Uproxx joins push to pitch creator TV
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Uproxx is pitching music programming on YouTube as premium inventory to advertisers, CEO Jarret Myer exclusively tells Axios ahead of the IAB NewFronts.
Why it matters: As connected TV audiences grow, creator media companies are positioning themselves as entertainment networks — not just social video brands — and part of a new category called creator TV.
Zoom in: Artists are "super creators" of the creator economy, Myer says, bringing massive fan communities that consistently show up.
- "In a world of YouTube eating TV, there's still a big question of what content lives on YouTube that behaves like TV," Myer says. "Just because MTV's gone away doesn't mean that music television isn't as big as it's ever been. It's just not on one channel anymore."
- Uproxx builds programming around those artists, including interviews and documentaries.
- The company also has an exclusive partnership with Warner Music Group — its former owner — managing YouTube ad sales for its clients including Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa.
Flashback: Warner Music Group had acquired Uproxx in 2018. But Myer, who was one of the company's founders, bought it back alongside Complex founder Rich Antoniello and will.i.am in 2024.
By the numbers: New data from Comscore, shared exclusively with Axios, shows Uproxx ranks No. 7 among the top 25 entertainment properties on connected TV, ahead of Vevo, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery.
- Uproxx reaches more than 160 million monthly viewers across YouTube and social platforms. More than half of its audience is watching on TV screens.
- The company said its audience delivers incremental reach. When combined with Netflix, 64% of the audience is unique to Uproxx. An estimated 63% is unique when combined with ESPN, according to Comscore data.
What they're saying: "As the definition of the big screen in the household continues to evolve, creator television should not be dismissed as simply 'influence,'" Comscore chief commercial officer Steve Bagdasarian tells Axios.
- "The creator economy does more than command attention at scale. It builds highly engaged communities that show up consistently for episodic viewing," he adds.
The big picture: As YouTube is increasingly being watched on TVs, creator companies are trying to compete more directly for TV ad dollars. Creators are shaping their channels like traditional media, producing episodic programming that people can watch together in the living room.
- YouTube in November hosted its first Creator Premieres, an event for ad buyers that previewed upcoming episodic content from creators like Mark Vins, Cleo Abram and Trevor Noah.
- Spotter, which provides creators with funding, tools and partnerships, earlier this month held a similar showcase. Dude Perfect, Jordan Matter, Kinigra Deon and others shared their strategies.
- Whalar Group this month launched Lighthouse Studios, an entertainment production arm. Its first partnership is with music video director Cole Bennett's Lyrical Lemonade to build out a video network.
What to watch: Uproxx will host its NewFront presentation on March 26 at City Winery NYC.
- "I actually am a big believer in this trend of creator TV," Myer says. "I just believe that music television is the elite tier of creator-driven TV."
