Latest news with #AlanChikinChow
Business Insider
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
Why YouTube is trying to replace your favorite TV shows
A new golf comedy called "Shanked," which follows the hijinks at a country club where employees clash with pampered members, made its debut this month. The first episode runs about 20 minutes and resembles a low-budget comedy you might have once seen on Comedy Central. But it's not on cable. It's on YouTube. Welcome to 2025, when the big question in Hollywood isn't whether YouTube can work in the living room, but rather, how much of the entertainment landscape can it conquer. "Shanked" isn't the only scripted show on YouTube, with top creators like Dhar Mann and Alan Chikin Chow making TV-like series for the platform. Meanwhile, streamers like Netflix and Amazon's Prime Video are also updating their strategies, both by taking cues from cable TV — with ads and costly live sports — and seeing how they can mine social media for creator talent. For the creators of "Shanked," YouTube was a no-brainer. Ryan Horrigan of production company London Alley said he saw a lack of low-budget comedies on TV at the same time YouTube was increasingly favoring 20-minute episodic series. Why not a comedy, he thought. James Lynch, a comedian who co-created and stars in the show, said he felt the lines between entertainment platforms were increasingly blurring. "We love shows like 'Severance,' but every time I go to a friend's house, there's always something on YouTube," he said. Google-owned YouTube has nurtured a creator economy that Goldman Sachs estimated would grow to about $480 billion by 2027. Many in the entertainment and advertising world dismissed YouTube as a repository for amateur videos and movie trailers until it became the No. 1 viewed platform on TVs, per Nielsen, ahead of the "real TV" companies Netflix, Disney, and Prime Video. As YouTube and TV begin to converge, it looks like the Hollywood system as we know it will never be the same. But how the ecosystem will look when the dust settles is much more difficult to parse. YouTube is encouraging episodic series Lately, YouTube has been rolling out tools and features to encourage creators to make shows for the living room. It's also doing more to match advertisers to creators to support the kinds of shows you're used to seeing on TV. At Brandcast, YouTube's big annual presentation to the advertising community, it underlined the point by showing off top creators like IShowSpeed and Michelle Khare, who are making episodic series. And it's making a big push to win an Emmy to prove it can support quality TV. Viewership is one thing, but advertising, the lifeblood of entertainment, is another. Many major brands still want to be associated with buzzy scripted shows and movies that drive the mainstream conversation, like "The White Lotus," and most creators aren't close to that yet. Only a handful, like MrBeast and Dude Perfect, are making Hollywood-style productions. AI tools could reduce that friction, though, by cutting time and costs from video production. "Creator content is dominating TV watch time — not just on phones, but on the biggest screens in the house, replacing what used to be traditional television. Yet brands are still spending like it's 2015, chasing impressions over impact," said Nick Cicero, founder of Mondo Metrics, a media measurement company. Advertisers are closing the gap, though. Ad holding company giant WPP recently estimated that creators would earn $185 billion between direct brand deals and platform revenue share, surpassing ad spending on TV companies like Disney and Paramount. Top ad spender Unilever also said it would move to spend 50% of its advertising on social media platforms, up from about 30%, and work with 20 times more influencers. Can Hollywood adapt? YouTube's growth could be a problem for Hollywood, which is built on direct ownership of IP and entertainment that moves the culture but costs a ton. Studios and streamers aren't spending like they were when everyone was trying to catch Netflix, but they still need new stuff to keep viewers coming back and capture younger audiences. Creator-led shows offer one way forward. But can they pull it off? There are promising signs. Amazon is the most prominent example of a company betting huge on a creator. It spent more than $100 million to make MrBeast's "Beast Games," which became its most-watched unscripted show, and just renewed it for two more seasons. Netflix has done deals with The Sidemen, kids' educator Ms. Rachel, and more. Warner Bros. Discovery's HBO Max has a new reality show starring Jake Paul and his brother, Logan, "Paul American." And Disney's Hulu has a hit in "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives." Entertainment companies have gotten more sophisticated about how they work with creators. They're tapping them for their ideas rather than simply looking for a piece of their audience, in contrast with some past flopped creator experiments. Netflix is looking at YouTubers as producers as well as on-screen talent, an unscripted agent told Business Insider. NBCUniversal's Peacock just announced a slate of shows developed by creators via an accelerator program. Tubi has an initiative called Stubios to nurture up-and-coming filmmakers. Media and entertainment companies are also looking at other forms of low-cost content, like soapy mini-dramas and video podcasts. There are challenges, however. Creators like YouTube because there's no gatekeeper. It gives them a lot of data, lets them own their content, and gives them a relatively generous 55% cut of the ad revenue. Creator talent reps told BI some of their clients had walked away from potential Netflix deals because the streamer wouldn't budge from the Hollywood playbook, in which it owns ancillary rights to things like e-commerce revenue. Scott Purdy, a media consultant at KPMG, said entertainment companies would likely start to look at YouTube and other social platforms as potential places to actually launch shows, starting with low-budget fare. "For most companies, most options are on the table," he said. Meanwhile, producers like Horrigan are blue-skying other creator-led formats to put on YouTube. "Talent is still going to want to play in both sandboxes, but we're moving up the stack," he said. "What's next — is horror going to be a thing on YouTube, teen romance? I think that's going to be a thing as well."
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
HYBE Sells Remaining Stake in K-Pop Rival SM Entertainment for $177 Million
HYBE has sold its remaining 9.38% stake in rival SM Entertainment to Tencent Music Entertainment for approximately $177 million, the company revealed in regulatory filing. The SM agency is home to such groups as EXO, Aespa (pictured above) and NCT 127; Tencent Music is a subsidiary of Chinese tech giant Tencent. The deal will see 2.21 million shares transferred at 110,000 Korean won per share and is set to close on May 30, according to the filing. HYBE initially acquired a 14.8% stake in SM from founder Lee Soo Man, and later upped its holding to 15.78% through an unsuccessful takeover bid, being topped by Kakao and its subsidiary Kakao Entertainment, which now holds slightly over 40%. Tencent is now the second-largest shareholder in SM. More from Variety HYBE Latin Launches 'Medellín Music Lab' in Colombia: 'Ready to Make History' (EXCLUSIVE) K-Pop Group NewJeans to Continue Label Battle Despite Fresh Court Setback Alan Chikin Chow Launches Casting Call for Co-Ed Pop Group He's Forming With HYBE America That Will Be Featured in a Scripted Series on YouTube (EXCLUSIVE) According to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, cited in Music Business Worldwide, HYBE stated that I has 'divested non-core assets as part of a choice and concentration strategy,' adding that the 'Secured funds will be used to secure future growth engines.' It noted that SM says that the company plans to 'work more closely with Tencent Music' following the share sale. MBW notes that China-based Tencent Music's investment in SM, a South Korean music company, coincides with reports that China will be lifting its ban on South Korean cultural and entertainment content imports. That ban was imposed by China in 2017 in response to the deployment of a U.S. missile system in South Korea. With a population of more than 1.4 billion people, China would seem ripe for Korean entertainment. Tencent Holdings also owns stakes in other K-pop operations, including Kakoa (a 4.61% stake) labels and YG Entertainment. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Korea Herald
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Hybe's efforts to localize K-pop groups continue, this time in collaboration with YouTube creator Alan Chikin Chow
Global audition seeks aspiring singers, dancers, aged 18-28 for new multinational pop group by "Hybe America x AU" Hybe, the K-pop powerhouse behind BTS, is continuing its localization strategy by creating a new multinational pop group in partnership with popular YouTube creator Alan Chikin Chow, the company's US branch announced Friday. K-pop localization, led by agencies such as Hybe, SM and JYP, involves creating idol groups tailored to regional markets by recruiting local members, using native languages and adapting K-pop's training system. A key example is Katseye, Hybe's first multinational girl group formed with Geffen Records in California in 2023. Hybe America also plans to establish a new label, 'Hybe America x AU,' together with Chow, which will span both drama and music, blending fictional storytelling with real-world artist development. The YouTuber will serve as co-CEO and executive producer alongside James Shin, president of film and television at Hybe America, and Scooter Braun, CEO of Hybe America. The label's first project kicks off with a global audition targeting aspiring singers and dancers between the ages of 18 and 28. Applicants of any nationality can participate by uploading short-form videos to YouTube Shorts using the hashtag '#HYBEAMERICAxAU.' Selected participants will join a US-based intensive development program that combines Hybe's K-pop training with Chow's narrative-driven approach. The group will officially debut through a new original series from 'Alan's Universe,' which will follow the story of young artists entering an art academy and forming their own band. 'Alan's ability to connect with global audiences is remarkable. This collaboration will redefine the process of star-making, blending exceptional storytelling and artist discovery,' Braun said in a statement. According to Hybe America, the project reflects a growing trend in the entertainment industry where storytelling and artist development increasingly intersect. Chow is a globally popular YouTube Shorts creator, currently boasting over 88.8 million subscribers on his 'Alan's Universe' channel. Known for its themes of love, friendship and values relevant to teens, the web series has surpassed 700 million cumulative views across platforms. 'This partnership between the passionate global fandom of 'Alan's Universe' and the musical expertise of Hybe America will create powerful synergy,' Chow said. 'Together, we'll build a new label that delivers inspiration and resonance to audiences around the world.' Shin added, 'This collaboration goes beyond the simple coexistence of music and content — it's a blueprint for the future of entertainment. We plan to create a new artist development model tailored for the digital era.'
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alan Chikin Chow Launches Casting Call for Co-Ed Pop Group He's Forming With HYBE America That Will Be Featured in a Scripted Series on YouTube (EXCLUSIVE)
Alan Chikin Chow is looking for some 'multifaceted artists' to join him in a new mixed-gender pop-music group — and who also will co-star with him in a scripted series about the band on his YouTube channel. Chow, a top YouTuber who is the creator and star behind hit scripted teen comedy series 'Alan's Universe,' has inked a partnership with HYBE America, the U.S. division of Korean music and entertainment company HYBE. Together they have formed HYBE America x AU, described as a 'first-of-its-kind label' that will launch a next-generation franchise spanning both scripted content and music. More from Variety South Korea's Hybe IM Raises $21 Million for Video Game Publishing and Development, Including K-Pop Artist IP K-Pop Group NewJeans Vows to Continue Label Battle Despite Court Setback: 'This Fight Is Necessary' K-Pop's CD Problem: Environmental Groups Sound Alarm on Industry's Carbon Footprint 'The HYBE America x AU collaboration challenges current industry conventions with a bold approach that bridges Eastern and Western entertainment traditions in an entirely new way,' the partners said in announcing the venture. The initial project under the newly formed label will kick off with a global talent search to cast emerging artists to star alongside Chow in a co-ed band, composed of three males and three females. Following the casting of the band's members, they will participate in a development program in Los Angeles combining 'Chow's content expertise' with HYBE's K-pop training system. The music group will publicly debut in an original streaming series. Chow will lead as executive producer and label co-head alongside HYBE America CEO Scooter Braun and James Shin, president of film and television. The series about the as-yet-unnamed band will 'follow a group of aspiring pop idol rejects enrolled at an arts academy who decide to form their own band, fusing the worlds of drama, acting and musical performance with concurrent releases of original music and choreography,' according to the announcement. HYBE America X AU will launch a global talent search on social media. To audition, male and female candidates between 18-28 are asked to upload a singing or dancing clip onto YouTube Shorts via the hashtag #HYBEAMERICAxAU to be considered. More info is available at 'The passionate global fanbase of 'Alan's Universe' partnered with the premier music prowess of HYBE America creates an unstoppable force,' Chow said in a statement provided to Variety. 'Together, we stand to create a next-generation franchise with one purpose: to serve our fans with inspiring, impactful stories.' The franchise's video content will be available Chow's own YouTube channel (which has more than 87 million subscribers), and will extend across music platforms, merchandise, live touring and more. 'This partnership represents entertainment's future — where content and music enhance each other rather than simply coexist,' Shin said. 'We're building a franchise with Alan that establishes a new model for artist development in the digital age.' Braun added, 'Alan's extraordinary connection with global audiences makes him and this partnership unique. Together we are not only reimagining the star-making process but will help to create once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for exceptional storytelling and development.' Chow, 28, is touted as the most-watched YouTube Shorts creator with more than 1 billion views per month. To date, his 'Alan's Universe' series, in which he stars and executive produces, has garnered more than 700 million views across multiple platforms, with an average of 20 million views per episode. Chow most recently opened a 10,000-square-foot production studio space in L.A. in November 2024, which currently houses all production for the series. He's repped by CAA. Watch the trailer for the HYBE America x AU music project audition: Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
