Fresh data from Ampere Analysis finds U.S. streaming services increasingly leaned into creator-led programming in Q3, with Fox-owned AVOD Tubi leading the pack.
Per Ampere, U.S. streamers added 3,725 hours of premiered creator-led programming, a stark increase from 927 hours a year earlier.
And free streaming powerhouse Tubi accounted for more than 75% of the total.
Focus on bringing creators into streaming TV services comes as the industry has seen multiple major streaming services continue to expand offerings into new formats like short-form, vertical, and video podcasts, as attention turns to profitability and they look to drive engagement and encourage daily use of their apps to build loyalty and help retention. And where creator content could stand to appeal to consumers – particularly younger generations – that continue to consume and give time and attention to creators on social video platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
Tubi’s most recent creator-content push could be seen via its Creatorverse Incubator program in partnership with TikTok. There it tapped into creators popular on the social video platform, selecting an initial cohort of 12 who are creating 10 original long-form series that will premiere and have an exclusive window on Tubi once they start rolling out in December.
And while former Tubi CEO Anjali Sud (who just exited the company and took on the role of CEO at SiriusXM following the close of Fox’s Roku acquisition last week) previously emphasized a commitment to long-form programming on the AVOD, Ampere found that overall, creator-led content on U.S. streaming services is increasingly short-form in nature.
TV seasons with an average episode length of less than 20 minutes now account for 37% of new creator-led releases, up almost 10 percentage points from Q2.
As for the type of creator content joining U.S. streaming services, perhaps unsurprisingly, reality stands out as the main genre – accounting for 65% of creator-led content hours that premiered in Q3. This is likely understandable given the appeal of creator content comes from the creators themselves, Ampere noted, with the genre offering light-hearted and lifestyle content.
Still, Tubi isn’t the only U.S. streaming service making creator moves.
Per Ampere, distribution of new creator-led content on SVODs grew 75% over Q2.
Amazon’s Prime Video led the pack, adding the most with over 230 hours – including 12 hours featuring YouTuber Danny Duncan, who counts over 8.2 million subscribers on the social video platform.
Major SVODs, including Netflix and Prime Video, are also driving orders for creator-led commissions, according to Ampere.
So far 117 creator-led commissioned titles have been announced globally this year, already surpassing 2025’s total.
And while major streamers are commissioning creator-led titles, many creators license shows they originally made for platforms like YouTube – giving existing work new reach and audiences on streaming TV. Per Ampere, independent production companies made 94% of the creator-led content hours that premiered on U.S. streaming services in Q3.
Although social video presents competition to streaming platforms, there have been plenty of examples of how some are working to leverage the popularity of creators, alongside content discovery and promotional vehicle capabilities of platforms like TikTok, to drive further reach and community relevance for content.
For Tubi, this can be seen with its Creatorverse Incubator, where creators will promote their long-form Tubi content on TikTok and the partnership will leverage the TikTok Spotlight marketing feature to highlight content and encourage fan conversations around the original series.
“After investing in sports and podcast rights to broaden their offering, streaming services are bringing in familiar faces from YouTube and TikTok. For ad-supported services in particular, creator-led shows are a way to compete for the time viewers spend watching short-form video,” stated Ricardo Parsons, analyst at Ampere Analysis. “Ampere expects more partnerships that help creators reach a wider audience while allowing them to continue monetising their content independently on social platforms.”
Free ad-supported linear streamers like Samsung TV Plus and Walmart-owned Vizio’s WatchFree+ have each also leaned into creator content, including Dhar Mann and Mark Rober on Samsung and Vizio recently adding 40 dedicated creator FAST channels and holiday originals.
Tubi taps into community affinities with curated Mixtapes
Separate Tubi product news this week also has a creator tie-in and nods to the notion that streaming services are trying to tap into consumer affinities for social video via not only content but features on their own mobile apps.
The AVOD further leaned into the community and fandom-focus of its free streaming platform – as well as a bit of nostalgia that Gen Z seems to crave – with the launch of a new content curation and discovery feature on mobile called Mixtapes.
With Mixtapes, Tubi users can personally curate content collections from Tubi’s library of nearly 400,000 movies and TV episodes – around most anything they like, such as a mood, memory, era or person.
Users can give Mixtapes their own title and description and arrange the entertainment in their preferred order. Once a collection is made, viewers can publish it and share with others or keep it private – and they can also follow or view Mixtapes from others, including creators.
“We want Tubi to be the best place to be a fan. That means bringing the creativity and connection people love about social platforms into the streaming experience, and continuing to build with our community,” stated Mike Bidgoli, president and head of Tubi. “Mixtapes is just the beginning.”
To kick things off, Tubi teamed up with six different creators to share their own mixtapes on the platform including:
- @chronicallyscary’s “Valid Crashouts” mixtape showcases horror movies with understandable antiheroes.
- @courtrevolution’s “Millennial Memory Lane” mixtape is a nostalgic exploration through fan-favorite shows and movies from the 1990s and early 2000s.
- @ijustwannachatpodcast’s “Cozy Fall Romcom Vibes” mixtape has the perfect comfort watches to sink into this season.
- @saks11thavenue’s “Near-Gothic Horror” mixtape presents a fresh, contemporary take on traditional gothic horror themes.
- @simiview’s “Blood, Sweat, & Honor” mixtape provides an essential martial arts movie guide.
- @screened.scored’s “Saturday Morning Was Sacred” mixtape features the cartoons