Arcade, the management firm behind The Sidemen, is repositioning itself as a creator-first entertainment company, with ambitions to turn Europe's biggest online personalities into media brands.
Following a significant rebrand last month, an expanded roster of creators and its first upfront in London, Arcade is looking to build commercial opportunities around what CEO Matt Elek calls "primetime" creators - "the top 1% of the 1%".
The Sidemen, the British YouTube collective whose main channel has 23m subscribers, remain central to the business's story as it looks to continue building commercial opportunities beyond traditional talent management.
Elek, formerly EMEA CEO of Vice, was appointed CEO in July. He joins host Charli West on The Media Leader Podcast to discuss Arcade's next chapter, what brands stand to gain from investing in major creators, and what the company's evolution says about the creator economy's move towards the mainstream.
Elek argues companies like Arcade are helping bring “the rigour of traditional media” to the growing creator economy – even amid questions around the veracity of measurement and strength of viewership compared to TV, which he views as in “terminal” decline.
Highlights:
2:02: Arcade's new positioning and widening creator roster
6:15: Why young people — and brands — are turning to YouTube and its "primetime" creators
12:43: Bringing "the rigour of traditional media" to the creator economy
15:08: Measurement consistencies and inconsistencies
19:00: Different opportunities for advertisers
23:56: Approach to brand safety
29:08: Why the future of the creator economy is a "hits business"
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