State Of The Creator Economy
Your Cheat Sheet
Big Media and Creator Media are on a collision course. One side has deep pockets, legacy influence, and decades of storytelling experience. The other? Unfiltered authenticity, a loyal community, and an ability to adapt at lightning speed.
The problem? They often see each other as competition or worse one looks down on the other but they don’t need to. The real opportunity lies in collaboration.
The question though is how do we build that bridge between the two worlds? How do we protect what makes creator media so relatable? Who is making moves in the space? Who’s best positioned to ensure everyone thrives?
Let’s find out today.
Today at a glance:
How Big Is The Creator Economy
Why Creator Media Thrives
Why Big Media Struggles
The Answer: Collaboration, Not Takeover
What Comes Next?
FilmRise Creator Line Up
Mentioned in this edition: FilmRise, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Forbes, Amazon, Mr Beast, Market.US, Goldman Sachs, PwC, Stokes Twins, Preston & Brianna, Kendall Rae, Carla Lalli Music
How Big Is The Creator Economy
Market Overview:
The Global Creator Economy market was estimated to weigh between 143B$ (according to Market.US report) to 250B$ (according to Goldman Sachs) in 2024 and expected to double by 2027 (both sources agree on the growth rate) to reach $1,487B by 2034 with a CAGR of 26.4%.
In 2024, the US creator economy market captured more than 35.1% market share at $50.1 billion (of the estimated 143B$).
Video Streaming leads with platforms YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram holding a market share of 38.8% in 2024, with the Arts and Crafts segment leading with its 32.9% market share.
Revenue Streams:
68.8% of creators generate revenue primarily from brand deals, while only 7.3% of creators generate revenue primarily from advertising. This is fascinating because we assume that on platforms like YouTube, creators make a decent living from ads given how big YouTube is with its 36.147B$ of ad revenues in 2024.
About 4% of global creators are generating more than $100,000 a year. Now to have success on YouTube, you need to invest. Here’s a fascinating break down of a food YouTuber who just called it quits saying it’s simply not sustainable to be on YouTube:
Forbes’ Top Creators list is made of 50 creators who have 2.7B followers (across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram) and generated 720M$ combined in 2024 (+20M$ YoY).
The content economy is expected to grow much faster than traditional Big Media (by 3%) as creation gets ever more accessible through technological advancements, changing consumer preferences, and the narrowing quality distinction between corporate media content and high-end creator content.
Audiences:
78% of American consumers watch digital video content for more than 4 hours a day, mostly comprising of digital creator content.
Consumers watch more creator content than studio content: 39% watch more creator content compared to 22% who watch more studio content.
Almost 40% of consumers watch creator content on their TVs, bringing digital creator content to larger screens.
Creator content brings in audience of all ages, but is least popular among Baby Boomer consumers.
📈 Haven’t taken a look at The Earnings Hub yet? Grab the Netflix deck you can use as a cheat sheet in meetings.
Why Creator Media Thrives
Creator Media isn’t just thriving, it’s redefining entertainment. Here’s why:
Relatability. Viewers connect with creators because they feel real. They’re not polished TV hosts. They’re people.
A mix of long form and snackable formats. Short for discovery, long form for deeper engagement.
Community-driven. It’s not just about content, it’s about conversation. Creators respond to comments, make inside jokes, and build movements. Audiences today don’t want to be talked at. They want to be part of the conversation.
Why Big Media Struggles
Big Media isn’t blind to this shift. They see viewership declining on traditional platforms. Younger audiences don’t watch TV the way previous generations did. Streaming helps, but it’s not enough.
The problem? When Big Media tries to play in the creator space, they often miss the mark. Why?
They bring rigid TV rules into a freeform digital world.
They focus on production quality over personality.
They underestimate how much audiences value direct creator interaction.
Take the failed YouTube channels from major networks and content providers. Many tried to bring TV-style content as is to YouTube, expecting instant success. Most flopped. Why? Because they didn’t understand the platform, its codes and overall its culture. Here’s one Big Media success story.
The Answer: Collaboration, Not Takeover
Big Media shouldn’t try to mimic creators. They should work with them. But that means letting go of total control. The best partnerships happen when:
Big Media provides resources (budgets, distribution, access to top talent).
Creators bring their vision (storytelling, audience engagement, platform expertise).
Both sides recognise what they bring to the table—and what they don’t.
The goal? Amplify what makes creators special, rather than drowning them in the traditional media’s playbook.
For Mr Beast, Amazon was it. He explained in this episode of The Colin & Samir show that he met with every streamer, how much educational work he had to do and how some executives simply didn’t get it.
🎙️ Haven’t listened to The Media Odyssey yet? Fix this right away! we’re going as ubiquitous as possible with this pod so find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple with more platforms here.
What Comes Next?
The creator-media relationship is still evolving. But a few things are clear:
Creators will keep growing their influence. They’re not a trend. They’re the new mainstream.
Big Media must adapt or lose relevance. The audience shift isn’t slowing down.
The best collaborations put creators first. Not just as talent, but as decision-makers.
This isn’t about replacing one model with another. It’s about blending the best of both worlds. Creator Media and Big Media don’t have to live and survive in silos. The real opportunity lies in building something new together.
Feel like digging deeper, here’s a few additional resources on The Creator Economy:
That’s it for today.
Enjoy your day and see you on Thursday for the Pod Thursdays edition of Streaming Made Easy!
