Will creators suffer the same fate as reality TV?

The creator and influencer space is still growing, but I feel the growth slowing due to the inherent friction that still resides in this category.

Many creators are crafting content on a regular schedule, with teams of professionals helping them to shoot, edit and syndicate the content. They are everywhere, and brands recognise them as a viable and necessary channel for advertising.

All that being said, and regardless of how many creators are able to make a business out of their content, there is still a ceiling for this channel, and I think we may be approaching that ceiling.

There is still far too much friction in the category. When brands of any substance wants to work with creators, they essentially have to vet everything that creator has ever said anywhere, and they must have some idea of what that creator may say in the future.

Brand-safe, trusted content

Brands trust professional content that comes from professional studios. They have seen a significant enough sample size of that content, and they know what to expect. They also feel confident that professional studios understand the implied, or sometimes explicit, value exchange of money for audience and brand-safe, trusted content.

The creator space is still a little ‘wild West’, where creators feel they are in control and can do what they want, while brands will have to live with it. There is a sense of arrogance with many creators that professional studios have had to tamp down.

That’s not to say professional studios are not arrogant in their own way, but they know that safety begets brands, and brands beget revenue. Creators feel only beholden to their audience and their vision, while brands can come and go.

Bitten by creators

I know it may be too early for predictions as we enter 2026, but I think new adoption of creators as ad channels will start to slow, and creators will be forced to find new ways to monetise.

Advertisers have been getting bitten by creators, and advertisers are notoriously risk-averse. If you work with creators now, you will likely continue to do so. If you don’t work with creators now, you may not pursue them for fear of that risk associated with them.

I believe the creator space will grow by better monetising their community through products and through experiences (both in-person and deeper digital experiences). I think creators will focus on their audience and not the brands, finding ways to get their fans and loyal followers to bankroll them more than by depending on brand advertisers.

I don’t think brands will abandon creators, but I do think some of the sheen has washed off and they are starting to show more tiers than original understood.

Tier 1 creators are truly creating businesses with multiple revenue streams and will thus attract brands. Tier 2 creators will be too unsafe for brands and as a result, growth will be slower in the future than it may have been to date.

They will find new revenue by engaging their audience rather than engaging brands.

Reality TV had a wonderful run but…

The creator space indeed feels like the reality TV of today’s marketplace. Reality TV had a wonderful run, but in recent years has been replaced by scripted, high-quality television again.

Cable still likes reality, but for the most part there are only a few stable franchises on premium TV, and those are only there because of the ageing audience that likes them still. Creators will follow a similar path as they grow, with many staying in their niche and maintaining a baseline business rather than seeing the same levels of exponential growth they’ve seen in the last five years or so.

I guess we’ll have to wait and see if my prediction holds up. What do you think about the creator space as it looks for 2026?