Forbes’ top creators earned $853 million across 50 names
Forbes released its "Top Creators 2025" list, highlighting the blurring lines between creators and traditional entertainment, with many leveraging platforms like Amazon, Netflix, HBO, Roku, and YouTube for content distribution and partnerships. The 50 listed creators collectively earned an estimated $853 million between April 2024 and April 2025, an 18% increase from the previous year, and boast a combined 3.4 billion followers.
Key Takeaways
- The 50 creators on the list earned an estimated $853 million from April 2024 to April 2025, according to Forbes.
- The group’s combined follower count reached 3.4 billion, up 24% from last year.
- MrBeast’s Beast Games was renewed for two seasons on Amazon Prime, extending his move into streaming.
- Alex Cooper moved Call Her Daddy to Sirius XM in a $125 million multi-year deal and is producing a Hulu reality show, Overboard For Love.
- YouTube said the majority of its users watch on home TVs, with a billion hours watched on TV screens each day.
Why It Matters
The list shows creators operating less like social accounts and more like full media businesses, with earnings, TV distribution, podcasts, live events, and consumer brands all feeding the same audience flywheel. That matters for streaming because Amazon, Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Roku, Sirius XM, and YouTube all show up in the same creator distribution map, not just as platforms but as partners and outlets. The next marker to watch is whether more of these creators convert large followings into signed TV, film, or audio deals, as Forbes’ examples already include Beast Games, Call Her Daddy, Paul American, and Roku expansion.
Read full article at forbes.com
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