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A group of YouTube pranksters get into NFTs
Happy Friday. I’m writing this edition in sunny Venice, CA at Colin and Samir HQ. And the rumors are true—Colin does have beef with the NHL.
$23 Million in 10 Minutes
Controversial creators NELK Boys, known for prank videos and podcasting, made their NFT debut on Wednesday with the Full Send Metacard. After announcing the drop less than 24 hours prior, all 10,000 NFTs sold out in 10 minutes.
By the Numbers
$2,300 → the dollar equivalent of how much each NFT sold for, around .75 ETH.
230,000 → the number of fans that joined their free Discord in less than 24 hours, breaking a platform record.
12 million+ → the combined following across their six YouTube channels.
The Metacard serves as a membership pass into the NELK Boys’ world, both IRL and digitally. Their plans include launching lounges, gyms, and casinos, as well as apparel, virtual festivals, and NFTs from recording artists.
The NFT drop comes on the heels of securing a coveted interview with NFL player Antonio Brown, and just months after the launch of their Happy Dad Hard Seltzer.
Their brand deals, seltzer, and merch account for most of their income, since their YouTube account was demonetized in 2020 after promoting an in-person college party, which violated the platform’s creator responsibility policy around Covid-19.
Our Take
The NELK Boys first NFT project is almost like their IPO; it’s an opportunity for their most diehard fans to help support what the future of the brand will look like. Raising $23 million in a matter of minutes is unlike anything we’ve seen in the creator community. We predict that this will be the first of many creator-NFT projects this year.
Is Alex Cooper the Next Howard Stern?
The host—or “father”, as fans refer to her—of the Call Her Daddy podcast interviewed Jamie Lynn Spears in a two-part series, the first of which was released on Tuesday.
The interview is a departure from Cooper’s typical content, which skews toward the raunchy and explicit. Her interview with Spears has a journalistic tone, uncovering news of Spears’s relationship with her famous sister.
How’d we get here?
October 2018: Cooper launches the Call Her Daddy podcast with co-host Sofia Franklyn at Barstool Sports, growing the downloads from 12,000 to 2 million by December.
June 2021: Cooper leaves Barstool to sign with Spotify as a solo host in a viral $60 million deal.
July 2021-present: Cooper starts interviewing big-name guests including Miley Cyrus, Tiffany Haddish, and psychologist Esther Perel.
Our Take
Cooper already commands a large female audience, which is highly coveted in the podcast space. Her pivot to more journalistic content is an attempt to widen her audience and age up. If successful, she could solidify her reputation for discussing revealing topics, much like long-time talk show host Howard Stern.
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A Behind the Scenes Look Into Colin and Samir’s Channel
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2,400 → Average views per hour on our MrBeast interview from September.
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How Netflix Saved the Hype House
The show that follows the lives of some of the biggest TikTok creators debuted earlier this month to mixed reviews from fans and critics alike.
We watched all eight episodes, and came away with a few memorable quotes and takeaways:
Vinnie Hacker saying Chase Hudson’s house “lowkey looks like a Cheesecake Factory.”
Alex Warren sharing that he spends $50–70,000 a month to make TikTok videos.
Founder Thomas Petrou explaining how they pay rent on their $80,000 home via their brand deal with Bang Energy, who pays $10,000 per TikTok.
Our Take
The Hype House struggled on TikTok after the departure of its initial cast members (Charli, Dixie, and Addison), and its move to Netflix gives the brand a second chance at life. In the final episode, it's revealed that there will be a season two with new creators moving into the house. It's MTV's "Real World" for a Gen-Z audience.
🔥 Press Worthy
Instagram is launching subscriptions.
TikToker Francis Bourgeois is the face of the Gucci x The North Face campaign.
Envy Gaming launches an all-woman content house, the “Envy House”.
Noah Beck signs with CAA to expand into acting and modeling.
YouTube shuts down YouTube Originals.
