Digiday’s extensive guide to what’s in and out for creators in 2026
By Alyssa Mercante • January 9, 2026 •
Ivy Liu
2026 will be the year authenticity gets repriced in the creator economy.
The importance, reach, and financial power of the creator economy is well-established — now everyone is fighting for a piece of the pie. As such, it will become increasingly important that these pies feel freshly baked by hand rather than stale and mass-produced.
With AI-generated content flooding social media platforms, embracing the messiness and imperfection of being human will help creators stand out in the spreading sea of slapdash slop.
In 2026, creators will focus more on cultivating a loyal community through thoughtfully crafted content, rather than chasing virality.
Now that Hollywood has finally embraced the content creator as an A-list celebrity with legions of fans ready to click and watch and spend, don’t be surprised if you see more Hollywood actors jumping into the fray with their own podcasts, YouTube channels, or TikTok posts. With that in mind, expect to see big, Mr.Beast-style deals for macro creators for new TV series and branded partnerships around beauty, fashion, and sports (especially with the Olympics and World Cup both taking place this year).
Publishers will invest further into this world as well, as we’ve already seen them build their own creator networks as they watch traffic favor the individual over the legacy media brand.
Content creators are already seen as brands’ best bets when it comes to partnerships, but 2026 could see creators redefining the finances behind those partnerships and redrawing revenue lines.
This year will be all about thoughtful, measured moves, not growth for growth’s sake. Here’s what’s in and out for content creators in 2026.
In
Human, authentic, rawness
Out
AI-generated, unreal perfection
In
ROIs
Out
KPIs
In
More Mr.Beast-style, big-budget TV series
Out
Just Mr.Beast’s big-budget TV series
In
Celebrities on their own podcasts, YouTube channels, and more
Out
Celebrities on big screens and red carpets only
In
Hyper-specific, curated content
Out
A hodgepodge of varying videos
In
Superfans
Out
Casuals
In
Creators with a niche
Out
Creators who spray and pray
In
Bespoke, long-term partnerships
Out
One-off brand deals
In
Sports creators
Out
Sportscasters
In
Posting less
Out
Posting more
In
Named, accountable creators
Out
Faceless AI content farms
In
Paying creators on time
Out
Paying creators after months
In
Creator journalists
Out
Legacy media
In
Creator-owned brands
Out
Creator-backed brands
In
TikToks on TV
Out
X on phones
In
Episodic influencer marketing
Out
A single sponsored YouTube video
In
Crafting virality
Out
Chasing virality
In
User-generated ads
Out
Professional media ads
In
In-house creators
Out
Out-of-house creators
In
Transparent numbers for transparent deals
Out
Obfuscating numbers for predatory deals
In
The professional creator
Out
The unprofessional creator
