Can Hollywood And The Creator Economy Save The Entertainment Industry

For decades, Hollywood has represented the pinnacle of success in entertainment, setting the standards for storytelling, production quality, and star power. But that may be changing. The creator economy is rewriting the rules as creators build independent pathways to success—self-funding projects, attracting massive audiences, and changing what it means to be a ‘star.’ Yet, as creators redefine entertainment, they can also learn from Hollywood’s time-tested practices.

Take, for example, the popular YouTube video I Trapped 25 Strangers in a House Produced by Eric Decker, the popular creator known as Airrack, it’s a YouTube twist on the Big Brother format. Yet, Airrack didn’t just replicate Big Brother—he deconstructed its formula.

Airrack analyzed the show’s structure, from pacing to character dynamics, to understand what keeps audiences hooked, then condensed an entire season’s worth of drama into a 20-minute episode. He even hired a Big Brother post-production supervisor to help structure the shoot to ensure quality.

Since its release in 2022, the video has racked up over 21 million views and sparked other reality format adaptations, proving that the same elements of strategy and social dynamics that drive traditional reality TV can work just as well on YouTube.

A New Generation of Media & Production Experts

Airrack commands over 15 million subscribers and averages 4 million views daily on YouTube. He has built a massive following through bold challenges, pranks, and collaborations with mega creators and brands like Shopify, SoFi, and Pizza Hut. For Pizza Hut, he even broke the Guinness World Record for the world’s most giant pizza—a stunt featured in a Super Bowl commercial.

Beneath his high-energy persona, though, Airrack is a dedicated student of YouTube who takes a sophisticated, data-driven approach to maximize what works on the platform. Airrack’s longtime business partner, Zack Honarvar, explained that his approach is a “hybrid”—combining Hollywood’s expertise with YouTube’s unique demands. Airrack also emphasized that while Hollywood might view YouTube as unstructured and informal, the reality is quite different. Airrack’s team operates with 60-page creative briefs, detailed shot lists, and a sophisticated production process that has been fine-tuned for digital audiences.

Bridging Hollywood and the Creator Economy

This blending of traditional media approaches with digital-first strategies was a central theme at the recent Future of Television Conference, produced by Digital Media Wire. For the first time, the event included a dedicated creator track, spotlighting how Hollywood and the creator economy can combine forces to create a new era of entertainment. The conference brought together Hollywood veterans, marketers, creator economy executives, and top creators to explore this evolving landscape, not as rivals but as collaborators.

The Value of Building Long-Term IP and Repeatable Formats

One of the most significant insights from the event centered on the importance of developing long-term, ownable IP and repeatable formats—areas where Hollywood has long excelled.

Kevin Kurtz, CEO and co-founder of Bigger Bolder Baking, a digital-first baking empire he built with his wife, world-renowned chef Gemma Stafford, shared his approach to creating “durable brands” through recognizable and repeatable content structures that resonate with audiences over time. He explained that this strategy could transform a fleeting viral moment into lasting cultural relevance—something Hollywood has mastered through franchises and format-driven shows.

Creators are learning the value of repeatable formats, intellectual property (IP), and long-term brand identity while Hollywood has begun to recognize the agility, audience-first mindset, and direct engagement that creators bring. It’s no longer a question of Hollywood vs. the Creator Economy; rather, the future of entertainment may well depend on a shared approach, where both worlds can coexist and learn from each other

Coco Mocoe, Creator and Host of Middle Row w/ Coco Mocoe, expanded on this by emphasizing the value of consistency and repetition in building brand identity.

She cited Chicken Shop Date, created by Amelia Dimoldenberg, as a prime example of a format-driven show that took years to achieve mass appeal but has now become a cultural staple, featuring guests like Jack Harlow, Jennifer Lawrence, and Billie Eilish. “Creators need to think about sustainable formats that aren’t just TikTok trends,” Mocoe said, underscoring that creators who build distinctive, repeatable formats stand a much better chance of creating lasting brands that succeed beyond social media.

Greenlighting Power and Audience Connection

This focus on IP and formats led to a discussion about greenlighting power, moderated by Lia Haberman, founder of the ICYMI newsletter. In Haberman’s session “Creators Get No Respect: Is Hollywood Missing Out?” Taryn Crouthers, President of ATTN, highlighted how greenlighting decisions in Hollywood often rest with a select few executives who, as she pointed out, may lack a direct connection to the audiences they now serve.

Crouthers stressed that creators who live and breathe audience engagement are uniquely suited to make content decisions based on real-time feedback. “Creators are like mini, fully integrated studios,” she noted. “They’re the talent, the production, the marketing, and the distribution—all based on direct interactions with millions of viewers.” She even predicted that a creator would run a studio with full greenlight authority one day, blending Hollywood’s resources with creators’ audience-first expertise.

Redefining “Premium” in a New Era

Jawhara Tariq, SVP Corporate Development for Mythical Entertainment (of Good Mythical Morning fame) also highlighted the shifting perception of “premium” content. “There’s still this huge gap where ‘premium’ means traditional TV, cable, or theatrical releases,” she said. “But premium, in today’s world, is defined by engagement. If people are watching, that’s premium.”

Tariq’s view challenges Hollywood’s assumption that success requires audiences to revert to paying $100 monthly for legacy channels, especially when platforms like YouTube and TikTok offer highly engaging content that viewers can access for free.

As creators like Airrack demonstrate, it’s not the budget or polish that determines value; it’s the connection with the audience.

A Niche-Driven Future for Hollywood and Creators

Andrew Wallenstein, Chief Media Analyst at Variety Intelligence Platform, noted that the future of entertainment will likely be niche-driven rather than mass-audience-focused. “Hollywood still thinks in terms of broad audiences, but the creator economy is about niche,” he observed. Creators are pioneering a new wave of targeted, highly engaged communities—a shift Hollywood could embrace to cultivate smaller, loyal fanbases. Embracing this approach could open doors to new business models focusing on engagement and loyalty rather than reach alone.”

A Collaborative Future for Hollywood and the Creator Economy

As Hollywood and the creator economy combine their expertise, the future of entertainment looks increasingly collaborative. Creators learn the importance of IP, format development, and brand longevity from Hollywood while Hollywood adapts to digital platforms’ agile, audience-first approach. The real winners in this evolving landscape won’t be Hollywood or the creator economy alone but those who can blend the best of both worlds