Creatorverse: AND Media Is Investing in the Content It Wants to See | Exclusive
Hey Creatorverse readers,
When Christian Tom, Aisha Shah and Landon Morgado banded together to form their own media company last year, they had one goal in mind: to support creators who shared their values.
The trio behind the talent-first venture studio AND Media come from the worlds of technology and public policy. All three previously worked at the White House during the Biden administration, while Shah has experience with GoFundMe and Morgado worked for both TikTok and Instagram.
Soon, the trio’s dreams of supporting the creators they want to see more of will be coming true. On March 4, AND Media and The Small Bow, Inc. will be relaunching “The Small Bow Podcast” as a video series on YouTube. A.J. Daulerio’s heartfelt show about recovery will debut new episodes weekly with clips released across social media.
That will be followed in mid-March by the expansion of “The Moment LIVE,” Rebecca Sananes and Meredith Lynch’s news and culture show. The twice-weekly series from AND Media and Full Picture Productions will expand its live production capabilities and distribution under this partnership.
Finally, AND Media will be bringing Hunter Prosper’s (6.6 million TikTok followers) viral “Stories from a Stranger” shortform series to YouTube with a new longform expansion. AND Media is just one example of how newer companies are rising to meet the needs of creators. Unlike many deals in the TV and film industry, there is no one-size-fits-all approach at AND Media. Instead, the company listens to the goals and needs of its clients and adjusts accordingly.
“There are so many incredible ideas out there that are some of our personal favorite stuff, but it’s stuff that hasn’t necessarily been supported,” Shah told me. “We are so surprised by the real opportunity to invest in spaces like this.”
“Each deal is bespoke,” Morgado added. “With Hunter specifically, we are offering everything from production to support to marketing to publicity — everything that’s needed to make these longform shows.”
And this is just the beginning. “We are really trying to have all of our shows expand the capability for a creator that they maybe would not have been able to do alone,” Tom told me. “We have really ambitious plans for the spring and for the rest of the calendar year.”
Now onto the rest.
Kayla Cobb
Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com
What’s New
Mark Rober’s Netflix show will be an inventing competition show titled “Schooled!”
We finally know a bit more about Mark Rober’s (73 million YouTube subscribers) upcoming Netflix series. “Schooled!” will follow teams of young innovators as they face off against each other in a series of challenges. The series will be executive produced by Jimmy Kimmel, and casting is now open.
A MrBeast editor was banned from Kalshi due to insider trading
I think we all knew this would happen to Kalshi at some point, but MrBeast’s (469 million YouTube followers) involvement is a surprise. Last Wednesday, Kalshi announced that Beast editor Artem Kaptur had been banned from the platform for insider trading related to the YouTuber’s content. What’s odd is that Kalshi didn’t inform the Beast team about the investigation until Kalshi reported it to the press (Beast Industries has since launched its own investigation and Kaptur no longer seems to be employed by the company).
This incident has sparked a mini media blitz. Beast Industries CEO Jeff Housenbold assured CNBC the team put the necessary company measures in place and said that prediction markets are going to have to “self-police” and that these markets are “ripe for abuse.” Kalshi went on its own tour with CEO Tarek Mansour explaining to Wired how the website is not gambling (OK, buddy). The whole thing’s a mess, but it’s a mess everyone was kind of expecting. Expect more of these stories to come.
Fixated acquires another company — creator monetization company Elevate
After its $50 million investment at the end of last year, the creator talent management company Fixated is continuing its buying streak. The company is acquiring Elevate, a creator monetization company that specializes in direct-to-fan revenue models, TheWrap first reported. Earlier this year, Fixated bought the gaming-focused creator company Ellify, so the expansion vibes are strong right now.
Platform Updates
Tubi’s investment in creators is paying off
About 10% of Tubi viewers who open the app to watch creator-generated content will stay to watch Hollywood-produced shows or movies. Fox Corporation Executive Chairman and CEO Lachlan Murdoch shared that insight on Monday during the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference. Right now, Netflix and the Fox-owned Tubi are the two Hollywood giants leading the charge when it comes to investing in creators.
Twitch and X are cracking down, and Reddit gets a massive fine
Three mid-sized changes on three different platforms. Twitch changed its policy for streamers who break its rules. Before a temporary suspension meant the offending user would lose access to Twitch, but now the platform’s punishments will change depending on the severity of the rule violation. Speaking of suspensions, X is suspending creators from its revenue-sharing program for three months if they post unlabeled AI posts of an armed conflict.
Then there’s Reddit. The company was hit with a £14.5 million (roughly $19 million) fine from the U.K. after it unlawfully used the data of children under the age of 13 and potentially exposed them to inappropriate content.
Matt Friend will host The Snappys, Snapchat’s first creator awards show
Instagram has Rings, TikTok has the TikTok Awards, and now Snapchat has The Snappys. The awards show, which will take place March 31 at Snapchat’s Santa Monica headquarters, will honor creators in categories like Spotlight MVP, Best Storyteller and Breakout Creator of the Year. The event will be hosted by comedian Matt Friend (2.1 million Instagram followers) and will honor DJ Khaled with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Movers and Shakers
Dropout appeared on “The Rookie”
Dropout, the viral and realtor-led comedy hub known for its show “Game Changer,” appeared on “The Rookie” Monday night. Vic Michaelis, Jacob Wysocki, Zac Oyama and Anna Garcia alongside CEO and host Sam Reich all appeared on the ABC show. The collaboration garnered some backlash from Dropout fans, but it seems like it came about organically as several “Rookie” writers are fans of the comedy platform. Considering the fact that “The Rookie” has a surprisingly young fanbase, it makes sense.
Chronicle Studios adds Bento Box heads to its team
Scott Greenberg and Brett Coker, who helped co-found Bento Box Entertainment, are moving to the creator-focused Chronicle Studios. If those names sound familiar, Bento Box Entertainment is best known for producing “Bob’s Burgers.” Greenberg is a co-founder of Chronicle, and Coker is the company’s head of franchise strategy. The studio plans to open up its platform to more than 10,000 YouTube channels by the end of the year.
Gaming creator Valkyrae announces Squeex scholarship at NYU
Gaming creator Valkyrae’s (4 million YouTube subscribers) latest video may have started with a college lecture, but it ended with a big surprise. Valkyrae announced the Squeex scholarship, which is designed to provide professional development funding to support students at New York University’s Game Center. Squeex (235,000 YouTube subscribers) was also there to present the honor.
Though this particular scholarship is specifically for students interested in the video game industry, it continues a trend of colleges and universities partnering more with creators. Syracuse in particular has really been leading this charge. The university opened the Center for the Creator Economy last year and announced an academic minor on the creator economy last month.
@michael.tchao JAPANESE SPINACH GOMA-AE [RECIPE] Servings: 2 One of my favourite appetizers – goma-ae! Super easy and nutrient packed. The dressing can be made while the spinach cools down! Ingredients: – 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (into a paste, a blender is good to use) – 2 tbsp low sodium tamari or soy sauce (I’m using @sanjtamari) – 1 tbsp mirin – 1 tsp sugar (I subbed honey, but it imparts a different flavour) – 1 tsp salt Method: Dressing – add toasted sesame seeds into a mortar, and grind until halfway ground. – add tamari, mirin, money and mix well. optional: -can add all sauce ingredients in to a blender and mix well. Spinach: – add water and a tsp salt to a medium pot and boil – wash spinach well. Mature spinach can collect lots of dirt in between the leaves – when water is boiling, arrange the spinach so all stems are bunched together, and insert only the stalks into the boiling water. Hold it hear for about 1-2 minutes (thicker the stalks, longer) – after 1 minute, dunk the rest of the spinach leaves under water and cook for another 1-2 minutes. – strain and immediately add to ice water bath to cool down and stop the cooking process. – once cooled, squeeze out excess water, and cut the spinach into 1.5-2” chunks – add to a bowl, add sesame dressing mix well and can leave in fridge. Remove about 30 minutes before serving to warm up to room temp
♬ original sound – Michael Tchao
Who to Watch
Michael Tchao
If you’ve ever wondered about the optimal boiling time for a green bean or the best way to load a dishwasher, then Michael Tchao (73,700 TikTok followers) is for you. His content goes beyond what you would expect from a food creator, using science, demonstrations and experiments to explain how you can make the best possible food. He’s the perfect face for the next era of food-focused TV, and Food Network agrees. Tchao was named as one of the creators onFood Network’s 2026 Hot List,which celebrates rising culinary stars on TikTok.
Bonus Content
- Podcasts? TV Talk Shows? Netflix Just Hopes They’re Hits (via New York Times)
- A Former MrBeast Editor Is on a Mission to Make the Creator Economy Better for Women (via Business Insider)
- Everyone Speaks Incel Now (via Wired)
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This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.
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