Latest news with #digitalCreators
Entrepreneur
16-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Inside the Fight League That's Turning Creators Into Broadcasters
GLORY is betting on creators to grow kickboxing in the U.S., launching an exclusive-to-attend, free-to-stream fight series tailored for digital-first audiences. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. For GLORY CEO Marshall Zelaznik, creators aren't just ambassadors — they're the lifeblood of his company's growth strategy. "The Kai Cenats of the world have this incredible machine that generates interest and viewership," he says. "They're the new linear TV networks for growing a fan base." As the world's premier kickboxing organization, GLORY embraces this evolution head-on, borrowing from the cultural playbook that made gaming, creator boxing and Twitch-style engagement explode, while anchoring it in elite competition and high-end production. The result is a fresh format that blends top-tier combat sports with platform-first storytelling, always-on content and the community-driven energy of the internet's favorite creator events. "We're the first group that's taken our core products to these platforms," Zelaznik says. One of the biggest pieces of GLORY's new push is a partnership with Betr, the sports media and gaming company co-founded by Jake Paul. Zelaznik's background inspired the deal in eSports, where he once led business development and content at Blizzard. "Gamers, streamers and creators are always looking for content that'll actually matter to their fans," he says. "Our pitch to Betr was pretty simple: we've got compelling stuff." Related: 'Smiling and Dialing' to a Billion Dollars — How This Kevin Hart-Backed Energy Brand is Changing the Game Creators' experiences with their communities His goal is to make it as easy as possible for creators to plug into the experience and share it with their communities — what he calls "spoon-feeding" them content. "While others might invite a creator to check out what they're doing, we're bringing the whole thing directly to them," he says. "We're really embracing the creator community in a way no one else has." That idea manifests in GLORY Underground, a new creator-forward fight series launched in Miami on May 1st. The first event was invite-only, with Welterweight champ Chico Kwasi defending his belt in a rematch against Lightweight champ Tyjani "The Wonderboy" Beztati. "It's going to feel very exclusive," Zelaznik says. "Like fight club meets the actual club." To be clear, you won't see creators stepping into the ring in Paul Brothers fashion. While Zelaznik is open to leveraging the creator economy to grow the sport, he's committed to preserving the integrity of the core product — delivering high-quality fights featuring world-class professional athletes. "Between the bells at the beginning and end of the fight, this will be a real fight. There will be no shenanigans," he says. "During the walkout, the decision, or between rounds — sure, we'll have some entertainment — but everything inside the ropes will be pure." That balance will be evident in the event's nightclub-style atmosphere and modern production, designed more for mobile viewers than traditional TV audiences. It's a bold move for a company looking to grow its audience to launch an exclusive event series, especially in sports, where ticket sales reign supreme. Airing that event for free is even more daring. There was a time when a company like GLORY would've jumped at the chance to give away media rights to a network like ABC or ESPN — maybe even paid for the airtime. But Zelanzik is betting on a different model. He's all-in on democratized distribution. GLORY's primary platform will be YouTube, and creators are not only welcome but encouraged to co-stream fights — a tactic pulled straight from the eSports playbook. "Instead of saying 'here's the appointment viewing, go watch it on ESPN,' we're making sure everyone with a phone can watch," he says. While this strategy might help grow the audience, it also leaves money on the table, as Zelaznik is well aware. "We're not going to be running around with our pockets overflowing after this event," he admits. But given time, he believes the series will cultivate a dedicated fandom, create a platform for fighters to raise their profile, and eventually, generate revenue. "We're investing in the product right now," Zelaznik says, "but over time sponsorship will grow and that will make up for it." GLORY also benefits from a strong international foundation, giving the company more flexibility to take financial risks. "The success that we have in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Japan — the revenue we generate there from tickets, sponsorships, media rights — all of that gives us the runway to make these kinds of investments," Zelaznik says. It's essentially the inverse of his time at the UFC, where the company had a dominant presence in the U.S. but faced challenges expanding overseas. While the UFC is now a global powerhouse, Zelaznik carries the experience — and the scars — from when that wasn't the case. "The success in the U.S. gave Dana the confidence to invest globally and start building international offices," he says. "So whereas UFC went from the U.S. to international, we're going from Europe to the U.S." GLORY just re-entered the US arena after a hiatus, but Zelaznik is confident in the company's innovative approach. "The key for us on the business side — beyond just building fans—is that we're doing something unique by bridging traditional sports with new media and influencers," he says. "We're embracing the creator community in a way no one else has."
Zawya
13-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
The next global marketing frontier: Africa's creator economy
Africa's creator economy is expected to increase by 28.5% from $3.08bn to $17.84bn by 2030. This is a cultural and economic opportunity, one that speaks directly to Africa's next generation of entrepreneurs and highlights a massive shift in how brands can engage meaningfully across African markets. Ntokozo Nhlanhla, executive creative director, Digitas Liquorice says the creator economy is Africa's chance to leapfrog into a new era of influence, where creators set global trends (Image supplied) The creator economy is reshaping the global marketing landscape, projected to nearly double in value from $250bn today to $480bn by 2027. In Africa, this momentum is even more pronounced. The size of the prize Africa is home to 54 countries, over 2,000 languages, and more than 1.4 billion people. It is also the fastest-growing region in terms of working-age population. By 2050, over 740 million Africans will be of working age, with 12 million youth entering the labour force annually. At the same time, internet penetration and smartphone adoption are climbing steadily, creating fertile ground for young Africans to shift from passive consumers to active creators. Social platforms, digital payment systems and mobile tech are making it easier than ever for creators to monetise their content and build audiences, not just in Mzansi, but across the continent and the globe. This is Africa's chance to leapfrog into a new era of influence, where creators set global trends. From influence to impact The influencer and creator economy presents a powerful spectrum of impact across the marketing funnel. Influencers (those with large followings and broad appeal) excel at creating top-of-funnel awareness. Meanwhile, content creators, often with more niche or culturally embedded audiences, drive deeper engagement, trust and conversion. 'Influencers or celebrity personalities with great reach can raise brand awareness, but with creators, we are tapping into niche communities with access to a more personal audience connection, focusing on building engagement through education and entertainment. It's not just about the number of followers anymore,' says Pete Little, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe Africa. In the recent #YoutubeMadeForYou campaign, this distinction played out powerfully. In the first phase, influencers drove awareness through YouTube Shorts in South Africa, generating over 3,000 short-form videos celebrating local culture under the #MadeInMzansi banner. In the second phase, creators and influencers partnered to inspire and enable others, resulting in more than 65,000 pieces of new content, 85 million views and one million new daily users across Africa. By activating creators and influencers at scale, the platform drove exponential content creation and user acquisition, turning passive audiences into active participants and solving the challenge of sustained engagement and daily growth. Relevance Is the new reach In a continent as diverse as Africa, relevance cannot be one-size-fits-all. That's why culturally specific content in local languages, with local nuance, is a non-negotiable for success. In Nigeria, the content for the #YoutubeMadeForYou campaign was created in Hausa, Yoruba, Pidgin, Igbo and English. South African content featured isiXhosa, Zulu, Afrikaans and English. Kenya followed with Swahili and English assets. Across the campaign, 422 culturally tuned assets were developed, resulting in brand recall increases of +9.6% in Nigeria and +6.5% in South Africa. This level of customisation speaks to consumers in their language and improves the brand experience, driving measurable results. Why brands should care Globally, nine out of 10 consumers trust the creators they follow. Among Gen Z and millennials, creator content influences purchasing decisions more than traditional ads. And 63% of consumers trust what influencers say about brands more than the brands themselves (Warc). For marketers, this means real ROI: brands that invest strategically in influencer and creator partnerships see up to 10.7 times better performance in social media marketing outcomes. Yet the African creator economy remains undercapitalised. The challenge? A lack of Africa-first content, inconsistent access to platforms and insufficient support systems for emerging creators. That's why enablement matters. At Publicis Groupe Africa, we look at every creator campaign through four lenses: marketing objectives, audience fit, cultural relevance and partnership structure. And we invest in education, toolkits, and access, not only airtime. For this economy to thrive long term, it needs structure. Publicis recently supported the launch of the IAB SA and ARB's first Content Creator Charter; a set of guiding principles that promote transparency, ethics and fairness in influencer partnerships. Because building Africa's creator economy is about unlocking dignity, income, voice and creative freedom. Africa's story, told by Africans Africa's creator economy offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape a new narrative. Brands that embrace this shift, from passive advertising to active partnership, from one-size-fits-all messaging to culture-first storytelling, will build equity with Africa. As we move forward, marketers must ask: Are we just advertising to African consumers or are we helping them tell their stories? The difference is exponential. Now is the time to shift. From influence to impact. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Best Royalty-Free Music (2025): Epidemic Sound Named Top Soundtracking Platform by Expert Consumers
Epidemic Sound has been recognized as the top music provider of 2025 by Expert Consumers NEW YORK CITY, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In an increasingly competitive digital landscape where audio-visual content drives brand engagement and online visibility, soundtracking platform Epidemic Sound has been recognized as the top music provider of 2025 by Expert Consumers, an independent publication that reviews tools for digital creators and businesses. Best Royalty-Free Music Epidemic Sound - boasts an expansive catalog of high-quality music and sound effects, offering advanced soundtracking tools and licensing solutions for content creators, marketing professionals, production teams, and enterprise-level users worldwide. Expert Consumers highlights the growing role of music in modern content strategies, whether in branded videos, social campaigns, live streams, or podcasts. As more businesses and creators turn to digital storytelling, demand for music that is easy to license, safe to monetize, and curated to fit specific moods and themes continues to rise. Epidemic Sound addresses this need with a comprehensive solution that combines simplicity, scalability, and creative flexibility. Epidemic Sound's model is built around a subscription-based structure that offers unlimited downloads and global usage rights on platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, and podcast channels. Through its direct licensing system, all rights are included, allowing users to publish and monetize their content worry-free, without dealing with copyright worries or takedown issues. All content published during an active subscription remains covered indefinitely. Its music catalog features over 50,000 tracks, categorized by genre, mood, and theme, and supports searches by lyrical content, allowing creators to find and apply music that fits their specific storytelling goals. From upbeat pop and electronic tracks to ambient scores, jazz, funk, and lo-fi instrumentals, the collection is curated to support a wide range of creative projects. Mood filters help users discover tracks that evoke emotions such as hopeful, cinematic, relaxed, mysterious, or sentimental, saving time and enhancing production quality. Epidemic Sound offers three primary subscription tiers: The Creator Plan, starting at $5.99 per month (billed monthly), is intended for individual creators and includes unlimited downloads, social and web licensing, and monetization for one channel per platform. The Pro Plan, starting at $11.99 per month (billed monthly), is geared toward freelancers, professionals, and businesses producing content for commercial use, including digital ads and client projects. It includes licensing for business use, up to three monetized channels per platform, and access to voiceover tools with monthly credits. The Enterprise Plan is tailored for large teams and agencies. It includes everything in the Commercial Plan along with licensing for television, film, offline events, curated music recommendations, and multi-seat access. Pricing for this plan is customized and available upon request. Epidemic Sound has also developed and integrated AI-powered features into its platform, such as instant voiceover tools and personalized music recommendations, helping users save time and create more dynamic audio-visual experiences. From an industry standpoint, the importance of legally licensed music has grown significantly as social and video platforms implement stricter copyright enforcement policies. Content creators, brands, and production houses are increasingly seeking licensing partners that offer ease of use, legal security, and a world-class music selection without the overhead of managing complex rights. The platform's commitment to fairness also extends to its network of music artists, who are compensated directly, via a 50/50 music streaming royalty split , and the company's Soundtrack Bonus system. This model supports a sustainable relationship between artists and content creators, allowing music to be used in ways that are both ethical and impactful. With creative industries continuing to shift toward remote, flexible, and scalable content production, services like Epidemic Sound offer a streamlined approach to licensing that keeps pace with the needs of both solo creators and large production teams. To read the full review, visit the Expert Consumers website. About Expert Consumers: Expert Consumers provides news and reviews of consumer products and services. As an affiliate, Expert Consumers may earn commissions from sales generated using links Drew Thomas (press@ in to access your portfolio
