced two European broadcasters have snapped up a new documentary series created through the company’s digital-led partnership content funding model. Beyond Borders (5 x 60’)...
Snapchat unveils launch date for Jameela Jamil mental health series
Social media publisher Snap has dropped a trailer for its exclusive new series I Want To Get Better with Jameela Jamil. The one-minute sneak preview flags up the launch of the eight-parter on Saturday, January 28 and teases some key storylines. The show, first...
YouTube kids and family originals head Craig Hunter on the move
YouTube head of kids and family originals Craig Hunter is looking for a new post after falling victim to extensive job cuts at the social platform’s parent company Alphabet. All told, the Google/YouTube owner is planning to cut around 12000 staff. Revealing the news...
4 commissions Lime to produce new series of Hollyoaks IRL for social
Channel 4 has commissioned a new series of Hollyoaks IRL (In Real Life) from producer Lime’s digital division. A companion to the long-running C4 youth drama of the same name, the new series is available across Hollyoaks social channels. Hollyoaks IRL explores...
BBC Studios and EFG drop Game and Glory doc on YouTube and Twitch
BBC Studios and leading esports/gaming group ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) have dropped a new esports-documentary called Game and Glory. Launching on EFG’s Twitch and YouTube channels, the series unveils the personal side of pro-players Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev, Kaike...
Welcome to The Drop – the news hub for digital-first content creators
Launching today (January 20), The Drop is an online platform and weekly newsletter dedicated to the world of digital-first talent, content creation and distribution. It is managed by the team that runs the TellyCast Digital Content Forum, an annual event that took...
Gutscher joins Cowshed Social as head of production
Digital-first content production and distribution business Cowshed Social has named Joana Gutscher as head of production. Gutscher joins from rival digital-first studio LADbible Group where she was head of production, originals & branded. In her new role, Gutscher...
Little Dot Studios heralds vertical lift off in 2022 retrospective
Increased focus on vertical video has reaped rewards for All3Media’s digital content arm Little Dot Studios. Speaking in the company’s end of 2022 review, the company’s director of entertainment James Loveridge said “increased focus on vertical short form” had been a...
YouTube Shorts ad revenue share to go live on February 1
YouTube’s new ad revenue sharing model for YouTube Shorts is set to launch on February 1st, as the platform gears up for a monumental battle with TikTok. Guidelines are now available which outline how Shorts creators can monetise their content. The YouTube Shorts ad...
DAZN strikes five-year partnership with social media pugilist KSI
Sports streamer DAZN has unveiled a landmark partnership with social media megastar KSI and his promotional firm Misfits Boxing. The deal, in association with the Sauerland brothers, Wasserman Boxing and Proper Loud, will see KSI fights and MF & DAZN: X Series...
ASICS-based Mind Games project inspires Amazon documentary
Amazon Prime Video is poised to drop a new documentary that grew out of a social experiment from sportswear brand ASICS. Produced by Banijay-owned Beyond Productions, Mind Games – The Experiment will debut globally on January 19th. Narrated by Stephen Fry, Mind Games...
Meta introduces changes to protect teens from inappropriate ads
As part of efforts to ensure its apps are age-appropriate for teens, Meta has announced it is making changes to their ad experiences – effective from February. Among key takeaways, teens’ previous engagements across apps, such as Instagram posts and Facebook pages...
Vice Media Group opens Riyadh office to drive Middle East business
Youth media brand Vice Media Group is opening a new MEA (Middle East & Africa) HQ in Saudi Arabia this month. The company says that the new office in Riyadh’s JAX cultural district “will help expand Vice’s footprint in the region while bolstering relationships...
IMDb and TikTok collaborate on content discovery and sharing feature
TV and movie online database platform IMDb – which is owned by Apple - has forged an alliance with TikTok (www.tiktok.com) to help the social media platform’s online community discover and share movie and TV content and information. Powered by IMDb, TikTok has...
BBC World Service and CBC Podcasts partner on true crime podcast
The BBC World Service and CBC Podcasts are launching a true crime podcast called Love, Janessa on January 23. Available via BBC Sounds, CBC Listen and podcast apps, the eight-part series delves into the murky world of online romance scams to find an adult...
UKTV social strategy reaps dividends for Dave in 2022
UK commercial broadcaster UKTV says that its streaming platform UKTV Play grew direct-to-consumer views by over a quarter and added a further one million registered users in 2022. At the same time, a stronger focus on the platform’s social strategy generated a...
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Banijay Entertainment Picks Up global rights to digital first format The Infiltrators
Content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment (Masterchef, Survivor, Big Brother) has acquired the exclusive format rights for The Infiltrators, a heist-themed gameshow from Cowshed Studios, the production company within creative agency, Cowshed Collective. The deal was...
Joe Sugg: Pioneering Digital Content and Building a Media Empire
Joe Sugg’s rise from a small-town roof thatching apprentice to a digital content powerhouse encapsulates the evolution of online media. Known for his diverse content on YouTube, Joe is navigating the complexities of digital business, transforming his online presence...
Digital first megahit Simon’s Cat launches Web3 community and crypto currency
Banijay Rights has announced that Simon’s Cat (a Banijay UK company) and Web3 marketing and development agency Anonymous Labs have joined forces to launch a new Meme Token. The Simon’s Cat Meme Token, $CAT, will be the cornerstone of the Simon’s Cat Web3 community,...
Channel 4 and Snapchat team up for Paris 2024 Paralympics
As the Paris 2024 Paralympics Games gets under way, Channel 4 has teamed up with Snapchat to launch a new AR feature on Channel 4’s Snapchat profile. Using the feature, fans will be able to put themselves into the heart of the action by trying out Paralympics events...
YMU appoints Coleman and Middleton to podcast and social strategy roles
Digital first agency YMU has unveiled two key appointments. Rhyanna Coleman, former Spotify executive, has joined as leader of YMU’s rapidly expanding podcast division. At the same time, Drew Middleton, former LADbible strategy head, will lead digital marketing and...
ITV diversity strand Fresh Cuts shifts to digital-first short-form model
ITV and MultiStory Media, part of ITV Studios, has announced the return of the Fresh Cuts diversity strand. This year, for the first time, selected talent will produce/direct short-form series which will air on streaming platform ITVX and ITV’s digital channels as...
Moonbug expands YouTube preschool hit Cocomelon into live action
YouTube preschool kids phenomenon Cocomelon is getting its first live action spin off. Called Melon Patch Classroom, the new series will focus on a popular character called Ms Appleberry and was revealed in a teaser trailer. Owned by Candle Media division Moonbug...
After a brat summer, get ready for a ‘demure’ autumn
While 2023 was the year of Barbie and the ‘swifties’, 2024 will be remembered as the year that Charlie XCX inspired a ‘brat summer’. Or will it? Just as the marketing community started dissecting the implications of brat, along comes a transgender influencer called...
