WaperYouTube’s lead in U.S. TV viewing and Netflix’s deal with Ibai highlight creators’ growing role in television.
Creator economy6 items
Canva’s new image model and Google’s Gemini updates add to the tools available for creative and brand work.
YouTube draws twice the U.S. TV watch time of any other platform
Nielsen’s TV viewing measurement shows YouTube receiving twice as much U.S. television watch time as any other platform, ahead of rivals including Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+.
Why it matters: The viewing lead makes television audiences increasingly important to creators’ distribution strategies and advertiser pitches.
Netflix strikes deal with Ibai for La Velada del Año
Netflix has reached a deal involving Ibai Llanos’s influencer boxing event, La Velada del Año. The annual spectacle in Spain has broken several Twitch viewership records.
Why it matters: The deal signals demand from subscription streaming services for creator-led events with established live audiences.
Canva launches image model that plans designs before generating them
Canva launched Canva Craft, its first AI image model. Its two-stage architecture plans a design before generating an image, which Canva says improves precision, consistency and control.
Why it matters: More controllable image generation could help creators produce consistent visual assets with less revision.
Spotify reaches 306 million Premium subscribers and 788 million monthly users
Spotify reported Q3 2026 growth across every region, reaching 306 million Premium subscribers and 788 million monthly active users. Gross margin and operating income exceeded expectations; it also outlined audiobook expansion to more than 180 markets by year-end.
Why it matters: Spotify’s growing audience and audiobook expansion broaden the potential distribution opportunity for audio creators and authors.
Extreme Reach targets creator and brand logistics
Extreme Reach wants to handle logistics for creators and brands. Its XR Pay platform already processes around 80% of talent payments across the advertising industry, according to the report.
Why it matters: An established advertising payments provider entering creator workflows could change how brands administer creator partnerships.
Google adds brand management tools and image capabilities to Gemini
Google updated Gemini with brand management tools, a refreshed landing page, third-party app support and additional image generation capabilities.
Why it matters: The changes expand Gemini’s potential role in creators’ branded-content and visual-production workflows.