The Mainstream Didn't Die. It Just Moved to YouTube

New research finds that YouTube creators and memes now register as widely known as Hollywood celebrities and the Super Bowl. The same week, IMDb gave creators their own professional category and Markiplier explained why he still doesn't need a studio.

Today at a GlanceYouTube's culture report: Survey data finds YouTube creators (77%) and memes (78%) register as widely known as Hollywood celebrities (79%) and the Super Bowl (83%).Creators get institutional recognition: IMDb added "Digital Creator" as a formal professional category. Markiplier told Business Insider he doesn't think creators need to give up control to work with Hollywood.Gamers don't watch in the same place: Twitch leans American, YouTube Gaming dominates Asia, and Kick sits in between, according to new regional streaming data.Also this week: European ad spend hit €187 billion in 2025, Google is quietly paying some publishers for AI-generated answers that use their content, and Anthropic's Dario Amodei called for the industry to slow down AI development, with Sam Altman and Elon Musk agreeing.A new report from YouTube tries to answer a question that's been hanging over the media industry for years: does mainstream culture even exist anymore, now that everyone's feed looks different? The answer, based on a survey of nearly a thousand people, is yes, but the people defining it have changed. YouTube creators and internet memes now register with the public about as wid...