Welcome to Created, the newsletter that’s more clutch than your Uber driver with a USB-C charger when your phone is dead.
Here’s what we got today:
- Top YouTubers Salish & Jordan Matter sign groundbreaking deal with Netflix
- How Markiplier turned YouTube subscribers into a #1 box office movie
- Outlier of the week
PS thank you to the 650,000 of you who watched our interview with Jordan and Salish Matter in past few days. Your comments really made my day.
Why YouTube's Top Family Channel Signed with Netflix
Netflix just announced major deal with YouTube’s most popular father-daughter duo: Jordan and Salish Matter.
The deal includes a slate of new shows, merch, and videos from their back catalog moving to Netflix.
I interviewed them to ask how they got here — and what this means for other creators.
Especially after we previously spoke with Mark Rober, who also signed a Netflix deal.
Beyond The Numbers
Jordan and Salish’s channel has 34 million subscribers and 13 billion lifetime views.
But it wasn’t until they drew 87,000 fans to the American Dream Mall that Jordan felt like the perception around their brand changed.
More importantly, streaming platforms like Netflix took them more seriously.
“After the event, the people that attended those meetings were the decision-makers and decisions were made very quickly in our favor,” he said of those meetings.
Show Me The Money
Salish and Jordan are part of a much bigger shift. Over the past year:
- The Sidemen confirmed a third season of Inside on Netflix
- Barstool Sports signed an eight-figure deal, moving their flagship podcasts from YouTube to Netflix
- iHeartMedia locked in 15+ video podcasts for Netflix’s 2026 slate
The Big Win Nobody Talks About
The big win for Netflix isn’t just the new slate of shows they’re developing with the Matters. Or other creators.
It’s licensing their existing back catalog of videos like Netflix did with Mark Rober.
As we covered in our past newsletter, Rober’s back catalog hit impressive numbers in first few weeks as it became:
- #10 Globally most watched show
- #1 Most watched kids show
- #5 Most watched show in the U.S.
Again, this wasn’t a new series (not yet, at least). It was mostly existing content.
Expect the Matters to rack up similar numbers and use that momentum to launch their shows.
As Jordan told me: “We’re not just a YouTube channel, we’re a production company.”
$21M Box Office: How Creator Films Brought Gen Z Back to Theaters
For years, Hollywood has repeated the same line: young people don’t go to the movies anymore.
Markiplier just blew that up.
His indie horror film Iron Lung opened to $21M in its first weekend, making it the #1 movie in America on Friday.
At a time when YouTube is seen as a threat to theaters, creator films are proving the opposite.
How Iron Lung Pulled It Off
Markiplier self-financed the film for roughly $3M and served as its writer, director, lead actor, editor, and producer.
He expected a small indie run…
Instead, demand pushed the film into 4,000+ theaters worldwide, including AMC, Cinemark, and Regal.
There was no billboard campaign or TV blitz. The marketing lived where the audience already was: YouTube.
This Isn’t Just Markiplier
Iron Lung is the biggest example, but it’s not alone.
- Shelby Oaks, directed by Chris Stuckmann, raised $1.3M from fans, then went on to gross $6.6M worldwide with a Neon theatrical release.
- Two Sleepy People, made on a $100K budget by Baron Ryan, became the #1 independent film in the U.S. and #8 all-time among self-distributed films.
Our Take
Iron Lung should put one myth to rest: young people do go to the movies.
Gen Z movie attendance grew 25% in the past year, the biggest increase of any age group.
The lesson isn’t about taste or loyalty — it’s about distribution.
Creators don’t need Hollywood to premiere in theaters — and theaters are proving they don’t need Hollywood either.
🎯 Weekly Roundup: Thumbnails
Why we love these YT thumbnails:
- Extreme perspective + real danger grabs your attention instantly (Magnus Midtbø)
- Cracking open the latest iPhone taps into pure teardown curiosity (JerryRigEverything)
- One frame visually asks: did Jaguar upgrade or lose its soul? (Speeed)
- Chef reaction + viral numbers set up a “does this actually hold up?” test (LifebyMikeG)
🚀 Weekly Outlier
This video by Alastair has 2.3M views, which is 42.4 times higher than the channel’s average. Here’s why it took off:
- Iconic Voice: Advice from Steve Jobs, a figure already synonymous with genius, failure, and reinvention.
- Cinematic Elevation: Carefully chosen visuals turn a graduation speech into an emotional short film.
- Clear Narrative: Three stories. No fluffed-up tactics. Just clarity that’s lasted decades.
🏆 The Created Referral Program
Know someone who’d also love this newsletter? Refer them and get gifts.
Refer 1 friend: you’ll get my Infinite Ideas book. It’s my 8 best tips to find viral ideas for your next upload.
Refer 5 friends: you’ll get my Top 50 Thumbnails book. It includes a detailed breakdown of why they work so you improve your packaging.
Trust me, these books are packed with more tips than most paid courses.
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– Jon
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