After ‘Beast Games’ Success, Streaming Giants Bet Big on Influencers for TV Hits

YouTuber Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson has once again shown his huge influence, but his latest project, ‘Beast Games,’ took things to another level. The Prime Video show pulled in an incredible 50 million viewers worldwide, making it one of the biggest debuts of the year. With numbers like that, it’s no surprise that other streaming platforms want to follow his lead.

Reports say Disney and Netflix are both trying to replicate MrBeast’s winning formula. Netflix already saw success with the ‘Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson’ fight, which reached 65 million views.

Meanwhile, Disney is still looking for its own breakthrough influencer-led show. But while Hollywood is eager to work with content creators, many people believe this strategy is risky—after all, MrBeast’s success is hard to copy.

According to ‘The Hollywood Reporter,’ ‘Beast Games’ became the second biggest new show of 2024, just behind ‘Fallout,’ which had 65 million viewers in its first 16 days.

According to ‘Business Insider,’ Disney and Netflix are now planning to make their own competition shows featuring popular influencers, similar to ‘Beast Games.’ They want to recreate the success of MrBeast’s show with Prime Video and are searching for social media stars to lead their new projects.

Experts say there’s growing interest in reality unscripted shows and live events featuring influencers, but not many details have been shared yet.

This strategy makes sense given the massive influence and built-in audiences that creators like MrBeast bring. Platforms like Netflix and Disney+ are always looking for new ways to attract younger viewers, and influencer-led shows are a proven way to generate engagement.

However, copying ‘Beast Games’ might not be as easy as it sounds. MrBeast’s success isn’t just about having an influencer at the center—it’s about his unique production style, massive giveaways, and deep understanding of audience engagement. Simply casting social media stars won’t guarantee the same results.

If Disney and Netflix can create fresh, well-produced concepts that play to each influencer’s strengths rather than just mimicking ‘Beast Games,’ they might find success. But if they rely too much on name recognition without solid execution, the shows could feel forced and struggle to connect with audiences.

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