How creators are becoming their own networks with Night agency's David Huntzinger

""The way that you're [creators are] interfacing with the market is no different than, I would say, a lot of TV networks," said David Huntzinger, svp and talent manager at Night, a talent management firm that manages creators including Kai Cenat, Hasan Piker, and Sam and Colby. Huntzinger recently joined the Digiday Podcast. He added, "The benefit of being a creator is that you own your own distribution.""

""What creators care about outside of having a good deal and making some money on these ads is that they want the audience to feel as though they're not just being shoved and shoveled more advertising online. They want it to feel organic. They need it to feel like it's a part of their brand, that their brand can stand for what they're presenting.""

The creator economy is entering a maturation phase as brands move influencer strategies in-house to reduce costs and strengthen relationships with creators and platforms. Platforms like YouTube are testing dynamic ad insertion to allow creators to monetize back catalog content. Talent managers compare creator distribution models to traditional TV networks while emphasizing creator ownership of distribution. Creators prioritize organic-feeling brand integrations that align with their personal brand and audience trust. Market changes also include developments around privacy, agentic AI and ad context protocols, platform AI quality control, and measurement-standard shifts in the industry.

Read at Digiday