Source: Simon Owens's Media Newsletter
YouTube is enforcing a hard floor on short-form monetization that excludes mid-tier creators from ad revenue. Netflix has reported pulling back from video podcasts. Both moves reflect platforms tightening creator subsidies as growth slows and long-tail content economics deteriorate. The tension is direct: platforms built on volume and engagement now need profitability, which means concentrating resources on creators who already have scale rather than funding the pipeline that builds it.