Some creators want to negotiate deals like TV networks
Creators have been brought onto traditional upfronts within the last year, but it's looking like they're ready for their own show.
European creator management firm Arcade organized the first-ever media upfront in London last week. This marks a shift in the creator economy, as creators have been involved in TV and streaming network negotiations over the past year. Companies such as Spotter, Forbes, Walmart, and the International Advertising Bureau (IAB) have also conducted their own creator-centric versions of traditional media sales events.
However, these events reveal a structural issue: the traditional TV upfront model does not align well with the creator economy. The creator inventory is virtually limitless and distributed across thousands of channels, making it challenging to organize creator upfront negotiations. Arcade's Sept. 17 event served as both a sales pitch for some of its top creators and a look into the future of creator media.
The IAB's CreatorFronts focused more on a state-of-the-market update and the limitations of the creator economy's still-developing infrastructure. Spotter's CTV event earlier this year centered around selling its YouTube inventory.
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