Hollywood is waking up to the power of influencers. That starts with MrBeast.
Amazon’s Beast Games cost hundreds of millions to produce. Some of that came from the streamer, but much of it came from the pockets of MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson. On the Diary of a CEO podcast, he estimated “tens of millions” in losses from the show, admitting that he was an “idiot” for spending so much. But it was all for one goal: To knock down the Hollywood door so other creators could score their own production deals.
But MrBeast misunderstands the power balance. In the attention economy, influencers have the eyeballs right now. Amazon’s acquisition of Beast Games was massively successful; the show garnered 50 million viewers in just 25 days, Amazon’s second largest series debut in 2024. Did MrBeast get any new fans? Likely not, given how critically panned the show was. MrBeast got fleeced by Amazon, and is setting up more creators to do the same. The streamer gets the viewers, while the influencers are left in the red.
Who has the power: MrBeast or Amazon?
MrBeast dug into his own pockets to produce Beast Games. His deal with Amazon was reportedly worth around $100 million. But, on Diary of a CEO, he acknowledged that spending for the show went far beyond that—and the excess came from his own funds. Even just the first two episode’s sets cost around $15 and $14 million, respectively. “I would have more money if I didn’t film it,” he said.
A deal between Amazon and MrBeast has the promise of being mutually beneficial. Amazon gets the eyeballs of every 10-year-old munching on their Feastables. MrBeast gets some cash to produce the show, plus the possibility to expand beyond his cloistered YouTube presence.
But MrBeast seems to have faltered on both of these gains. Spending “tens of millions” out of pocket, the Amazon investment didn’t save him from going into the red. (Plus, he’s likely racking up legal fees after contestants sued him and Amazon for sexual harassment and “chronic mistreatment.”) In terms of audience expansion, the results look dismal, too. Reviews panned Beast Games, calling it an “undignified spectacle” and “surprisingly dull.” His follower count has grown modestly throughout the show’s release, but there was no noticeable spike. It’s hard to imagine anyone watching Beast Games that wasn’t already watching his YouTube content.
For Amazon, amassing 50 million viewers in 25 days is a feat. The only show to grow quicker on the streamer in 2024 was Fallout, and that had the benefit of video game IP. But, for MrBeast, 50 million viewers is chump change. His videos frequently reach that threshold within days, if not hours. Ultimately, Amazon needed MrBeast more than MrBeast needed Amazon. While the shine of a streamer is enticing, it didn’t benefit his business.
The failures of influencers in Hollywood
“Creators don’t have a good rep when it comes to doing stuff on streaming platforms,” MrBeast explained on e Diary of a CEO. His goal was to break down barriers, to open up these Hollywood studios to online celebrities. Per his account, it worked: He could think of two creators who had shows lined up based on Beast Games’s success.
But there’s a reason why influencer shows don’t work. They sever the stars from the form they’re famous for. TikTok’s Hype House could film themselves dancing for hours and hours, but failed when it came to reality television. The Netflix show was repeatedly called depressing by critics, and some cast members say the show fabricated storylines. James Charles is best when he’s reviewing makeup; hosting a reality competition show, he flails.
Still, these shows do well. Over a year after its release, Hype House was still gaining hundreds of thousands of eyes, per Netflix’s 2023 data dump. He’s All That, the ill-fated remake starring TikToker Addison Rae, soared even higher, catching 15 million viewers two years after release. That’s because these creators have name brand. The streamers rake in all those rabid fans, while the influencer’s brand is diluted.
Hollywood is alluring. Everyone wants to be on TV. But, for these online superstars, they seem to give more than they get.
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