The rise of the creator conglomerate 

But as creators like Dhar Mann and MrBeast reach new heights in terms of both following and investor interest, today’s creator media companies are evolving into something much larger. They’re rapidly expanding into new business units beyond content production — and hiring experienced executives to lead the charge. One year ago, Mann hired Sean Atkins, a former MTV executive, to be the president and CEO of Dhar Mann Studios — and Atkins immediately expanded the company into the creator agency business, launching 5th Quarter Agency to help other top YouTubers more effectively monetize their videos. 

“For three years post-2020, we were actually in revenue decline,” Mann said. “And then, from the date that Sean joined — which is not even two years ago — we have doubled in revenue.”

The rise of the creator executive class

As creator media companies evolve into creator conglomerates, the executives at the helm are constantly in communication. After all, creator conglomerates are an entirely new type of business, and executives coming from more traditional backgrounds in business and entertainment have been tasked with the challenge of building the playbook for leaders in this burgeoning space. 

The nine creator-company executives interviewed for this article appeared to all know each other, with several of them referencing a web of behind-the-scenes WhatsApp chats used to swap notes about topics like advertising fees, brand deal negotiations and behind-the-scenes creator community drama. Atkins, for example, cited a recent discussion about rising CPMs in one of his creator-executive WhatsApp group chats.

“You’ll immediately have 5 to 10 presidents, CEOs and COOs saying right back: ‘I’m seeing this, I’m seeing that. I’m seeing this,’” he said. “It’s really helpful when you’re running an org, because everybody wants everybody to succeed.”

One name that creator company executives repeatedly cited in interviews for this article was Brian Flanagan, who is the president of Mythical Entertainment and previously served as the company’s COO between 2016 and 2023. Five other creator company executives flagged Flanagan as a leader of sorts within the creator–executive space, with the Mythical president frequently doling out advice to other creator execs via text or email.

“That’s a part of my job, to share information. We have on-the-record talks with large creator companies, podcast companies and membership-driven companies all the time,” Flanagan told Digiday. “It’s a good deal of conversation, and I think that it borrows lessons from great broadcast TV in the past. The worlds are very much alike.”

As creator companies continue to build out their executive staff, some are looking to hire talent with experience on both the creator and traditional side of media. 

“Our chief creative officer, Gabriel Blanco, came to us from Mythical — but prior to Mythical, he was working in commercial and film,” said Julie Walsh Smith, the CEO of the creator-founded media company Complexly. “So, it was important for us to have somebody with a background in traditional film and TV, but also understood audiences on YouTube, specifically.”

How today’s creator conglomerates divide their empire

Content production remains the primary revenue stream for today’s creator conglomerates, but modern creator-owned businesses are increasingly using content as a springboard into a range of other business units. 

Here’s a breakdown of the various focuses:

Agency work: 

Dhar Mann’s 5th Quarter Agency is a leading example of how creators have increasingly taken on work that would previously have been done by dedicated talent management or representation firms. Beyond Mann, top creators from Pokimane to Wendigoon have invested in talent management businesses in recent years, with Mann describing his agency business as a “natural extension” of his other work in the space.

“Over my long career, I have rarely been in a business where every single line is working; there’s always something that’s working and not working, and so the more diversified that portfolio is, the better it is for the health of the company, in terms of its ability to continue to invest,” Atkins said. “That’s no different for a creator. Part of what 5th Quarter [Agency] brings to our company is a diversity of risk.”

Mann — whose company reported profits of over $20 million last year — is currently working with the investment bank and advisory firm CAA Evolution to raise over $300 million, intending to use the funds to acquire and manage other YouTube channels. So far, however, Mann has not announced any investors for the venture, with some interested parties balking at the terms, per a Bloomberg report. Having a more diversified business — one that includes content production, agency work, live events and more — could help potential investors feel more comfortable opening their purse strings for Dhar Mann Studios.

“If I could turn around one day and be like, ‘Hey, we have like, six business lines; they’re all 15 percent of the company,’ I’d be ecstatic,” Atkins said.

IP licensing:

As creator-made content grows in popularity, creators are building entire business lines around the licensing of their original content and intellectual properties, both for connected TV devices and beyond. Dhar Mann, for example, has a dedicated Samsung TV Plus channel, which the creator spun into a 13-episode original content deal. (Mann told Digiday that he has a feature film in the works, too, but declined to share more details.)

“Both linear and streaming are bringing us additional revenue opportunities,” said Courtney Hirsch, the CEO of Jomboy Media, which signed a CTV licensing deal with Tubi in August. “Either from the terms of the deal, or just the high-level ability for us to tell advertisers, ‘Hey, you’re going to be the presenting sponsor of [Jomboy show] “Talkin’ Yanks;” you can now find “Talkin’ Yanks” outside of YouTube, and on all of these streaming platforms.” Hirsch did not disclose how much ad revenue Jomboy has made by leveraging its CTV presence, but said that the company planned to use its CTV licensing agreements to sign more deals with premium advertisers. 

Live events and tours:

In 2025, live events have become a major business unit for creators, with creator collectives such as Dude Perfect generating a significant chunk of their revenue from annual tours, both through ticket sales and sponsorships. The company Real Good Touring, which focuses on organizing creator events, has over 800 events on its calendar for 2025, with 224 events scheduled between September and the end of the year, according to co-founder Brent Lilley.

“In the first two years, if we had 100 shows, I would have said, ‘you’re out of your mind,’” Lilley said. “And it’s big and small — it goes everything from 350 seats up to small arenas.”

For creator businesses built around video content, live events represent a particularly juicy content production opportunity, as well as a direct revenue stream.

“The revenue allows us to unlock bigger production value budgets,” said Alessandra Catanese, the CEO of the creator-founded media company Smosh. “And with that, I’m able to turn to my talent and creatives and say, ’what’s the big idea? What do we have that’s not limited to a YouTube video?’”

Consumer products:

Consumer products have supercharged the business of creators such as Jesser, whose apparel brand Bucketsquad is sold at national retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods. In September 2023, the creator hired Zach Miller, a former Spotify executive, as president of the company, with a particular focus on growing Bucketsquad’s apparel business. 

“In 2023, which was our first full year in the apparel business, Bucketsquad apparel did just a little bit over seven figures, and this year it’s going to do a little over eight figures, or I would say [high] seven figures to low eight figures,” Miller said. “So, you’re talking about almost a 10x growth in two years.”

A rising tide

The rise of the creator conglomerate has created opportunities for other businesses to grow, beyond the creator-founded companies themselves. Firms like Real Good Touring, for example, have benefited greatly from the growth of live events as a creator revenue stream, with the company currently bringing in revenue in the “low eight” figures, according to Lilley. Meanwhile, the boom in creators’ consumer product brands has fueled demand for companies and events that exist to promote those products, such as the Creators in Fashion event taking place next month in Dallas, Texas. 

Last month’s inaugural Creators in Fashion event was relatively and intentionally small, with fewer than 100 attendees, according to organizer Tobias Hoss. This year, the event’s organizers expect over 1,000 people to attend, with plans to exclusively feature creator-owned fashion brands on the runway.

“It’s less about competition and more about collaboration, and the economy is growing strongly enough that there’s space for everyone,” Hoss said. “So, we really want to build that platform and enable creators to transform into businesses.”