MrBeast does not want you to mistake him for traditional media.

"I do not want to be Hollywood," YouTube's top star wrote in an employee guidebook for his team, adding, "Get rid of Netflix and Hulu and watch tons of YouTube."

The 26-year-old influencer, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, attracted an audience of hundreds of millions of viewers by optimizing for YouTube's algorithm. From posting stunt videos, such as burying himself alive to localizing his content with roughly a dozen channels dubbed in different languages, his ability to draw eyeballs has laid the groundwork for a global media empire. Even after scaling up and signing a deal with Amazon, he's held on to creative control through a hyperfocused founder-mode ethos.

"Obsession: I think that's how you can summarize him," says Brendan Gahan, the founder of the marketing agency Creator Authority. "It's like he can talk about YouTube and very little else. His knowledge base is not typical of most people's; it's very narrow and very deep."

Donaldson's distaste for the conventions of big media companies has gotten him in trouble — accusations of poor conditions on MrBeast production sets and internal staffer misconduct have created serious headaches, which the company recently sought to address through an internal review. The YouTuber scaled up so quickly by "not playing by the rules," as one former staffer told Business Insider. But as traditional media companies lose eyeballs to user-generated-content platforms like YouTube and TikTok, the MrBeast model, untamed as it is, can offer some useful lessons for Hollywood: bring creators into traditional media productions, give them a real stake in the work, allow them to be themselves, and produce content at a pace and style that feeds the appetites of digital audiences.

To get insight into the MrBeast empire, we talked with media executives both in Hollywood and at companies focused on creators, as well as people who have worked directly with Donaldson. We also combed through Donaldson's public statements and internal company documents, including a leaked MrBeast employee guidebook and 163 slides from a set of brand decks included in court filings. From our analysis, we landed on three key insights for traditional media companies trying to adapt to the rapidly changing media landscape. MrBeast's style may not fit the tastes of Hollywood's elite, but they'd better start taking some notes on his successful strategies — or risk getting left behind.

MrBeast is perhaps the most visible face of the creator economy, a fast-growing subset of influencers, vloggers, and media moguls who are taking on — and in some cases blowing past — the traditional entertainment power players. With a total addressable market of $250 billion as of 2023, the creator economy is thought to account for about 10% of the global media and entertainment industry, which includes print media, Hollywood, gaming, music, and more. Meanwhile, moviegoing has been steadily declining for decades in the US: The attendance tracker nScreenMedia found that the average American bought about two movie tickets in 2023, down from five in 2003.

Doug Shapiro, a media industry veteran who's now a senior advisor at Boston Consulting Group, estimates that while the creator media economy is a relatively small portion of the total media and entertainment market, it has accounted for almost half the market's growth. "It's going to be impossible for the traditional media players to maintain their same market share or mindshare in this emerging content economy."

But how? Big media companies' forays into building their own creator networks or making creator-led shows have largely been misses. (See: Disney's ill-fated acquisition of the YouTube network Maker Studios or the poor ratings of the NBC talk show hosted by the online sensation Lilly Singh.) And media companies have been distracted by the collapse of their traditional TV networks and the urgent need for streaming profitability. But in a global fight for eyeballs — especially those of the next generation — both MrBeast and the creator economy more broadly can offer some lessons for traditional Hollywood.

Rethink how you reward talent

For most of their history, Hollywood companies have assumed all the risk — and all the reward — of making entertainment. Talent, for the most part, was paid in a work-for-hire arrangement. Actors showed up, hit their marks, and let the system work its magic. This made sense in a time of sky-high costs just for the equipment required to get anything on film. That's all changed. Nowadays, anyone with an iPhone and a half-decent microphone can become a bona fide star.

Creators like MrBeast have taken on more of the responsibility for creating and distributing their content directly to fans. Instead of being one part of a larger production controlled by a studio, they're the lead actor, producer, director, and studio chief. This comes with more risks if a video flops, but it also gives the new crop of media moguls a greater sense of ownership over their work. In an internal MrBeast production guidebook, which we verified with two former staffers, Donaldson emphasized the importance of this ownership. "This channel is my baby, and I've given up my life for it," he wrote. He advised staffers to "take ownership and don't give your project a chance to fail," adding: "Dumping your bottleneck on someone and then just walking away until it's done is lazy, and it gives room for error."

"YouTubers are so attached to their channels," a second former MrBeast staffer said. "They've built them through blood, sweat, and tears for decades." The staffer, along with other ex-employees in this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect business relationships. Their identities are known to BI.

With a flood of new tech lowering the cost of content creation, studios should consider sharing more of the rewards with talent and offering them more developmental support. Some Hollywood A-listers have already begun to take new compensation models seriously: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's production company, Artists Equity, is trying to remake the compensation system by giving performers less money upfront in exchange for a potential larger share of a project's post-release profits, among other models. This also creates a symbiotic relationship that can prevent frustrated stars from striking out on their own and heeding the siren call of YouTube.

Sharing some control with stars goes beyond finances. Creators who control their shows can get granular data, such as how many people subscribed to their channel and viewed and liked their videos, allowing them to better understand what their audience is gravitating toward. Legacy media and big tech entertainment companies, on the other hand, keep a tight grip on that information. While some studios may eschew giving up that level of data, younger creators might appreciate more generous information sharing.

"The cool thing about YouTube is they give us super detailed graphs for every video that show the exact second we lose a viewer on every single video," Donaldson wrote in his production guide. "Whether it is production, creative, or editing, you must always know what minute mark the content you are working on is. If you don't, then you're not doing it right."

Take a creator-like approach to content

Hollywood is used to making a movie or a season of a show and then making the audience wait a year or two for the next installation or sequel. Take "House of the Dragon," HBO's "Game of Thrones" spinoff, which was released about three years after the original series ended. That's not ideal for young people who have been conditioned by social media to have an ongoing connection with the creators they follow. Many of these new media figures post weekly or even daily. MrBeast, given his high production costs, posts once or twice a month on his main channel but more regularly uploads other formats, such as YouTube shorts. Corporate media must adapt to young watchers' voracious appetites or risk losing them as their audience.

The easiest place for old-school studios to try out this consistency is with reality TV and game shows — two formats tailor-made for short clips and a high volume of content. Britain's ITV recently struck a deal with YouTube to distribute hundreds of hours' worth of shows, including "Love Island" and "Vera." The deal also called for ITV to create clips, compilations, and fan content around the shows. Lionsgate and Sony are licensing shows and movies to Gaggl TV, a startup that distributes them to creators to watch with their followers on platforms like Amazon's Twitch. Adam Harris, a Gaggl TV cofounder, said this approach had been especially popular with game shows like "The Price Is Right" that have easy-to-follow formats and are interactive.

Going beyond slicing and dicing existing shows, some in Hollywood are casting creators in original programming, blurring the distinction between social stars and traditional stars. Streamers such as Roku and Tubi are making films starring creators (Tubi's "Sidelined," for example, includes the TikToker Noah Beck) that can help them connect with young audiences.

"Over the last six months, the interest from platforms in top creators has undergone a total reversal," says David Freeman, head of digital media at CAA, the powerful talent agency. "From 2014 to 2020, it was nearly impossible to get their attention. Now they understand the undeniable need to cater to Gen Z — and that means creators have to be part of the next generation of IP."

As more digital streaming platforms start to look like YouTube, with thumbnails and recommendations for other videos, traditional media will also need to embrace some of the tricks that have helped creators maintain attention.

"Traditional media doesn't think about the fact that if your first 30 seconds suck, people will click away," the first former MrBeast staffer said. They added that directors would have to relinquish some creative flexibility in order to optimize their videos.

"This is the era of retention farming," the second ex-MrBeast employee said.

Stay true to the creator

While Hollywood has occasionally taken this advice and cast social media superstars like Lilly Singh and the D'Amelios in their own shows, it often makes the mistake of trying to fit these new-school personalities into an old-school format — a late-night talk show in Singh's case, or reality in the case of "Inside Eats with Rhett and Link."

Instead of trying to bring in new voices to enliven creaky concepts, Hollywood should expand its notion of what a show can look like. In 2014, Jonathan Skogmo's media company, Jukin Media, sold a version of its popular YouTube bloopers show, "FailArmy," to Fox. Skogmo says it worked because instead of trying to copy the network version of the format, Jukin hewed to the original more unpolished style. "We took what we did on YouTube and made a 20-minute show," he says.

In short, if you bring a creator like MrBeast to a traditional platform, let them be themselves (while making sure their set is up to code).

"If I'm not excited to get in front of that camera and film the video, it's just simply not going to happen," Donaldson wrote in his internal production guide. "I'm willing to count to one hundred thousand, bury myself alive, or walk a marathon in the world's largest pairs of shoes if I must. I just want to do what makes me happy and ultimately the viewers happy."

Traditional media companies must also let creators work authentically, even if it means spending more money than a budget-conscious production normally would. The former MrBeast staffers described that costs-are-no-object attitude as central to the MrBeast growth story.

Members of the MrBeast team "hold themselves accountable to making the best version of a thing," the first former staffer said. "They really care about doing shit right."

Hollywood doesn't need to adopt the creator approach wholesale — the new school can pick up a few things from the old school, too. Online media stars are increasingly professionalizing their output with help from Hollywood-trained talent and riffing on tried-and-true entertainment formats to make shows that could be at home on the big screen.

For a hit video inspired by the competition show "Big Brother," the YouTuber Airrack invited 25 strangers to compete in challenges in his house over two days; it got 22 million views. And industry watchers say Amazon's "Beast Games," the competition show hosted by Donaldson and his crew which capitalized on his fame to become the service's most-watched unscripted series ever, is just the beginning of a tighter merging of worlds. Netflix recently greenlighted a season of The Sidemen's YouTube reality series and launched a show by the kids educator Ms. Rachel — rare examples of YouTubers moving to a global TV platform.

"Creators want to embrace Hollywood to a degree and vice versa," CAA's Freeman said. "We're going to see more high-profile projects like 'Beast Games' coming from the streamers."

As much as MrBeast can teach Hollywood, it's clear his forays into traditional media are rubbing off on him. In a recent interview, Donaldson said he'd worked hard to improve his storytelling and didn't want to be thought of as "just a YouTuber that knows how to manipulate an algorithm."

And Hollywood, to its credit, is starting to meet fans on the platforms where they're spending time. Disney recently invested in Epic Games, hoping to promote its famous characters to gamers. Warner Bros. has started to use the popular gaming platform Roblox to promote film releases. These experiments have been limited by Hollywood's fear of losing control of how its IP is portrayed, but it would do well to embrace young people's desire to interact with the content, even if it means ignoring some unauthorized uses.

The lines between Hollywood and the creator economy are likely to blur over time. But as the creator economy grows, Hollywood must offer an attractive opportunity to creators or accept continued decline.

"The big question, though, is whether creators truly need the streamers when their audiences are overwhelmingly consuming content on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok," Freeman says. "Time will tell."

Lucia Moses is a senior correspondent at Business Insider covering media and entertainment.

Geoff Weiss is a senior reporter on Business Insider's media team.

Dan Whateley is a senior reporter at Business Insider covering social media and the music business.

• Disney is shifting its DEI work to focus on business goals and company values.
• The changes will impact content disclaimers and how executive compensation is determined.
• CEO Bob Iger has emphasized Disney's mission to entertain rather than advance an agenda.

Disney has become the latest company to make changes to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, as President Donald Trump's election has triggered a cultural shift across corporate America.

The company told employees in a memo from chief human resources officer Sonia Coleman that it was shifting DEI efforts to prioritize its business goals and company values, as Axios earlier reported. Business Insider confirmed the memo's authenticity.

The changes will also impact content advisory disclaimers that Disney began affixing to films in 2020, BI confirmed.

The memo said DEI would play a less prominent role when it comes to evaluating executive compensation, and the company is getting rid of Reimagine Tomorrow — a digital hub launched in 2021 to amplify underrepresented voices.

At the same time, Disney is rebranding its "Business" Employee Resource Groups (BERGs) into "Belonging" Employee Resource Groups, according to the memo.

Disney has previously found itself in the political crosshairs. For instance, Disney's former CEO, Bob Chapek, faced criticism from both the right and left over his delayed response to the so-called Don't Say Gay law in Florida.

CEO Bob Iger has spoken out against Trump in years past, though he's been quieter during the president's second term.

Disney has somewhat reversed its early embrace of diverse themes after getting hammered by critics on the right. At The New York Times' 2023 DealBook summit, Iger said his company's movies could sometimes be too focused on messaging over entertainment.

"I've used 'Black Panther' as a great example of that just in terms of fostering acceptance, or the movie 'Coco,' which Pixar did about the Day of the Dead," Iger said at the summit. "I like being able to do that, entertain and if you can infuse it with positive messages, have a good impact on the world, fantastic. But that should not be the objective."

Some close to Disney have predicted that in Trump's new term, the company could get even more conservative in its story treatment, lest it touch off another culture war battle.

Still, given its storied place in American culture, Disney seems unlikely to escape controversy. "Captain America: Brave New World" star Anthony Mackie was recently criticized for saying his character shouldn't just represent America (though he wasn't the first Captain America to do so). He has since clarified that he's a "proud American" while upholding the character's universal appeal.

Disney's upcoming live-action "Snow White" has also drawn controversy for reimagining the "seven dwarfs" as "magical creatures."

Here's the memo from Coleman:

Executive Leaders,

For over 100 years, Disney has entertained and inspired generations of families from all walks of life around the world. We create entertainment that appeals to a global audience, and having a workforce that reflects the consumers we serve helps drive our business. With more than 230,000 dedicated employees and Cast Members in more than 40 countries across six continents, Disney has long believed that the rich variety of talents and experiences our employees bring to their work is good for our business and enhances the experience of our global consumers, audiences, and guests.

Creating a welcoming and respectful environment for our employees and guests is core to our company culture and our business. Our values — integrity, creativity, collaboration, community, inclusion — guide our actions and how we treat each other. Today I want to provide an update on how our values are embedded in our leader compensation programs, specifically our Other Performance Factors (OPFs), as well as share some of the work that has been underway to evolve our talent strategy consistent with these values.

Other Performance Factors (OPFs): Beginning this fiscal year, we are adding a new "Talent Strategy" factor to our executive compensation planning. This factor will assess how leaders uphold our company values, incorporate different perspectives to drive business success, cultivate an environment where all employees can thrive, and sustain a robust pipeline to ensure long-term organizational strength. This new factor represents an evolution of important concepts in the former Diversity & Inclusion OPF and will be used alongside our other two OPFs, "Storytelling & Creativity" and "Synergy."

As many of you know, we have spent the last year partnering with stakeholders across the company to discuss the evolution of our strategic framework for advancing our commitment to being welcoming, respectful, and inclusive in how we operate so we are the best place to work. The resulting framework — which we released in December — is designed to align our initiatives with our business goals and company values, centered around four key pillars:

People: We reach and attract the best, most talented people around the world and foster barrier-free talent processes for everyone.

Culture: We purposefully champion a culture where everyone belongs and can contribute to our business success.

Market Reach: We create unforgettable stories, experiences, and products that entertain and resonate globally.

Community: We learn from and support under-served communities by establishing and investing in impactful relationships with organizations and business stakeholders.

As we developed this new framework, we looked at ways to enhance our programs and practices to strengthen our workplace environment, in service of our business.

While some of you are already familiar with what's new, we wanted to highlight some of the key developments:

New Online Destination: In December, we added our new framework to our corporate Impact website and the Belong hub on MyDisneyToday, with a focus on our above pillars and continued progress. This new framework, rooted in our efforts to enhance our employee experience, marks the evolution of the significant work done with Reimagine Tomorrow and succeeds that branding.

Employee Groups: Last year, we began the process of unifying and streamlining our global enterprise-wide Belonging Employee Resource Groups (BERGs) structure, and rebranded the "B" in BERG from "Business" to "Belonging" to highlight that our employee groups' role is focused on strengthening our employee community and workplace experience.

While this will continue to evolve, what won't change is our commitment to fostering a company culture where everyone belongs and everyone can excel, enabling us to deliver the globally appealing entertainment that drives our business.

Warm regards,

Sonia

• Netflix is exploring potential deals with video podcasters as it looks to its next phase of growth.
• YouTube's success with video podcasts has shown they're not just for listening.
• Podcasts could offer Netflix cheap content and ad revenue growth.

Netflix has spent the past two decades upending the TV business. Could video podcasts be next?

The company has been exploring deals with podcasters, four industry insiders familiar with Netflix's strategy told Business Insider. The effort comes as YouTube's rise as a living-room fixture and podcasting powerhouse has stoked interest from Netflix in creator content.

Last year, Netflix looked into doing a deal with Alex Cooper of "Call Her Daddy" fame, two people familiar with the talks told BI. Cooper ended up striking a deal with SiriusXM, which was reportedly worth up to $125 million.

Netflix declined to comment.

A top talent agent said that in conversations in recent months, Netflix insiders had warmed to the idea of tapping podcasting talent to host a talk-based video show, after previously expressing skepticism that the format could work on the platform.

"More recently, they are exploring: Is this doable? Which one would make sense for us? They ask about specific names," the agent said. "It's a way to get an amazing volume of content at a fraction of what they pay for scripted and unscripted budgets." This person, along with some other industry insiders, spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect business relationships; their identities are known to BI.

Netflix's past forays into talk-style shows have generally revolved around comedians and have often been short-lived. The streamer has not abandoned that approach, though. Last month, Netflix announced that it signed John Mulaney to a 12-week-long show, "Everybody's Live With John Mulaney." This follows the six-week "John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA" and other projects Mulaney has had with the streamer.

The effort to sign podcasters, however, is an indication of Netflix's general warming to the idea of working with creators, industry insiders told BI. In recent months, Netflix has welcomed YouTube-born creators, including the entertainers the Sidemen and the kids educator Ms Rachel, to its platform.

Video podcasts could be a natural extension of that effort.

"I could see a world in which audio only and vodcasts are streamed on Netflix so that they can offer an all-in-one place to keep users on their platform for everything," said Jessica Cordova Kramer, a cofounder of Lemonada Media, which works with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Meghan Markle on their podcasts.

Video podcasts can appeal to Netflix and other streamers because they are cheaper than traditional TV shows, their regular release schedules can build a habit, and they can boost ad revenue by adding additional inventory.

"We have spoken with multiple streamers looking to partner with us for licensed content," Cordova Kramer said.

Podcasts are increasingly being watched

Netflix is no doubt seeing how YouTube has become the top platform for podcasts. It beat out Spotify and Apple as of the fourth quarter of 2024, Edison Research found. Creators such as Tana Mongeau and Logan Paul, in turn, are chasing the podcast boom by creating their own shows, which has helped expand their business through touring, merch, and more.

Many podcasts, especially those of the talk variety, also now have video components. Edison found that 89% of weekly Gen Z podcast listeners watched (or listened to) podcasts with video as of the end of 2024. YouTube said people watched 400 million hours of podcasts on televisions in 2024 via its platform.

This trend has drawn the format closer to the daytime and late-night talk shows that have been on TV for decades, said Ray Chao, Vox Media's senior vice president and general manager for audio and digital video.

Chao said that TV companies other than Netflix had already sought out talk shows that began in the digital realm. He pointed to Pat McAfee at ESPN and "Hot Ones" at Hulu. Chao declined to comment on Vox Media's active business opportunities in the space.

Industry insiders said more streamers entering the fray could be a boon for the podcast industry.

"Podcasting has sort of been through a lot the last 18 months," the Pave Studios founder Max Cutler said, citing Apple's iOS 17 update, which changed podcast downloads and impacted ads. "Having someone like Netflix come in will really help grow the overall pie of listenership and viewership."

What does Netflix want?

Industry insiders said they see Netflix deals going a few ways. Netflix could license existing podcasts and forego exclusivity, as it did with "The Amazing Digital Circus," a popular YouTube show that came to Netflix in October.

Netflix may also want to have something unique, three people familiar with its efforts said. In the case of Cooper, Netflix expressed interest in creating original shows around the star, one of the people familiar with the talks said. A model could be something like Max's "SmartLess: On The Road," a show based on Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes' popular podcast.

Netflix could even want shows all to itself — or at least exclusively for a certain time period before they're available on YouTube. It could also offer subscribers an ad-free version as an advantage over the YouTube version, or seek out ancillary content from hosts beyond the core podcast property.

None of the insiders who spoke with BI thought Netflix was on the verge of challenging YouTube anytime soon. But some saw a day when Netflix might offer a creator-led section or free version of its service, which could eat into YouTube's dominance.

One challenge in the short term: Netflix will likely want to enter the podcast business with the biggest creators, and there aren't many available.

Notables like Cooper, the "SmartLess" guys, and Dax Shepard have already been snapped up in eye-popping deals. One candidate is Kylie Kelce, Jason Kelce's wife, who at one point passed Joe Rogan as the most popular on Apple and Spotify. Or Netflix might look to those who could build on its comedy vertical, like Tony Hinchcliffe, who hosted Netflix's "Netflix Is a Joke" comedy festival.

Still, industry insiders generally said they felt it was only a matter of time before more of these deals got done.

"If the first round of huge podcast expansion and acquisitions came from the Spotifys, the Siriuses, the Amazons of the world, the next round is probably going to come from the streamers," Cutler said.

Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, the CEO of Business Insider's parent company, is a Netflix board member.

• It's not just "Beast Games." Streamers are ramping up the search for influencer-led content.
• Agents, producers, and creator-side execs report an uptick in interest, mostly in unscripted shows.
• Warner Bros. Discovery's Max unveiled on Thursday a reality series starring Jake and Logan Paul.

YouTube superstar Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson made a splash in December with his Amazon Prime Video series, "Beast Games," but he's not the only creator being courted by Hollywood. Industry insiders tell Business Insider that streaming services and studios have been on the hunt for influencer-fronted content in recent months.

Donaldson's reality competition show was a big bet for Amazon. Donaldson has said the show cost more than $100 million to make. While the show drew controversy over its filming conditions in the lead-up to its release, that didn't seem to dent its reach. "Beast Games" got 50 million viewers in its first 25 days, becoming Amazon's second-biggest series debut of 2024 after "Fallout," the company said.

The show's success with viewers comes as agents, producers, and creator-side executives tell BI they've seen a general uptick in studios and streamers wanting to work with creators. Buyers' mandates change frequently, but in recent months, they've expressed interest in creator-led travel and sports projects and ways to use YouTube talent in live entertainment. Industry insiders said most of the calls are for unscripted projects.

"You're going to see more opportunity for creators to get bigger platforms and work with bigger media companies," said Jon Skogmo, the CEO of Lost iN, a creator-driven media company. "I know they're being pitched for shows by independent producers."

The market has been building over the past few years, said Ed Simpson, the chief strategy officer at Wheelhouse Entertainment. His company produced the "Hype House" series at Netflix and projects starring David Dobrik and Mark Rober for Discovery+.

The talent manager Lisa Filipelli said she'd seen increased interest in creator-driven projects following the success of Hulu's 2024 series "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," which she executive produced.

Despite the upswing, Simpson added that creator-driven content makes up a small fraction of nonscripted show commissions.

Adam Wescott — who most recently produced the Fox-owned Tubi romcom "Sidelined: The QB and Me," starring TikToker Noah Beck — said the space still feels somewhat "piecemeal" with one-off tests rather than comprehensive deals between streamers and creators.

But he feels the tides are turning.

"I see this convergence of what's happening in our world and what's happening in the old world, and at some point, there has to be a real leveling," he said.

An increasingly crowded sandbox

"Beast Games" joined a growing number of creator-fueled entertainment projects on streaming services.

Netflix, for one, has been mining YouTube for talent.

"I do find that the short-form services also are a great breeding ground for new storytellers," co-CEO Ted Sarandos said on the company's fourth-quarter earnings call.

Netflix recently aired a Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight that saw 65 million households tune in, and it wants to do more creator-led live entertainment. And Warner Bros. Discovery's Max is building on that momentum, unveiling on Thursday a reality show starring Jake and his brother, Logan Paul, titled "Paul American." It arrives on the streamer in March.

Netflix also greenlighted a new season of The Sidemen's reality series and announced it's bringing on a four-episode season of the kids' educator Ms. Rachel. It also sees YouTube as a source of animation, picking up hits "CocoMelon" and dark comedy "The Amazing Digital Circus."

A top unscripted agent said Netflix had discussed putting podcast interviews on the platform. These could serve as a new spin on the talk show format. This agent, along with some other industry insiders, spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect business relationships; their identities are known to BI.

The unscripted agent said Amazon had been slow to move forward on buying decisions but wants to do more with creators, preferably something with a large built-in audience. This person said the streamer was encouraged by the audience "Beast Games" attracted with relatively little promotion.

"When they take a swing, they want to take a really big swing," the agent said.

At Disney, there's interest in casting creators in shows built around its IP, an unscripted buyer told BI.

"They realized their audience has a large crossover with the audience that's watching YouTube and ingesting all this TikTok and Instagram content," this person said.

More and more, the lines between creator and traditional content are blurring, Ross Benes, a senior analyst at EMARKETER, said. Creator production quality has improved, and cost-conscious streamers have increasingly leaned into more low-budget reality content.

Creators are even making their own films. For example, the cult horror hit "Talk to Me" was directed by Australian YouTube twin duo RackaRacka and released in the US by A24.

Can studios avoid mistakes of the past?

Big media has had some misses when it comes to creators. See: Disney's ill-fated acquisition of YouTube network Maker Studios and NBC's short-lived Lilly Singh talk show.

Hollywood insiders said that recently, such companies have started seeking out creators for their ideas rather than simply looking for a piece of their audiences.

Netflix is looking at YouTubers as producers as well as on-screen talent, the unscripted agent said.

Streamers generally feel that creator-led projects work best if the creators play themselves. One result of that thinking has been interest in game shows and reality shows like Amazon's competition show "Buy It Now," which cast creators as hosts and judges.

Filipelli said that a "co-viewing experience" on social media that can tap into offscreen drama can also provide fuel.

"People want to know how things got made," she said. "They want to know who's hooking up with who. If you don't have artists who are going to give that to you, it becomes less interesting."

Still, there are limits to the relationship on both sides.

Creators often want data and interactivity that streamers can't or won't always give them. They can sometimes chafe at being behind a paywall or the time a traditional production takes.

A producer who's working with creators said streamers are also only cracking open the door to certain influencers.

"Almost to a T, all the platforms are being run by people with a legacy mindset, and they're only open to creators with 20 million or more followers," this person said. "It's a little grudging. It's, who has billboard value?"

Wescott said he felt less-entrenched players might have more appetite for risk.

"If anyone's going to do it, it's going to be the Tubis or the Rokus or even Pluto TV — the people that are fighting for eyeballs, and they see where it's all headed as far as younger audience and where their attention is," he said.

• More than 400 Washington Post staffers are urging Jeff Bezos to meet with the paper's leaders.
• The letter says integrity and transparency issues have caused staff departures.
• The Post has faced subscriber losses and leadership scrutiny under CEO Will Lewis.

More than 400 Washington Post staffers sent a letter to the paper's owner, Jeff Bezos, asking him to intervene after a year of crises.

The letter asked Bezos, who has owned the paper since 2013, to come to the Post and meet with its leaders.

"We are deeply alarmed by recent leadership decisions that have led readers to question the integrity of this institution, broken with a tradition of transparency, and prompted some of our most distinguished colleagues to leave, with more departures imminent," the letter says. "This goes far beyond the issue of the presidential endorsement, which we recognize as the owner's prerogative. This is about retaining our competitive edge, restoring trust that has been lost, and reestablishing a relationship with leadership based on open communication."

One newsroom insider called it notable for its representation of nonunion as well as union signatories.

"It ratchets up the pressure," said this person, who, like some others, spoke on condition of anonymity to speak freely about internal matters. Their identity is known to Business Insider.

Since Bezos bought the paper, the Amazon executive chairman has had regular meetings with the business side but largely stayed out of the news coverage.

"From the very beginning, he told us he wouldn't be involved in any way in the newsroom, or be a hands-on owner," the Post insider said. "Our Amazon coverage has been aggressive, and he's never pushed back. I think the plea now is to get him involved now to establish some leadership in the newsroom."

The Post has been battered by a string of recent crises under Will Lewis, its publisher and CEO. NPR reported that the outlet lost a significant number of subscribers after announcing — just days before the US presidential election in November — that it wouldn't endorse a candidate. That decision broke with 40 years of tradition and came after a Kamala Harris endorsement had been planned.

Bezos later explained the decision in an opinion column, saying many people believe the media is biased and presidential endorsements don't help.

A second Post insider, who is familiar with the subscription numbers, said the paper had won back at least 20% of the subscriptions it lost after the endorsement situation. They said nearly three-fourths of those people who canceled are still using the site while their subscriptions remain active.

Since the endorsement controversy, a number of high-profile newsroom figures have defected.

They include a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, who quit after the paper declined to publish her cartoon that portrayed Bezos and other media and tech CEOs sucking up to a statue of President-elect Donald Trump. David Shipley, the Post's opinion editor, said at the time that he rejected the cartoon because the paper had already published a column on the same topic and that another was scheduled for publication.

A third Post insider described a nihilistic feeling at the company amid the talent exodus. They said they felt it would be hard for the paper to move forward under Bezos' ownership in a second Trump administration, given credibility issues with some left-leaning readers.

"A lot of really good institutions are going to have a really hard time in the Trump administration, from higher education to journalism," this person said. "And I think the Post, in part because of our own doing, is one of the first to have its walls shook really, really hard."

Lewis earlier faced scrutiny when he replaced the top editor, Sally Buzbee, last year, and then his choice of replacement backed out. He also faced questions over his actions during the aftermath of a UK phone-hacking scandal.

Not all Post staffers are in agreement with the petition. Another staffer, the sports columnist Sally Jenkins, said the Post's biggest problem is the underlying business challenges facing it and other legacy media.

"I think the Post is in the middle of trying to find solutions, and it takes a lot of time," she said. "Would I love it if Jeff Bezos came to the newsroom? Sure. I just think things are much more complicated than, 'Oh, things will be fine if Jeff Bezos comes in and talks to some editors.'"

Like many other news outlets, the paper has struggled on the revenue side. Last week, it began laying off 4% of staff on the business side, Reuters reported.

Here's the full text of the letter:

To Jeff Bezos:

You recently wrote that ensuring the long-term success and editorial independence of this newspaper is essential. We agree, and we believe you take as much pride in The Washington Post as we do.

We are deeply alarmed by recent leadership decisions that have led readers to question the integrity of this institution, broken with a tradition of transparency, and prompted some of our most distinguished colleagues to leave, with more departures imminent. This goes far beyond the issue of the presidential endorsement, which we recognize as the owner's prerogative. This is about retaining our competitive edge, restoring trust that has been lost, and reestablishing a relationship with leadership based on open communication.

We urge you to come to our office and meet with Post leaders, as you have in the past, about what has been happening at The Post. We understand the need for change, and we are eager to deliver the news in innovative ways. But we need a clear vision we can believe in.

We are committed to pursuing independent journalism that holds power to account and to reporting the news without fear or favor. That will never change. Nothing will shake our determination to follow the reporting wherever it leads.

As you wrote when you first became The Post's owner in 2013, "The values of The Post do not need changing." We urge you to stand with us in reaffirming those values.

Signed,

Staffers of The Washington Post

• Rashida Jones has stepped down as president of MSNBC.
• Rebecca Kutler will succeed her as interim president.
• The left-leaning network faces an uncertain future as it heads toward a spinoff and a new Trump era.

MSNBC's president, Rashida Jones, has stepped down, she said in a memo to staff distributed Tuesday and viewed by Business Insider.

The change comes amid ratings struggles for the network and days before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

A memo from Mark Lazarus, the chairman of NBCUniversal's media group, said Rebecca Kutler, a senior vice president of content strategy, would become the interim president of the left-leaning news network.

Kutler joined MSNBC in 2022 after two decades at CNN. At MSNBC, she's been behind marquee programs, including "Inside with Jen Psaki" and "The Weekend," and the launch of "MSNBC Live," a live events series. She has also led the network's digital growth and expanded its audio offerings.

MSNBC is among the NBCUniversal networks, along with CNBC, E!, Oxygen, and others, that its parent company, Comcast, plans to spin off in the coming year. Comcast positioned the move as a way to grow both organically and by acquiring other cable networks.

Jones started in the role in 2021, at the start of the Biden administration. She was the first Black executive to lead a major news network and presided over early ratings successes. The situation has changed recently. Ratings for MSNBC and CNN have fallen since the presidential election in November. Meanwhile, Fox has surged.

Jones said that the decision to step down was hers and that she was asked to stay on for a transitional period.

"I came to this decision over the holidays while reflecting on our remarkable journey and the many successes we've achieved together as a team," she wrote in the memo to MSNBC staff. "This has been the most rewarding chapter of my professional career and I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished, which has been made possible only by you."

Had Jones stayed, she would have reported to a new boss, Lazarus, who was tapped to lead the new company. Cesar Conde will stay on as the NBCUniversal News Group chair but lose the cable network as part of the transition.

MSNBC faces an uncertain future under Trump 2.0. It just brought back its star, Rachel Maddow, five days a week to cover the first 100 days of Trump's new administration. The move could give the network a much-needed ratings boost.

Lazarus also told staff during a meeting Tuesday that MSNBC would keep its name, acknowledging that was a question out there, according to an audio transcript viewed by BI.

One former MSNBC executive said they felt that running the network was an "impossible situation." They asked for anonymity to protect business relationships; their identity is known to BI.

"Resistance TV is less important," this person said. "The challenge will be how will the network appear more down the middle without losing their audience? The shrinking linear marketplace and rapidly evolving political environment have created a perfect storm."

Here's Lazarus' full memo to MSNBC staff:

All,

As Rashida announced this morning, she has made the decision to step down as president of MSNBC after an extraordinary tenure leading the network.

I first met Rashida in 2018, and since then, I have been impressed by her business successes, exceptional producing skills and sharp editorial instincts.

Rashida has expertly navigated MSNBC through a years-long, unrelenting and unprecedented news cycle, all while driving the network to record viewership and making investments in nonlinear businesses. MSNBC is well-positioned for the future, and I am grateful that she will continue to support us during this transition.

Effective immediately, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Rebecca Kutler as the interim president of MSNBC, reporting directly to me. Rebecca is the ideal leader to guide us through this moment, and I look forward to collaborating with her as we shape our collective future together.

Since joining MSNBC in 2022, Rebecca has been a catalyst for growth across our digital, social, and audio platforms, resulting in across-the-board record audience engagement. She is a highly respected industry veteran with decades of experience in executive producing, news programming, and business development. With Rebecca's track record of driving the development and expansion of several of the network's marquee programs, it's no surprise she was recently promoted to oversee all of dayside.

Please join me in expressing our gratitude to Rashida for her invaluable contributions to MSNBC and in congratulating Rebecca on her well-deserved appointment.

Mark Lazarus

• Disney brought the magic in 2024, but it isn't out of the woods just yet.
• Streaming turned a profit for the first time, and it righted the ship at the box office.
• While CEO Bob Iger won a proxy battle, Trump's second term now looms.

After a string of challenges, Disney brought the magic in 2024.

It wasn't long ago that CEO Bob Iger was battling an expensive proxy fight, creative challenges, and streaming business losses.

Iger has put many of those concerns behind him. Disney fended off activist shareholder Nelson Peltz. And he addressed two areas that have been a big concern for Wall Street: returning the film division to profits with "Inside Out 2" and "Deadpool & Wolverine," and turning the corner in its streaming business.

On a fourth-quarter earnings call in November, a confident Iger projected rosy earnings all the way out to 2027 and was rewarded with a 9% surge in Disney's stock price.

Perhaps most important, after a botched succession in 2020, the company reassured critics that it's on track to name Iger's replacement in early 2026.

Disney isn't out of the woods just yet. It still faces the ongoing decline of its linear TV business. With another ESPN streamer in the works, its streaming offerings are multiplying, which risks consumer confusion. And some insiders have worried that a returning President Donald Trump could lead to retribution — or a chilling effect on the company's creative output and journalism — after Iger and Trump publicly sparred during Trump's first term.

Meanwhile, here's a look back at Disney's biggest wins of the past year:

For the first time, its streaming business became profitable

Disney turned a crucial corner with its streaming business in 2024.

Services like Hulu and Disney+ generated a small but noteworthy profit — to the tune of $47 million — for the first time in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, that figure grew to $321 million.

Subscription price hikes were key. The basic price for Disney+ is now $16 a month, compared to $7 when it launched in 2019. Iger said on a call with investors this month that in raising prices, the company sought to move users toward ad-supported subscription options.

Edging forward on succession

Disney has given itself a self-imposed deadline of 2026 to name Iger's successor — which is when the executive's contract expires and is longer than some had anticipated.

After Iger's last succession plan fell flat, resulting in his return to the company in 2022, this time the effort is being spearheaded by Morgan Stanley's James Gorman.

Four internal candidates have been floated: Disney Entertainment cochair Dana Walden, movie head Alan Bergman, Disney Experiences chair Josh D'Amaro, and ESPN chair Jimmy Pitaro. Disney is also considering outsiders, though no frontrunner has emerged.

Getting back on track with box office hits

Iger acknowledged last year that Disney movies weren't what they used to be in terms of quality following box office disappointments like "Elemental," "The Little Mermaid," and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania."

But in 2024, Disney righted the ship. "Inside Out 2" broke the record for an animated movie opening, while "Deadpool & Wolverine" — the only film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe it released this year after the company decided to slow its roll — was an irrefutable smash, signaling a possible antidote to superhero fatigue.

Betting big on experiences

Experiences are key to Disney's future, with Chairman Josh D'Amaro overseeing a $60 billion investment over the next decade into park expansion — and the company's most ambitious foray yet into gaming, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

New attractions and lands inspired by hit films like "Avatar" and "Monsters, Inc." will arrive at parks worldwide, according to THR, and four new cruise ships will roughly double its fleet by the end of the decade.

Disney also placed its biggest bet to date on gaming earlier this year with a $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games. Disney will work with the "Fortnite" studio to develop an interactive space inspired by its IP.

Iger triumphed in the Peltz proxy battle (but now must face Trump)

Iger won a lengthy and expensive proxy battle against activist investor Nelson Peltz in April after shareholders voted to keep the CEO and Disney management's board over two new members nominated by Peltz's firm.

Peltz has criticized Disney's succession planning, streaming losses, and stock performance.

But looking ahead, Iger could be facing another threat when Trump takes office again — with its ABC News division having already drawn the president-elect's ire. While Iger criticized Trump during his first term, he appears to be remaining on the political sidelines this time around.