"As YouTube continued to dominate in the living room when it came to overall TV viewing time, several Hollywood companies started to invest more in creators. FAST (free ad-supported television) was an especially big supporter alongside major investment, thanks in part to the Fox-owned Tubi, and Netflix. At the same time, more theaters and traditional production companies started to experiment with releasing creator-made movies. Shortform content continued to grow, driven by TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, as did livestreaming."
"Yet as good as this year has been for creators, it wasn't without its pitfalls. Though AI has led to the creation of several helpful creator tools, accounts made by the rapidly expanding technology threaten to overtake content made from real creators. Also, a global crackdown on social media usage among children and teenagers could make a huge difference in the years to come."
"Early in the year, YouTube dropped a massive metric bomb: There were more than 1 billion monthly active viewers of podcast content. That was only the beginning. Though video podcasts emerged as an emerging trend in 2024, they truly took off in 2025. During Spotify's third quarter earnings call, the company revealed it hosts nearly 500,000 video podcast shows, and roughly 390 million users have streamed a video podcast. That user adoption marks a 54% leap from the prior year."
Creator payments rose 79% year-over-year, including $100 billion paid by YouTube over four years and $1 billion paid by Roblox in 2025. YouTube led TV viewing and prompted Hollywood investment in creators, with FAST platforms like Tubi and Netflix investing and theaters and production companies experimenting with creator-made films. Short-form video and livestreaming expanded via TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Video podcasts surged with platforms reporting large user adoption and show counts. AI tools aided creators but synthetic accounts threaten real content. Global crackdowns on youth social-media use pose potential long-term impacts.
Read at TheWrap
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