6/4/24

AI deals to make up a third of Shutterstock’s current revenue by 2027

AI is supposed to destroy a number of creative industries, but until then it’s propping them up. Shutterstock brought in $104 million last year licensing its media library to train AI models. The CEO expects that number to be $250 million by 2027 — or about a third of the company’s total revenue last year. Of course, by then the company expects its overall revenue to reach $1.2 billion, so AI deals would make up just a fifth of revenue, or about double what they do now.

Shutterstock’s AI-Licensing Business Generated $104 Million Last Year

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VF Corp. is shedding its century-old workwear icon, Dickies, after years of struggle

The brand’s sales have been going backward for three straight years.

$100B

Nia Warfield

23h

Alphabet’s YouTube said it’s paid out over $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies over the past four years — cementing its place as one of the internet’s biggest talent magnets. The Google-owned platform, which turned 20 this year, credited connected TVs as a major driver of growth.

YouTube said the number of channels earning over $100,000 from TV screens has surged over 45% in the past year alone. Meanwhile, ad revenue for YouTube grew double digits in Q2 to $9.8 billion, topping the Street’s estimates.

Nia Warfield

9/16/25

Webtoon surges after Disney plans to invest and partner in digital push for brands like Marvel and “Star Wars”

Webtoon Entertainment shares jumped 36% in premarket trading Tuesday after Disney said it’s buying a 2% stake in the digital comics platform. The investment is part of a deal to bring Marvel, “Star Wars,” Pixar, and 20th Century Studios titles into a new streaming-style app run by Webtoon. The offering will launch in Q4 across the US and nine other countries.

“With a new platform that will combine our product and technical expertise with Disney’s full comic catalog, we’re giving new and longtime fans all over the world a new way to discover these legendary characters and stories,” said Junkoo Kim, founder and CEO of Webtoon Entertainment.

The platform is expected to host more than 35,000 titles, mixing archived comics with Webtoon originals. Disney+ perks could also be on the table, giving the service a natural tie-in to Disney’s broader streaming play.

The arrangement isn’t final yet: Disney’s stake and the platform details are still under negotiation. But with Webtoon’s ~155 million monthly active users, the partnership gives Disney a mobile-friendly channel for its comics while Webtoon gains the ultimate IP access.

Kodak’s new bet is the blind box boom as it faces doubts over its survival

The film giant once dominated photography. Now it’s banking on Gen Z’s latest obsession to stay relevant.

Hyunsoo Rim9/15/25

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