Creator content takes the stage — not just for YouTube
Dwyane Wade (L) and Jesse Riedel speak onstage during the YouTube Brandcast event at Lincoln Center on May 13, 2026 in New York.
Mike Coppola | Getty Images
This week, another topic continued to emerge among live sports and entertainment programming that brought media companies’ offerings to advertisers: creator content.
Video category that can garner millions of views Google’s YouTube and other social media platforms are increasingly sharing the stage with traditional Hollywood offerings during annual presentations known as “reveals.”
Creator content already takes up a large share of advertisers’ budgets. In 2025, advertisers’ spending on this genre reached $37 billion. a new report from Interactive Advertising Bureau. According to the report, this figure is expected to reach 44 billion dollars this year.
“These are this generation’s storytellers, tastemakers and stars, producing the most relevant and engaging programming on the planet,” said Brian Albert, general manager of YouTube Solutions. “Advertisers have realized that they not only have large audiences, but also communities that rely on them, so they want to partner with them more than ever.”
The shift to streaming over traditional TV has led to sports and live events, especially the NFL, trending towards the highest advertising rates; especially when media companies pay high premiums for live broadcast rights.
But industry executives told CNBC that through streaming, advertisers are getting more bang for their buck. That’s true whether it’s a sporting event being simulcast on streaming platforms, exclusive rights to video podcasts or children’s programs like “Miss Rachel.”
These economies, combined with the need to capture elusive, younger audiences, are driving demand for ad-supported inventory and opening the door to more creator-driven content on traditional platforms.
YouTube has the largest share of streaming viewing Nielsen‘s monthly reports, known as “Indicators”. As of February, the platform accounted for 12.7% of those watched online, while Netflix ranked second with 8.4%.
The company made its presentation to advertisers called Brandcast on Wednesday; This presentation featured names such as YouTuber Jesse “Jesser” Riedel, comedian Trevor Noah and podcast host Alex Cooper.
While digital stars are common in the YouTube world, this year they’ve played a larger role even within traditional media and streaming companies. Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox Corp. And Amazon’s Prime Video was among the companies that stated that creator content was integrated into their platforms.
“While there is a distinct difference between studio-led content and creative content, it coalesces into a singular view,” said Julie Clark, a longtime advertising industry executive and senior vice president of media and entertainment at TransUnion.
“If you look at the rise of things from long-form video podcasts to crash tutorials, there’s an understanding that the content landscape is changing dramatically,” he added. “This is absolutely changing how prepayments are designed and enabled.”
legacy media creators
Last year it was video podcasts they are moving towards the more preliminary stages; This is an early indication that viral online content is joining the traditional fray.
“The landscape has changed a lot in the last year. Podcasting is now very 360, which means you’ll watch some of your content in long form on video platforms, and then a lot of people are starting to consume shorter and medium-form content on social platforms,” said Angie More, Amazon’s head of creator advertising partnerships.
“We’re seeing creators want to take advantage of reaching their audiences everywhere,” More said.
Amazon Prime Video once again highlighted a major video podcast deal during its presentation this week. Oprah Winfrey took the stage to promote her latest multi-year deal with the company to distribute “The Oprah Podcast” in both audio and video. The deal also includes rights to a library of historical content.
Oprah Winfrey on the “Oprah Podcast.”
Courtesy: Harpo Entertainment
Fox and Warner Bros. have a long history of producing studio-produced content. Companies like Discovery have begun to lean into creator content, especially through personalities appearing on unscripted cooking and home improvement shows, which are already mainstays on their platforms.
WBD has been working with creators and influencers for years, Karen Bronzo, WBD’s global marketing officer for U.S. networks and news, said in an interview.
Bronzo noted that this type of programming is becoming a larger part of the discussion for media companies and advertisers. Working with online personalities allows traditional networks to expand their reach and marketers to tap into the large fan bases that often pay close attention to their favorite personalities and brands, he said.
“When you experience a creator’s content, you feel like it’s personal. It’s much more of a one-on-one relationship and a different kind of connection,” Bronzo said. he said.
At WBD’s upfront presentation on Wednesday, Bronzo said the company’s The Food Network lineup is expanding further into YouTube originals, and a new series featuring chef Esther Choi is coming to the network’s social media channel. Besides The Food Network, the HGTV home improvement series and “Puppy Bowl,” the annual dog show adjacent to the Super Bowl, are also ripe for creating this type of content.
Animal Planet’s “Puppy Bowl.”
Courtesy: WBD
Fox has similarly found an entry point into the creator ecosystem through food. The company started this year started Fox Creator Studios focuses on food content. The effort is being led by chefs currently on the Fox staff, including Gordon Ramsay.
Ramsay took to the stage at Fox’s prelude on Monday alongside NFL legend Tom Brady and stars of network entertainment shows to promote his series at Fox and Creator Studios.
Fox has focused most of its streaming efforts on its free, ad-supported service, Tubi, which signs deals with YouTube personalities to create exclusive content for streamers. In turn, these creators bring their followers from the social media platform.
Tubi has particularly attracted the attention of Generation Z, an important demographic group for advertisers who want to reach young consumers who do not follow traditional media channels very often. The Fox-owned streamer also launched Tubi for Creators, aiming to provide creators with a path to Hollywood, CNBC previously reported.
hosted by Tubi own presentation It will bring creators including YouTube’s Jesser to the stage for advertisers in late March.
The platform has since announced several creator-led partnerships, including a special football-focused series led by Jesser that premiered on Friday.
