Hollywood finally – At VidCon 2026 in Anaheim, fans showed up in creator-style—while industry panels pointed to a clear shift: Hollywood is paying closer attention to creator-driven hits, but creators say the business mindset hasn’t caught up.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Expo floor at VidCon 2026 didn’t just buzz with fandom. It looked like fandom had rules.
Fans of Jmancurly—recognizable by his blue curly hair and yellow tape across his chest—kept the vibe consistent in person. flooding the arena with the creator’s signature yellow duct tape wrapped around their arms or waists. The Gen Alpha kids. often in groups with chaperones or accompanied by parents. gathered near a massive blowup of the creator’s head. using it like a real-world signpost for where they should congregate.
Some attendees didn’t costume up—but they still traveled prepared. White t-shirts and clipboards showed up with Sharpies in hand, not only for autographs, but to collect handles and numbers from other fans and bring the online community into the physical world.
By Friday, the Anaheim Convention Center felt noticeably younger—less like a niche gathering and more like a preview of who’s driving culture now. Gen Z and Gen Alpha, born into a fully digital world, were on full display as the primary consumers of creator content.
And that, in turn, has Hollywood feeling the pressure.
Over the last two months. once-reliable franchises have stumbled. including “Star Wars. ” while YouTuber-turned-directors Curry Barker and Kane Parsons each broke through with surprise hits: “Obsession” and “Backrooms.” Those box-office moments didn’t stay on screens. They floated directly into the industry conversation at VidCon. where the largest gathering of online creators and fans—slightly overlapping with Cannes Lions this year—has begun to sound less like a hobby space and more like a pipeline.
Two floors above the Expo floor, studio executives, creators, and platform leaders discussed Hollywood’s newfound interest in creators, the value of IP in the future, the rise of live video—and live fandom—and how more creator content is making its way into living rooms.
Creator success stories were front and center. Barker’s horror-comedy “Obsession” has made over $370 million globally at the box office thus far. and it’s now the highest-grossing film ever acquired at a film festival. a record previously held by Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11.” Parsons’ “Backrooms” has become the highest-grossing film in A24’s history. with $330 million worldwide.
Mark Fischbach—best known as Markiplier—was also part of the conversation. His self-funded, self-distributed horror movie “Iron Lung” grossed over $ $51 million worldwide. Fischbach told TheWrap at VidCon that he doesn’t think he led the charge for creator success. but he did feel like he broke down a wall for those behind him.
“As soon as the wall starts to tip, it gets broken down, and then it becomes normal,” Fischbach told TheWrap. “Then everyone in the industry is like. ‘Okay. fine. you’re in the club. and we accept you. and now you can make money. and we want to work with you more proactively than before. ’ but it’s just a natural thing. You never know when it was going to happen, it just so happened to happen this year.”.
Even with Hollywood leaning in, creators at the convention argued that the gap isn’t just curiosity—it’s valuation.
Joe Ochoa, co-founder of Creator TV, pressed the point to gatekeepers:
“We’ve seen other movies or franchises get launched with much bigger budgets with much less proof,” Ochoa told TheWrap. “To folks who make the decisions, what more do you need?”
Chris Williams, founder and CEO of pocket.watch, said the problem is more fundamental. “Creators are just undervalued. Period,” he said on a panel Friday. “Everybody is getting more value from creators right now…They’re paying so they’re paying so little for the value there.”
It wasn’t just the idea of creators making money that took center stage; it was how they build the audience that makes that money move. Bryan Smiley. CEO Hard Carry Media. urged Hollywood to “start taking creators very effing serious” on a panel. arguing they understand audience and story. “They’re talking to their audience often a weekly basis. more so than most traditional creators or filmmakers do.” Smiley also predicted that traditional entertainment companies would give opportunities to “the right creators. ” adding that he believes executives are already scouring the internet for the next big creator.
“I promise you, every studio executive in town is scouring the internet looking for the next big creator, because it’s been proven they can actually move tickets,” he said.
Mackenzie Turner, whose YouTube channel The Besties has over 3 million subscribers, offered a more complicated take. She said Hollywood has shown interest, but still lacks the risk mindset she believes digital-first talent relies on.
“We’re playing with our money, whereas, the world of Hollywood, they are using other people’s money. They have all these other investors,” Turner said. “Having that YouTube brain. and partnering with YouTubers who are super analytical. like. learning the psychology of human behavior from the videos … It’s so important to think with that. with the intention of making these movies and TV shows for the future.”.
The demographic reality was difficult to ignore, because it was standing right there.
YouTube has become the new PBS or Disney Jr. for Gen Alpha children, dominating as the primary platform watched by kids ages 2 to 12. Statista projected that more children will watch YouTube than linear television in the United States in 2026. with 58.6% watching YouTube and 57% watching broadcast. VidCon vice president Sarah Tortoreti said the convention’s programming was shaped by that awareness.
Over 15 years, VidCon has grown alongside the creator economy. Tortoreti described how its audience has gotten younger in ways that reflect who now drives culture and commerce: Gen Z and Gen Alpha “digital natives” who have never known a world without online video and parasocial relationships with creators.
“Gen Z and Gen Alpha are driving culture and commerce right now,” Tortoreti said. “Getting in front of them is hyper important for any brand.”
She also framed VidCon as a meeting point where communities that exist online still need a physical place to collide. “All of these communities exist online, but VidCon removes that layer and brings them together in real life,” Tortoreti said. “We are the only event that brings together the entire creator ecosystem under one roof—fans. up-and-coming creators and the professionals. all in one place.”.
That overlap between audience and industry came with a clash of instincts.
One reason Hollywood has lagged in embracing creators, VidCon attendees said, is the industry’s franchise fixation. Markiplier’s “Iron Lung” may not have reached theaters without the attention and pressure from his fans calling local theater chains. For creators, the feeling has been mutual—some now look past franchise seduction.
When asked about a sequel or franchise opportunity, Markiplier said it’s not on his mind.
“That’d be a really smart business thing to do to have a sequel ready for as soon as the movie came out. but we [Markiplier and collaborator David Szymanski] are just. we’re both Midwestern guys. ” Markiplier told TheWrap. “If the idea’s not there, why work on that?. There’s life to live outside of it, so there’s no rush for me.”.
Backrooms director Kane Parsons similarly rejected the idea of stepping into IP, turning down the chance to direct a “Star Wars” or “Star Trek” film. On “The Town,” Parsons said bluntly, “No.”
“I’m not too interested in IP work. I pretty much entirely want to focus on original projects,” Parsons said. “I do this because it’s my way of processing life, as is art, and I typically find needing to step into someone else’s view of life tends to just kind of damage the initial point for me.”
Markiplier added he isn’t seeking conversations from executives right now, preferring original ideas and helping other digital-minded filmmakers.
“I’m not in opposition of the industry, I’m not here to destroy all and take over. I just want more people to be able to make movies, and more people to be able to tell stories and more people to see cool stories,” he said.
Even so, creators and industry players said the economics still don’t match the impact.
Williams argued that traditional streaming partners undervalue creator content. Pocket.watch works with family-friendly creators and helps them license content to partners including Prime Video and Disney+. Williams said streaming companies are getting more value from creator content than they are paying for.
He cited creators including Salish Matter and Ms. Rachel, who have partnerships with Netflix. Matter’s father-daughter content became a global hit, spending over two months on the Netflix Top 10 list. Ms. Rachel released only four episodes with Netflix in the beginning of 2025 and became the seventh most-watched Netflix series in the first half of that year. accounting for 53.4 million views. It also ranked as the most-watched season of any children’s show in the first half of that year.
“There was a bit of fear, like how is that bigger than Mickey Mouse Clubhouse?” Williams said. “Fast forward, and I think everybody’s getting a little more comfortable with the idea that YouTube content is going to do extremely well no matter what platform it’s on.”
The next big question raised at VidCon was what comes after mobile.
As powerhouse creators like MrBeast and Dhar Mann have moved some of their digital content to the television screen. VidCon made clear there are now pipelines for creators with niche communities to reach living rooms too. While many people consume creator content on mobile devices. the shift to televisions underscores what some speakers described as a broader demand—content for the whole family.
Distributors like Amazon’s FireTV and streaming network Creator TV are opening doors for creators to pivot to FAST channels and linear distribution. Creator TV adapts social media creators’ content for FAST channels and streaming platforms to better serve audiences where they are. Ochoa said a key issue is that not every creator partner understands the television opportunity.
“A lot of creator partners don’t know that there’s an opportunity to reach new audiences on television,” Ochoa told TheWrap. “Unless the platforms adapt and start to bring on their own creator-led content, they’re just gonna fizzle out.”
Creator TV said it is exploring categories including sports and game-show-like challenges. The platform collaborated with the World Poker Tour to bring internet creators to Vegas and compete on the gambling stage. It also leaned into niche sports like pickleball. hosting a Creator Pickleball Tournament on the Expo floor at VidCon. letting fans interact and play with their favorite creators.
“When you bring the creator element to it, then it becomes not just about the sport … it kind of felt like a reality show that was fun to watch, and not just for the gameplay but for the vibes,” Ochoa explained.
Dan Green. global head of partnerships at Amazon and Fire TV. said Amazon sees creators as a “huge area of focus” and noted that a generation that grew up on tablets/phones is now shifting that viewing habit to TV. Green said Amazon is launching its Fire TV Creator Hub this summer. “linked directly straight off the main menu on the Fire TV – literally top‑level creators. quick and just pure creator content for the customers.”.
“We’re TV, so we obviously naturally focus on horizontal, long‑form content – that’s what people want to watch,” Green said. “It fits more of a laid‑back TV viewing experience versus on a mobile.”
Then there’s the pull of live.
Social platforms across the board have leaned harder into live features. TikTok has used virtual gifts, subscriptions, and TikTok Shop to monetize. Meta has leaned in with Instagram and FaceBook live. YouTube has invested in streamers and offered multi-million dollar contracts for exclusivity. Twitch has invested solely in live for the past 15 years.
Twitch CEO Dan Clancy told TheWrap that live video isn’t just a format—it’s a communal experience for creators and their fanbases. “On Twitch, we don’t have something to distract you,” Clancy said. He pointed to average watch time: 73 minutes on Twitch compared with less than 73 seconds on TikTok.
Clancy argued that other platforms’ algorithms tend to push viewers toward the next thing. He said Twitch’s system doesn’t force that kind of distraction. with the algorithm “dictates very little. ” and users able to watch who they follow for long stretches. In his view, that time together forms emotional bonds—not just with the creator, but with other viewers.
Clancy also noted that some streamers who signed multi-million dollar exclusivity deals with YouTube returned to Twitch because they missed the community. He said Twitch hosts around 8 million unique creators, while YouTube has around 47 million active creator accounts, according to YouTubeToolkit.
Monetization, he said, mirrors the relationship. Over two-thirds of creator revenue on Twitch comes directly from fans, primarily via subscriptions and especially gift subscriptions. Clancy described gift subscriptions as functioning like digital patronage with social status built in—“one fan pays. and the whole crowd benefits.”.
By the time the day’s talks and panels ended, VidCon’s message felt less like a pitch and more like evidence—something reinforced at every costume station, every clipboard swap, every conversation about what moved tickets, and what still hasn’t moved fast enough in Hollywood.
VidCon 2026 Anaheim Convention Center Jmancurly creators YouTuber directors Curry Barker Kane Parsons Obsession Backrooms Markiplier Iron Lung pocket.watch pocket.watch Williams Creator TV Twitch Dan Clancy live video creator economy Gen Z Gen Alpha MrBeast Dhar Mann Fire TV Creator Hub
Anaheim being younger?? sounds like a good thing?
So Hollywood is “paying attention” now? I mean creators been selling stuff forever lol. It just feels like they’re always late to the party.
The duct tape thing is kinda wild though. Like why were they taping themselves up? Is that part of some merch contract or is it just cosplay? Either way, I don’t get how that translates to Hollywood paying creators more.
VidCon kids with clipboards collecting handles?? that sounds like a networking event for scammers but ok. Also “Hollywood mindset hasn’t caught up” like what do they expect, the studios to start reading comments? I swear every year it’s the same pitch, just different buzzwords.