Happy Thursday to all cable-lovers out there. In a head-spinning move, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery announced a new streaming bundle that will bring together Disney+, Hulu, and Max and will launch this summer. Now that these rivals are gladly working together, it’s only a matter of time until Peacock, Paramount+, and every other streamer gets in on the action… creating the cable bundle all over again, woohoo!

In other news… Wall Street wants a piece of influencer businesses, Americans flock to Europe to see Taylor Swift, and Marvel is going VR and AR.

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• YouTube – Fancy Dance

• X (Twitter) – X-Men ‘97

• Google – Steve Albini

• Reddit – The Temple of Doom

• TikTok – “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” - Tommy Richman

• Spotify – “Avalanche” - Torus, The Blue Stones

.CREATOR ECONOMY.

Wall Street wants to supercharge influencer businesses

The Future. The creator economy is maturing into a bonafide phenomenon, cementing new successful businesses from internet fame. Wall Street now hopes it can take these companies to the next level (and make a lot of money in the process). But since there may not be enough solid startups that are ready for that kind of investment, expect major social platforms to open up startup accelerators as part of their creator programs.

Creator street
With Goldman Sachs estimating that the creator economy is a $250 billion market that’s expected to double by 2027, Wall Street is looking to write some checks.

• Wall Street already sees mouthwatering results. MrBeast’s Feastables chocolate bar brand brings nine figures in annual revenue, and Logan Paul’s Prime beverage brand will likely hit $1.2 billion in sales this year.

• So, they’re ponying up. Highmount Capital infused $100 million into YouTube trick shot group Dude Perfect, while The Chernin Group injected $37 million into car-focused YouTuber Doug DeMuro’s Cars & Bids business.

For creators, these businesses provide a way to build a revenue stream that they control — rather than one that’s controlled by the whims of changing algorithms on social media platforms or an evolving culture.

But there can be growing pains when it comes to creator-led businesses. Some on Wall Street say that, despite the desire to invest in creators’ companies, there aren’t enough yet that warrant serious capital. Their followings need to be both big and loyal.

Going viral for a bit isn’t enough.

70.8% of you answered No in yesterday’s poll: Do you watch movies and shows on Tubi?

“Not often but I do occasionally use it.”

“Some ultra low-budget indies are available there.”

“The service is great for cult films and shows.”

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Media, Music, & Entertainment

• NBCUniversal has recruited iHeartMedia to be its exclusive audio partner for the Paris Summer Olympics, with the company providing 24/7 audio coverage of the games. [Read More]

• Transmedia startup Iconic Arts has launched with $3.1 million in funding and an advisory board that includes screenwriter Eric Roth and rapper Will.i.am. [Read More]

• Marvel announced the hour-long What If…? — An Immersive Story, which is billed as Disney+’s first original story developed specifically for the Apple Vision Pro headset. [Read More]

Fashion & E-Commerce

• WNBA legend Candace Parker is turning in her jersey to become the president of adidas’ women’s basketball division. [Read More]

• Uniqlo’s Round Mini Shoulder Bag, dubbed the “millennial Birkin,” has beat every luxury designer to become the it fashion item of the moment. [Read More]

• Equinox is getting in on the longevity craze with a new gym membership that combines medical testing, sleep training, and nutrition planning for the low, annual price of… $40,000. [Read More]

Tech, Web3, & AI

• Steve Mnuchin, investment banker and former US Treasury Secretary, wants to buy TikTok… and believes that he can rebuild the platform’s proprietary algorithm. [Read More]

• Google announced a new AI model, AlphaFold 3, which may one day be able to create personalized medical treatments for cancers and other diseases. [Read More]

• E-bike logistics startup Bloom is handling contract manufacturing, assembly, shipping and logistics, and service for e-bike designers, with plans to launch a manufacturing facility in Detroit. [Read More]

Creator Economy

• Reddit, in its first quarterly earnings report as a public company, reported a 48% increase in revenue, making its stock soar 11%. [Read More]

• TikTok has become a hub of personal finance content, leading many Gen Z users to report “money dysmorphia.” [Read More]

• Creator-focused startup Fixated has come out of stealth, already working with creators like Sketch and the Botez Sisters to combine talent management and production services. [Read More]

.MUSIC.

Music fans take a vacation to see their favorite acts for cheap

The Future. Many Americans either couldn’t get tickets to or couldn’t afford to see Taylor Swift in the US, so they planned European vacations to see her — a phenomenon that Expedia is dubbing “tour tourism.” Considering Beyoncé’s tour is also commanding similar travel, expect tourism firms and live ticketing companies to start offering vacation packages built around seeing in-demand artists.

Tour tourism
Sometimes, it may be cheaper to fly to Europe to see your favorite artist than right in your hometown.

• Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour kicks off in Paris this week… and 20% of the tickets of her four sold-out shows were purchased by Americans.

• Stockholm, Sweden, the next stop on her tour, expects 120,000 visitors from 130 different countries — including 10,000 from the US.

• Airbnb also reported that the UK cities where Swift will be playing — Edinburgh, Liverpool, Cardiff, and London — saw a 337% increase in rental searches. It’s Swiftonomics at work.

Melanie Fish, a spokesperson and travel expert at Expedia, broke down the math best: “They said, Wait a minute, I can either spend $1,500 to go see my favorite artist in Miami, or I can take that $1,500 and buy a concert ticket, a round-trip plane ticket, and three nights in a hotel room.”

Who wants to go to Europe now?

.A WORD FROM OUR FRIENDS AT PROMPTS DAILY.

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• Read: Bloomberg profiles food critic and former MMA fighter Keith Lee, who’s gone viral on TikTok for his restaurant hot takes.

• Listen: WSJ dives into why a lot of people can’t land a good job despite the job market being so strong.

• Watch: Apple’s commercial for the new iPad that’s probably garnered the company the most divisive response ever for one of its ads.

.GIVEAWAY ALERT.

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Electronic Arts
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FanDuel
Atlanta, GA

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Meta
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Jacksonville, FL

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