YouTube executive crowns creators the new Hollywood, touts his picks for industry frontrunners
A YouTube executive says creators aren’t just disrupting Hollywood—they’re rewriting the playbook, and he’s naming the digital stars he thinks could become the next frontrunners.
Horror breakout Backrooms from Kane Parsons and Curry Barker’s thriller Obsession are the kinds of creator-born projects YouTube is pointing to as its talent levels up into studio-style storytelling. That was the message from Andreas Briese, the company’s Germany-based managing director, speaking at the Zurich Summit during the Zurich Film Festival.
“Creators are the new Hollywood, ” Briese said.
Briese argued that the shift isn’t just about clout; it ’s about control. He said today’s bigger channels are effectively production companies, building audiences first and then expanding into longer-form work, brand deals and multi-platform releases.
“Many of them, especially the midsize and large creators, are entrepreneurs. They really run their business.”
Money and tools
YouTube is backing that pitch with cash and infrastructure. The company says it has paid creators, artists and media companies more than $100 billion over the past four years, and it’s been rolling out new ways to make money that go beyond traditional ad splits.
In August, YouTube announced major updates to the YouTube Partner Program, including revenue options tied to Shorts, shopping and brand partnerships. Then at its September Made on YouTube event, it expanded Creator Partnerships and YouTube Shopping, and highlighted AI- assisted production tools designed to speed up workflows.
- More paths to revenue, including Shorts and brand deals
- Shopping and affiliate features expanding, with the affiliate program set to reach 35 countries by the end of 2026
- Creator Partnerships broadened to connect channels with advertisers
- More than 3 million creators now in the Partner Program
Creators in the room
Briese noted that traditional outlets are adapting, with broadcasters and distributors increasingly turning to YouTube to find new audiences and opportunities. That crossover was visible in Zurich, where the 2026 Summit put the creator economy — YouTube and TikTok included — at the center of its conversations, seating Parsons, Briese and other execs alongside studio and agency figures.
The bigger picture, according to YouTube, is a creator-first model where channels can develop projects, distribute them directly and commercialize across ads, shopping and brand partnerships — a package that used to require multiple layers of the old entertainment system. The platform’s shopping affiliate program is slated to be in 35 countries by the end of 2026.