Creator franchise profile From social channels to entertainment ecosystems

The creator economy is moving into a new phase where audience ownership, rather than audience reach alone, is the primary driver of growth. Social platforms remain critical for discovery and scale, but their revenue-share models and control over audience relationships limit how much value creators can capture. As a result, leading creators are increasingly pursuing IP-led expansion strategies that extend beyond social content into podcasts, TV, live events, merchandise, and platforms creators own and control.

As the lines between social and traditional entertainment blur, platforms face a strategic choice: evolve into long-term partners by enabling advertising control, data access, and infrastructure, or risk being reduced to distribution channels within creator franchises.

This report provides a conceptual framework for pinpointing and scaling creators with franchise potential. It also provides tactics for maximising the opportunities of creator franchising and adapting to the changes it will make to the entertainment industry.