How Digital-First Production Companies Are Dominating Social Media Without Reliance on Single Stars

It’s no secret that some of the biggest creators have borrowed their development and engagement strategies from Hollywood. But there’s an entire genre of digital-first production companies that have taken that approach to a whole new level.

Companies like Dropout, Jubilee, and NowThis have adapted TV’s playbook for the social media age. Unlike traditional creator-driven models, these companies are more IP-focused than talent-focused, offering serious advantages in scalability and sustainability.

Dropout: Subscription Model with 1M+ Subscribers

Sam Reich, CEO of Dropout, emphasized the benefits of this approach:

“One creator can only stretch themselves so far to create so much content.”

Dropout operates on a subscription model and has over 1 million subscribers. The company plans to release 10 to 12 shows this year. While Dropout partners closely with talent, it is not entirely dependent on individual creators. This allows talent to focus solely on content creation while Dropout handles the viral potential.

NowThis: Gen Z-Focused Shortform Video Hub

Michael Vito Valentino, Editor-in-Chief of NowThis, explained their strategy:

“For a lot of our shows, what we do is just Gen Z’s take on a talk show format. At the end of the day, everyone still has to promote a product. So they come here and they do it.”

NowThis targets Gen Z and Millennial women with shortform video content, mirroring the promotional tactics of late-night TV.

Jubilee: Building Franchises, Not Just Viral Videos

Jason Y. Lee, founder and CEO of Jubilee, shared his vision:

“We are trying to develop shows or vehicle formats that will not just have one video that gets a million views or 10 million views, but 100 videos that can each get a million views.”

Jubilee, with over 10 million YouTube subscribers, has achieved viral success with series like Middle Ground and Surrounded, focusing on sustainable content franchises.

Vine Returns as diVine, Backed by Jack Dorsey

The six-second shortform video app Vine, popular in the 2010s, has relaunched as diVine. Ironically, the reboot is funded by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who played a role in Vine’s original shutdown.

diVine boasts an archive of 500,000 videos from the original Vine and positions itself as “freedom from AI slop.” Over 150,000 users signed up for diVine’s day-one beta, and the app is now fully available on Apple and Google’s app stores.

Many of today’s top creators, including King Bach, Quenlin Blackwell, and the Paul brothers, first gained fame on Vine. The question remains: Can diVine replicate that success?

Ad Investment in Social Video Surpasses Connected TV

For the first time ever, advertising spend on social video has outpaced connected TV (CTV) spend, according to the latest report from the IAB. Social video saw a 13% year-over-year growth, signaling a major shift in digital advertising priorities.