The Garden Harvest: 10/17/25

Your weekly digest on the intersection of the Creator Economy and Legacy Media.

Oct 17, 2025

Welcome back to the Garden Harvest.

A quick note before we get into it.

I’ll be off next week as I head to the Austin Film Festival, where I’ll be speaking on a panel about how filmmakers can leverage the creator economy to build their careers in film and TV.

If you’ll be at the festival, come say hi. OG: Approved writer

Mitch Camarda

will be there too.

FRESH CLIPPINGS

YouTube YouTube YouTube

This article from the Hollywood Reporter about how “YouTube ate TV” is making the rounds, coupled with all the creator economy chatter at MIPCOM.

But this is all kinda old news if you’ve been following Open Gardens. There’s nothing productive in having fear or remaining in denial, so instead of remaining stuck in the same conversations, let’s look into the future. For this, we love Sean Atkins’ take.

He lays out a few ideas that feel more practical than radical. First, treat creators like showrunners. Studios give overall deals to writers and producers, why not creators? If you give them the budget of one linear series, let them test ten formats across platforms, and scale what works. Second, rethink brand partnerships. Instead of scattered ad campaigns, imagine annual brand “upfronts” with creators, longer term collaborations where the brand becomes part of the story, not a weird interruption. And finally, creator co-productions: five creators pooling resources, audiences, and IP the same way international broadcasters have done for decades.

Legacy media has capital, infrastructure, and distribution muscle. Creators bring speed, authenticity, and direct connection.

Here’s to keeping the narrative hopeful and collaborative.

Podcasts are coming to Netflix

Starting in early 2026, Netflix will begin streaming video podcasts from Spotify Studios and The Ringer, giving top shows a second home and millions of new potential viewers (emphasis on the word viewers).

The collaboration expands Spotify’s reach beyond its own app while letting Netflix diversify its lineup with creator-driven content that sits somewhere between podcast and TV.

What matters more here, though, is the blending of formats. What started as audio-first storytelling is evolving into video programming, i.e. television. For Netflix, it’s a way to compete with YouTube. And for creators, it’s a big win: wider audiences, more discovery, and more ways to monetize their work.

It will be interesting to see how video podcasts change once people start watching them on TV…

Underscore Talent Launches Digital-First Comedy Division

Underscore Talent has launched a new Comedy Division built for today’s landscape. As we know, today’s comedians aren’t waiting for gatekeepers to give them a green light. They’re building audiences on social platforms and taking those fans with them into TV, film, touring, and brand partnerships.

What’s cool about Underscore’s approach is that they’re flipping the old model. Instead of managing comics who hope to get discovered and give up their big idea to a single studio, they’re helping creators own their IP, grow audiences, and monetize across different platforms.

It sounds simple, but this simple mindset shift can be a game changer. Excited to see where this one goes.

GARDEN VIEW

A few months old, but this fascinating case of two of the biggest Latin American soccer commentators accidentally becoming creators (and succeeding) is pretty incredible.

Perhaps a taste of what’s to come.

HARVEST QUOTE

“This fast-evolving format is catching on and we are here to support our performers as they pursue their craft and engage this new business model”

— SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin on verticals.

With the actors’ union now getting into the game (he even called it an “exciting new space”), the format should continue its entry into the legacy community.

Because when unions start building frameworks for a new format, it usually means the format has truly arrived.

Have a great weekend…