Creators vs. Hollywood: Who's Really Shaping the Future of Entertainment?

The entertainment landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. While traditional Hollywood remains significant, it’s now part of a broader creator-led ecosystem that builds audiences and fandoms across YouTube, podcasts, and multi-format storytelling. This future isn’t on the horizon—it has already arrived.

YouTube is Dominating The Streaming Landscape

In August, YouTube once again led all streaming platforms, capturing 10.6% of total TV viewership and extending its lead for the 19th consecutive month (Nielsen). This growth isn’t just a blip; over the past year, its share of TV watch time has climbed significantly, and the platform now reaches audiences in the living room like never before. YouTube recently announced that it generated $8.92 billion in advertising revenue in Q3, marking a 12% increase, and subscription revenue surpassing $50 billion over the past 12 months for the first time. Creators are rapidly adapting, with a growing number now earning a majority of their income from YouTube TV viewership. Notably, top creators’ big-screen watch time has surged by over 400% in just three years. The blurring of the lines continues between social media, YouTube, Vodcasts and TV.?

Podcasts Have Officially Gone Mainstream

Podcasts are no longer just reflecting culture; they’re actively shaping it– especially with the rise of video. Look no further than this presidential election where Kamala Harris and Donald Trump turned to podcasts to reach audiences directly. Ashley Carman recently reported that the number of podcast listeners has more than doubled since 2016, with an estimated 135 million people listening to podcasts each month. Not only is the audience expanding, but the inherent trust between the audience and the host does not exist in any other form of media. A Deloitte study found that 75% of listeners trust podcast hosts more than traditional media, a unique dynamic that enhances audience engagement. As audio ad tech and measurement tools continue to improve, we can anticipate a significant boom in traditional podcast monetization. However, audience growth does not accelerate at the same rate. It will grow from video.?

Fandom Has Reimagined Audience Engagement

Audiences have shifted from passive viewers to engaged communities that fuel fandom and loyalty. According to Spotify, more than 319 million Gen Z users are actively using immersive features, underscoring how engagement is at the core of modern entertainment. This connection is evident in Live events: The Rest Is Politics podcast drew 13,000 attendees in London, Call Her Daddy’s Alex Cooper sold out a multi-city tour on both the West and East Coast and Acquired hosted a live podcast for a sold-out crowd at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Similarly, YouTube’s Markiplier generated $19 million in merchandise sales in a single day, showcasing the direct-to-fan power of creators. Currently, Hollywood struggles to match this depth of connection, while creators thrive through authentic, community-driven relationships.?

Empowering Creators Leads to Greater Success for All

Platforms like YouTube succeed because creators maintain creative control, delivering what audiences want and driving engagement. Hollywood studios, by contrast, have historically insisted on not only retaining creative control but also structuring deals that provide minimal upside for creators. This approach sidelines creators' voices and diminishes the potential for a mutually beneficial model. According to Ampere Analysis, the top six media companies are set to boost content spending by 9% in 2024, reaching a record $126 billion. Increased spending is exciting—but budget size isn’t the real question. In a system that’s slow to evolve and hesitant to embrace the future, will pouring in more money actually produce more hits and cultural moments? Probably not.

The shift toward a creator-driven entertainment landscape is well underway, and Amazon’s recent investment in Spotter—with MGM playing a pivotal role—shows Hollywood’s push to learn from the creator economy. Spotter equips creators with upfront funding, services, and software to transform their content libraries into long-term revenue and expand their reach. Amazon’s support adds new dimensions in content and commerce, enabling them to deliver more engaging content, expand ad inventory, and deepen their understanding of performance metrics. Creators have firmly established themselves as entertainment powerhouses, and this strategic investment positions Amazon closer to the pulse of this evolving landscape, readying them for the future.

The imperative is clear –the future of entertainment lies in recognizing and harnessing the services, tools and resources to amplify creators and their vision.?

Back creators. They are the new Hollywood.