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Oliver Buchannon
Jim Louderback
YouTube’s Hidden Monopoly

Feb 17, 2026

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16 min read

YouTube’s Hidden Monopoly

YouTube becomes the world’s biggest content buyer without ratings and box office failures.

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
Arbitraging Authenticity

Feb 9, 2026

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13 min read

Arbitraging Authenticity

A look at the future of sports and fans, inspired by last week’s Super Bowl and the IAB’s annual ALM meeting

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
TRUST RISES, KPIs CRASH

Feb 2, 2026

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12 min read

TRUST RISES, KPIs CRASH

Why the “Trust Graph” will eclipse the Social Graph in 2026.

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
DECODING YOUTUBE 2026

Jan 26, 2026

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15 min read

DECODING YOUTUBE 2026

What Neal Mohan was really saying in his blog post about 2026 priorities

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
Foolish Algorithms

Jan 19, 2026

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13 min read

Foolish Algorithms

Did TikTok Just Kill the Influencer? Inside their 2026 Trend Report

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
Creepy 2026 Signals and 1BFS Takeaways

Jan 14, 2026

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14 min read

Creepy 2026 Signals and 1BFS Takeaways

The creepy signals that will define the creator economy in 2026 and beyond - plus a 1 Billion Followers Summit recap

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
10 Trends to Rule 2026!

Jan 5, 2026

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13 min read

10 Trends to Rule 2026!

How The Beast joins Baby Shark, Disappointing Microdramas and the opportunities in AI Slop. SUBHEAD

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
TikTok Deal Done (almost)

Dec 19, 2025

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8 min read

TikTok Deal Done (almost)

15 Questions for TikTok, Larry Ellison and Show Chew

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
Disney Does It Again

Dec 15, 2025

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15 min read

Disney Does It Again

Disney and OpenAI Change Fandom Forever - Echoes of Maker Studios?

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
Netflix vs. YouTube

Dec 10, 2025

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10 min read

Netflix vs. YouTube

Comparing and contrasting the competing world views between Netflix and YouTube, as YouTube’s biggest success story – Mr Beast – soft-launches its IPO road show.

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
The Selling of the Beast 2026

Dec 8, 2025

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13 min read

The Selling of the Beast 2026

Why Jimmy Donaldson’s appearance at PitchBook was as significant as Netflix buying Warner Brothers

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
MrBeast Plans a Major 2026 Reboot

Dec 1, 2025

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14 min read

MrBeast Plans a Major 2026 Reboot

Jimmy Donaldson admits recent videos were "not as good as I wanted."

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
 Influencer Marketing is Broken

Nov 24, 2025

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11 min read

Influencer Marketing is Broken

The IAB releases a study - and details on a new effort - to fix the glaring problems holding creator marketing back.

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
Bigfoot, Unicorns, and the Creator-CEO

Nov 17, 2025

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12 min read

Bigfoot, Unicorns, and the Creator-CEO

Can we really mint a generation of creator CEOs with just a few days of instruction?

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
Welcome to Slow Media

Nov 10, 2025

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13 min read

Welcome to Slow Media

Dopamine gets devalued in the latest trend towards longer, slower media.

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
Minting Media Moguls

Nov 3, 2025

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17 min read

Minting Media Moguls

From million-dollar rounds to DIY studios and sharp new media brands, these four creators are turning content into companies.

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
I Love This For You!

Oct 27, 2025

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12 min read

I Love This For You!

Mr Beast’s new Vyro clipping service works for brands, but creators need it more!

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
Saving Napa, One TikTok at a Time

Oct 21, 2025

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9 min read

Saving Napa, One TikTok at a Time

The surprising TikToker that’s single-handedly saving the wine industry

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
From WHO to WHAT to YOU

Oct 13, 2025

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11 min read

From WHO to WHAT to YOU

SUBHEAD

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
The Vibe Creator Era Begins

Oct 6, 2025

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14 min read

The Vibe Creator Era Begins

Sora 2 ushers in the era of the Vibe Creator, and Happy Birthday Inside the Creator Economy!

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
The Deal That Isn’t Done (yet)

Sep 29, 2025

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12 min read

The Deal That Isn’t Done (yet)

TikTok’s New Deal - a partial sale, a fractured future, and a lot of unanswered questions.

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
YouTube Boils the Ocean

Sep 22, 2025

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18 min read

YouTube Boils the Ocean

30 new features, one giant power play. What creators and brands need to know about the strategy behind the splash.

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
YouTube’s Evil Twin

Sep 15, 2025

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13 min read

YouTube’s Evil Twin

The “Hispanic Tax” backlash dents YouTube’s open-for-all image.

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
Going Mobile With MrBeast

Sep 8, 2025

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14 min read

Going Mobile With MrBeast

MrBeast’s surprising plan to launch a mobile phone network in 2026.

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
Pixels, Pitchforks, and Panic

Sep 2, 2025

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11 min read

Pixels, Pitchforks, and Panic

YouTube tweaks video quality, the internet melts down. Here’s why the tempest truly matters.

Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
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Inside the Creator Economy

Inside the Creator Economy

News, strategy and analysis on the creator economy, media, generative AI and more from the former GM of VidCon


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