→ Customize what you receive from Ankler Media. You can keep what you need, skip what you don’t. Power Players: Dhar Mann, Josh Richards, Hasan Piker & Ben Meiselas Hit Our Party — What I LearnedAnd yes, even MORE huge creators came to our invite-only private dinner in L.A.
I cover the creator economy at Like & Subscribe, a standalone newsletter from Ankler Media. I reported on the Hollywood agency wars over top creator talent, Amazon’s future in podcasts post-Wondery and how creators are making millions teaching online courses. Email me at natalie@theankler.com
When you throw a party in L.A., you always have your fingers crossed for that right chemistry, good conversation and, ya know, vibe. On Tuesday night, all those elements came together at a very intimate event we had for 30 VIP guests at a killer house in the Hills, where Ankler Media CEO Janice Min, Web Summit’s Ciara Haley and Bitmoji co-founder Ba Blackstock served as hosts. It was a gorgeous night, and walking in felt a little bit like entering the house in Mountainhead, with what was pretty close to a 360-degree view of Los Angeles. We literally looked down into the Hollywood Bowl, watching it gradually fill up for a night of Rachmaninoff, and could practically touch the Hollywood sign to the left.
But the best views were on the inside, where every time the wood-paneled front door opened, in walked another powerhouse from today’s creator economy. As jackfruit tacos circulated, and chilled wine and margaritas flowed, it was great to see some of the biggest names chopping it up with others. Janice introduced Hasan Piker to fellow politics wonk Ben Meiselas, co-host of the uber Joe Rogan-huge MeidasTouch Podcast, where the trio went deep on media’s role in culture now, the dangerous circus of Donald Trump (of course), and where the struggling Democratic Party is headed. In a sign of the deepening ties between Hollywood and creators, TikTok creator Jordan Howlett (Jordan The Stallion) — who at Sundance earlier this year joined me for a panel about the pas de deux between creators and brands driving a wave of storytelling innovation — told me he’s already making a plan to hit the fest again for its final year in Park City. Creator and entrepreneur Dhar Mann, who’s built a YouTube scripted juggernaut from his 125,000-square-foot Burbank studio, arrived early and made the rounds. And dancer and family vlogger Michael Le (JustMaiko) schooled guests on how even this in-the-know crew could keep up with ever-changing trends on social media. Top reps on the scene included Digital Brand Architects CEO Raina Penchansky, Greenlight Group’s Doug Landers (who works with Howlett and more than a dozen others), Dreamlink’s Ashley Reddy — whose clients include Arden Cho, the voice of Rumi in the global hit KPop Demon Hunters — and Viral Nation’s Lindsay Samakow, joined by her music artist client Day Sulan.
A group of guests including Heart Starts Pounding host Kaelyn Moore took an impromptu tour of the stunning venue, which features a dedicated “rave room.” Adrian Per (omgadrian) and Catherine Goetze (CatGPT) — who attended The Ankler and Meta’s Cannes Lions luncheon at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc — were thrilled to reunite and mingled late into the eve with Hanna Goefft (Hanna Gets Hired).
More than one guest pulled me aside to discuss what a big year it’s been so far for creators, particularly as Hollywood finally turns its attention to the undeniable power of and money in digital-first content (and its jobs). Chris Sawtelle, the CEO of CrossCheck Studios, who attended with business partner and top creator Josh Richards (of the BFFs podcast), told me “respect” is what he’s looking for as the barriers break down between the legacy entertainment and creator industries. Chris also said he thinks Ankler Media and Like & Subscribe’s approach to covering the industry is a game changer, and, uh yeah, I definitely agree!
Almost Friday’s Jack Barrett and Andrew Kenward, who found me catching up with Mythical Entertainment president Brian Flanagan, said they’re laser-focused on what the next wave will be now that Hollywood is embracing YouTube as a key platform for television viewing. There’s a universal sentiment across the creator community — see YouTube’s Brandcast, Cannes Lions, the revenue rush toward digital content and so much more — that 2025 is a tipping point. But the big question now is whether all this newfound attention will really lead to more opportunities, and how creators will embrace the moment.  And if you were wondering just how much attention the creator economy is generating these days, one leading economic indicator might be how many of you pulled out your credit cards to subscribe last week after I wrote about who’s winning the agency wars over top digital-first talent — and dished on the names — as the Big 4 in Hollywood duke it out to sign the biggest talent and chase the money. Anyway! Stay tuned for more, we have some more live experiences coming soon, and remember to, yes, Like & Subscribe here if you haven’t already. And may your last weeks of summer also be filled with interesting people, warm nights and smart conversation.
Tubi has hired former TikTok exec Kudzi Chikumbu (aka @sircandleman) to lead creator partnerships as it expands its slate of creator-first programming to include videos from MrBeast, Alan Chikin Chow, Jomboy Media and more.  It’s been a big week for TikTok castings: Jake Shane has been cast in relationship comedy Wishful Thinking, and Jack Innanen will be a series regular in Dan Levy’s Netflix comedy series Big Mistakes. Meanwhile, Mark Rober has teamed up with Jimmy Kimmel to make a kid-friendly competition series for Netflix YouTube, which according to Bloomberg has “inquired” about the rights to stream the Oscars beginning in 2029, is putting the piece in place for its first live NFL broadcast. Karol G is headlining the halftime show, and creator Deestroying will be on the sideline. American Cinema Editors will now accept submissions from YouTube and other digital platforms, and it will present an award for best edited short at the ACE Eddie Awards next February. The other way I know summer is ending? RushTok has already come and gone.
Got a tip or story pitch? Email tips@theankler.com. ICYMI from The AnklerThe Wakeup Cable bundle melts more jobs, Apple TV+ hikes prices Don’t Fall Too Hard for Romcoms’ Return, There’s a Twist! Entertainment Strategy Guy analyzes the genre’s challenges, where love is winning onscreen and how to rebuild it for new audiences A Close Reading of the NYT Shari Redstone Tell-All We’re in deep trouble, writes Richard Rushfield Sony’s TV Chief Wants to Make the Show You’re Scared to Write SCOOP: Katherine Pope tells Lesley Goldberg three new overall deals, and how her indie (The Last of Us, The Boys) wins on risk: ‘No show ever succeeded on a business model’ Hollywood Syllabus: What to Read (and Watch) Before Opening Your Mouth Richard asks the industry’s best to share their essential curriculum for not embarrassing yourself Management Firm M&A, Old Media Urgency, Brand Plays: Q2 Deals Report Ashley Cullins on why rep firms are hot, what Hailey Bieber’s $1B Rhode sale signals, and dealmakers’ predictions on the next moves The TV Shows Netflix Wants to Buy Now Elaine Low gets fresh intel about the execs with greenlight power and what to bring them My Year’s 30 Best Emmy Nominations, Ranked: Part 1 Katey Rich counts down in a three-part series. Plus: What is Televerse, and why does it matter to the Television Academy? My Year’s 30 Best Emmy Nominations, Ranked: Part 2 Katey has shoutouts for Colman Domingo, Cristin Milioti & more Prestige Junkie Studio + a Private Party: Find Us at the Toronto Film Festival! Katey leads The Ankler’s first-ever festival interview studio; Janice Min & Letterboxd CEO Matthew Buchanan to host an invite-only soiree 🎬 Sean & Chris: Is Netflix the Cure for the Summer Slump in Theaters? Summer ’24 vs. ’25 box office surprises — but not in a good way 🎧 Alan Cumming Knows He’s the ‘Castle Bitch’ on The Traitors Recorded live at Televerse, the Emmy winner and current nom tells all with Katey (plus: a Traitors reunion) 🎧 Walton Goggins On What The White Lotus Set Was Really Like For Him The Emmy nominee tells Katey how ‘emotionally hard’ playing Rick was — and relief when Sam Rockwell showed up: ‘Normalcy... like I’m not a f-ing freak’ More from Ankler Media
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