Escape Artists, Empire Builders, and the Platform Power Shift
Over the last decade or Hollywood started letting creators in through the front door—with bigger budgets, access to legacy platforms and, in the eyes of some, the prestige of mainstream media and access to their awards. We’re well past the awkward era of casting influencers in scripted shows like marketing stunts. That mostly flopped.
The real shift? Creators are now bringing their point of view with them—and legacy media is finally listening.
This week, we’re mapping out six specific migration patterns. From creators who ditch their digital roots, to empire-builders turning Hollywood into just another revenue stream, to storytellers using studio budgets to finally scale their vision—there’s a lot to track, and even more to learn.
It’s important to keep in mind that the way were are evaluating these buckets isn’t about operation size, how many businesses a creator has or the type of content they are making.
This is about identifying how creators are choosing to interact with legacy media operations.
What are they are doing once they enter the chute and what that means for their content and audiences moving forward.
The thought is to look at how audiences are changing, growing and transforming as the creators venture into new territory. Did they grow their original audiences or create new ones — or both?
Mitch Camarda, one of our resident gardeners, did the deep dig. These creator migration trends aren’t just retrospective—they help us see around corners and glimpse where the whole industry might be heading next.
Let’s get into it.
Bucket 1: The Escape Artists
THE TREND: Creators ghosting their social media roots once Hollywood calls, betting everything on a mainstream career leap. This is the traditional ‘graduation model’ where digital serves merely as a launchpad to ‘real’ entertainment careers.
WHO DID IT:
Issa Rae shut down her YouTube hit The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl in 2013 to focus entirely on HBO's Insecure. When HBO handed her the keys to a premium cable kingdom, she leveraged her web series' success into mainstream stardom—leaving YouTube behind.
Lilly Singh drastically cut her YouTube output after landing NBC's A Little Late with Lilly Singh in 2019. With nearly 15 million YouTube subscribers, she pivoted from viral sketches to a traditional talk show format. The result was painful—her show averaged under 600,000 viewers and was canceled after two seasons.
Lucas Cruikshank (Fred) brought his squeaky-voiced character to Nickelodeon in 2010. His debut TV movie drew 7.6 million viewers, but the sequels fizzled, and his follow-up series was short-lived.
AUDIENCE IMPACT: This approach often fractures the creator's relationship with their original audience. Many of Rae's fans followed her to HBO out of loyalty, but Singh's young digital-native fans didn't migrate to late-night TV's 1:30am slot, and older audiences weren't familiar with her YouTube persona. For Fred, initial curiosity created a viewership spike that crashed when the novelty wore off.
WHERE THIS TREND IS HEADING: The complete pivot is becoming increasingly rare as creators recognize the risks of abandoning their original platforms. Today's savvier creators view traditional media as an extension, not a replacement. The future belongs to those who bridge worlds rather than choosing between them.
Bucket 2: The Format Loyalists
WHO'S DOING IT:
Ms. Rachel brought her Songs for Littles YouTube channel (13+ million subscribers) to Netflix as simple compilation episodes. Netflix didn't reboot or reinvent her show; they recognized her direct-to-camera educational approach already worked perfectly for toddlers.
The Try Guys brought their Without a Recipe YouTube series directly to Food Network as No-Recipe Road Trip, maintaining identical premise and personalities. The TV version was almost a clone of the YouTube format.
Hot Ones transformed from a YouTube interview sensation to TruTV game show while preserving its core spicy-wings concept. Host Sean Evans insisted on keeping the signature element (insanely hot wings prompting candid reactions) when launching Hot Ones: The Game Show.
AUDIENCE IMPACT: By maintaining format consistency, these creators avoid alienating their existing fanbase while gaining exposure to new audiences. The Try Guys' original fans felt the Food Network show was a seamless extension of their YouTube series—many live-tweeted episodes as if they were YouTube premieres. For Ms. Rachel, toddlers noticed zero difference in her content, while parents appreciated accessing it on a platform with better parental controls.
WHERE THIS TREND IS HEADING: We're witnessing a tectonic power shift in entertainment. Legacy media is now importing creator formats wholesale without forcing them to conform to traditional standards—a complete reversal from earlier crossover attempts. This sea change will continue as networks recognize that the distinctive qualities of creator-driven shows are exactly what attracts younger viewers.
Bucket 3: The Kid Whisperers
THE TREND: Children's content creators are expanding to Netflix, Hulu, and traditional TV networks, driven by the unique dynamic of having to satisfy both kids and their parents. Unlike adult content, this transition hinges on parental platform preferences as much as children's viewing habits.
WHO'S DOING IT:
CoComelon transformed from a YouTube nursery rhyme channel to a Netflix powerhouse in 2020. Within months, it ranked #3 across all Netflix shows and became the most viewed kids' series on the platform.
Blippi expanded his orange-suspenders educational videos to Netflix with Blippi's Adventures and Blippi's School Supply Scavenger Hunt. The Netflix ‘premium’ series gave Blippi higher production values while maintaining his core educational persona.
Little Baby Bum was acquired and distributed on Netflix while continuing to rack up billions of YouTube views. Similarly, Pinkfong's Baby Shark leveraged YouTube viral success into a Nickelodeon show.
AUDIENCE IMPACT: Kids seamlessly continue watching their favorite characters regardless of platform, showing little platform loyalty. However, parents drive the viewing decisions and generally prefer the controlled environment of streaming services over YouTube's algorithm-driven recommendations. This creates a dual audience dynamic where content must satisfy both toddlers (with engaging content) and parents (with platform safety).
WHERE THIS TREND IS HEADING: The kid content gold rush is just beginning. Companies like Moonbug Entertainment have built empires by acquiring YouTube-born kids' IP and distributing it across platforms. Moonbug's $3 billion acquisition by Candle Media underscores the enormous value in this space. The winning approach is omnipresence—being available wherever families consume content. Success will belong to kid creators who build franchise ecosystems spanning streaming, toys, games, and experiences.
Bucket 4: The Scale Seekers
THE TREND: These visionaries leverage legacy media resources to realize ambitious creative projects that their online platforms couldn't support. Think of it as upgrading from a sketchpad to a massive canvas—same artistic vision, dramatically expanded scope.
WHO'S DOING IT:
MrBeast built his brand on YouTube with massive giveaways and stunts, then scaled dramatically with Beast Games, his Prime Video competition series. Rather than just recreating digital hits, he leveraged Amazon’s global reach and budget to bring his generosity-driven spectacle to a scale YouTube alone couldn't support. Fans still recognized the MrBeast DNA, but the series expanded his audience—drawing viewers who’d never subscribed online..
Critical Role transformed D&D livestreams into Amazon's animated Legend of Vox Machina after fans contributed $11.4 million via Kickstarter. This wasn't about abandoning Twitch—it was about elevating their storytelling into a medium that could fully realize the fantasy worlds they'd been building.
Markiplier expanded from YouTube into traditional media with The Edge of Sleep, an immersive podcast later adapted by Amazon in 2024. He also wrote, directed, and starred in Iron Lung, a self-financed horror film. Both projects scaled his vision beyond what digital alone allowed, while keeping his core audience engaged.
AUDIENCE IMPACT: This transition deepens audience loyalty and broadens reach simultaneously. Critical Role’s fans actively funded Vox Machina, then subscribed to Amazon to watch it. Similarly, MrBeast’s YouTube audience eagerly embraced Beast Games on Prime Video, while new viewers discovered his generosity-driven spectacle for the first time. These creators scale their vision without sacrificing the connection to their original community.
WHERE THIS TREND IS HEADING: The streaming wars have created a perfect storm for these creative scalers. As platforms hunger for IP with built-in audiences, they're increasingly turning to digital creators with proven concepts. The smarter studios are positioning themselves as production partners rather than creative dictators, providing Hollywood-level resources while respecting the creator's voice. This trend will accelerate as the line between ‘digital’ and ‘premium’ content continues to blur.
Bucket 5: The Shape-Shifters
THE TREND: These creators don’t just hop between platforms—they reinvent their entire creative identity with every move. Each shift surprises audiences precisely because it doesn’t feel tied to past successes. While most creators refine one successful style, these shape-shifters thrive on evolution. They share a creative fingerprint, but every new project feels fresh, unexpected, and impossible to predict.
WHO'S DOING IT:
Bo Burnham charted an extraordinary path from teenage YouTube musician to stand-up comedian to acclaimed filmmaker (Eighth Grade) to pandemic-era Netflix auteur (Inside). His content and tone evolved dramatically with each medium—from bedroom DIY authenticity to theatrical stage shows to cinematic storytelling to the experimental hybrid of Inside.
RackaRacka, the Australian duo famous on YouTube for chaotic, ultra-violent shorts, surprised audiences with their A24 horror hit, Talk to Me. Instead of just scaling up their YouTube style, they slowed things down, shifting from frantic action to moody dread. Fans could still spot the RackaRacka DNA, but the film felt genuinely new—more evolution than expansion, pulling in horror buffs who’d never clicked on their channel.
AUDIENCE IMPACT: These creators build fanbases who might barely recognize each other. Not every RackaRacka YouTube subscriber followed them into arthouse horror, but Talk to Me drew film lovers who’d never seen their chaotic digital shorts. Likewise, Bo Burnham picked up viewers with Inside who had no idea he started on YouTube. Each reinvention doesn’t just expand their audience—it fragments it, creating distinct fan groups who know completely different sides of the same creator.
WHERE THIS TREND IS HEADING: While most creators seek to deepen their niche, these format adapters are building uniquely resilient careers by mastering multiple creative disciplines. Their adaptability makes them surprisingly future-proof in an industry where platforms and formats come and go with alarming speed. The next generation of format adapters will likely blur the lines even further, potentially moving between interactive experiences, gaming, film, music, and emerging technologies. These renaissance creators represent perhaps the most sustainable approach to long-term creative careers.
Bucket 6: The Empire Builders
THE TREND: These multi-platform players treat legacy media as just another territory to conquer, never abandoning their digital homelands. Instead of jumping ship, they're building integrated business ecosystems where each venture reinforces the others.
WHO'S DOING IT:
Logan and Jake Paul expanded into boxing, WWE, and mainstream media without ever leaving social behind. Jake’s Netflix fight against Mike Tyson drew tens of millions of viewers, while their HBO Max reality series, Paul American, recast their public chaos as deliberate strategy. Logan still runs his hugely popular Impaulsive podcast, helping bridge their original YouTube fans into mainstream sports—and bringing entirely new audiences into the fold.
AUDIENCE IMPACT: Empire builders hold onto longtime fans while pulling in completely new audiences. Jake Paul’s Netflix fight attracted both his social followers and mainstream sports viewers unfamiliar with his vlogs. His HBO Max series then funneled that attention back to social, feeding directly into his next big move. Instead of separate ventures, each new project reinforces the others, creating a continuous, platform-spanning experience fans can follow seamlessly.
WHERE THIS TREND IS HEADING: Creators aren’t just expanding—they’re intentionally constructing multi-platform empires, carefully matching each content type to the right audience and format. Instead of replicating content, they’ll create premium experiences for streaming, informal behind-the-scenes moments on social, and tangible retail products that fans can own. By strategically connecting these pieces, they’re building self-reinforcing ecosystems that continually drive engagement, making them not just creators—but empire builders.
A quick caveat on Empire Builders: There are surely other creators that fit the model of an empire builder, but we’ve chosen the Paul Brothers because they are the most clear example. There are also creators that have built massive online empires like MrBeast. After all, few creators have scaled bigger or faster. But the lens we’re using here isn’t just about scale; it’s about shapeshifting into legacy media and building new formats tailored to those ecosystems. That’s where the Paul Brothers stand out—they’ve used legacy platforms not just to amplify their brand, but to evolve it. MrBeast, by contrast, has doubled down on perfecting his native format. That doesn’t mean he won’t eventually expand in new directions—he has the reach, capital, and discipline to do so. But for now, his empire is still firmly rooted in the world he built, not the one he’s yet to enter.
The Next Bucket
Each content bucket will continue to thrive—but legacy platforms are likely to overcorrect, importing too much YouTube-native content or over-indexing on creators who may not yet have the skills—or the audience—to sustain longer-form, premium storytelling at scale.
Yes, there’s opportunity in every one of these models. But in chasing younger viewers—and trying to keep older ones now glued to YouTube—legacy media may try to be everything to everyone.
That’s a trap.
The creators who win won’t just port their content into walled gardens; they’ll invent new formats that feel native to each platform, while still carrying the DNA of their brand.
That’s the sweet spot: empire builders who understand the medium is the message—and each platform needs content designed for it. Whether legacy media evolves alongside this shift or charts its own path, that mindset feels like the one that wins. It’s the approach those of us coming from legacy should be leaning into.
The buckets help us see the patterns.
great piece
brilliant analysis