Netflix YouTuber deal and the new creator playbook

Creators keep asking me, "Is YouTube still the main game?"

Here's the uncomfortable answer: it's still the main proving ground. But the "graduation stage" is getting crowded - Netflix is now straight-up recruiting. And when the biggest subscription streamer starts signing creators the way labels sign artists... the power dynamics shift. Fast.

If your whole business depends on one algorithm, you're not building a business. You're renting a mood swing.

What happened

Netflix announced a multi-year deal with Jordan Matter and his daughter Salish Matter, the father-daughter duo behind one of YouTube's biggest kids/family channels. Their channel sits around the mid-30M subscriber range with billions of lifetime views, built largely on high-energy challenge-style videos with Salish as the on-camera center. ([malaysia.news.yahoo.com](https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/salish-matter-dad-jordan-ink-173000667.html?utm_source=openai))

This isn't just "we licensed your old videos." Netflix is treating it like an overall talent relationship: the Matters are set to develop projects across scripted, unscripted, and animation - and Netflix is also talking about consumer products and experiences as part of the package. ([malaysia.news.yahoo.com](https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/salish-matter-dad-jordan-ink-173000667.html?utm_source=openai))

Timeline-wise: Jordan launched his channel years ago, Salish became a regular around 2020, and she's now 16. Outside video, they've already proven they can sell: Salish co-founded a teen skincare line, Sincerely Yours, that launched at Sephora in September 2025 and pulled massive in-person turnout. ([prnewswire.com](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sincerely-yours-a-new-beauty-brand-rebuilding-trust-for-parents-while-empowering-personal-care-choices-for-the-next-generation-launches-at-sephora-302547088.html?utm_source=openai))

And this deal didn't land in a vacuum. Netflix has been stacking creator-shaped bets: Ms. Rachel hit Netflix in early 2025 and quickly turned into a real viewing monster, and Mark Rober is lined up for Netflix experiments plus a kids/family competition show coming in 2026. ([thewrap.com](https://www.thewrap.com/ms-rachel-most-watched-netflix-first-half-2025/?utm_source=openai))

Netflix is also buying "creator time" in other formats. It signed video podcast distribution deals with Spotify/The Ringer and iHeartMedia (meaning full episodes stop living on YouTube), plus an exclusive Barstool video podcast package. Translation: Netflix wants the habit, not just the hits. ([newsroom.spotify.com](https://newsroom.spotify.com/2025-10-14/netflix-partnership-the-ringer-spotify-studios-video-podcasts/?utm_source=openai))

Why creators should care

1) The ladder is changing. YouTube is still where you test ideas cheaply and loudly. But Netflix is positioning itself as the place where proven creators get funded, packaged, and shipped worldwide - especially in kids/family, where rewatching is basically a superpower. Ted Sarandos has even described YouTube as a kind of "farm system" for talent. ([businessinsider.com](https://www.businessinsider.com/netflixs-ceo-says-its-better-for-creators-than-youtube-2025-3?utm_source=openai))

2) These deals aren't only about shows anymore. Notice the "products and experiences" language. That's Netflix telling you they want more than episodes; they want an ecosystem. If your business already includes merch, live events, licensing, or a brand (like Sincerely Yours), expect streamers to ask how all of that plugs in - because they're chasing durable revenue, not just applause.

3) Paywalled distribution is a trade. Netflix can bring scale and legitimacy. But it can also break the open-loop discovery you get on YouTube (shares, embeds, recommended rabbit holes, search). The podcast backlash is a preview: a lot of fans hate extra friction, especially when a free platform gets replaced by a subscription wall. ([theverge.com](https://www.theverge.com/news/799582/netflix-spotify-video-podcast-deal?utm_source=openai))

4) Competition is forcing streamer behavior. Amazon's MrBeast show didn't just do "well." Prime Video bragged it pulled 50M viewers in 25 days and became their biggest unscripted title - then renewed it for more seasons. That kind of signal makes every other streamer look around and go, "Cool, where do we buy creators?" ([aboutamazon.com](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/mrbeast-prime-video-beast-games-season-2-and-3?utm_source=openai))

Streamers aren't becoming YouTube. They're becoming talent agencies with a checkout page.

What to do next

Don't panic. Do the boring grown-up stuff that keeps you rich and sane.

Build your "proof" file before anyone DMs you. Not just subscribers. Bring retention curves, upload cadence, repeatable formats, brand sales (even small), and audience demos. Netflix isn't guessing anymore - they're shopping.
Decide what stays free. If you ever take a platform deal, you need a clear plan for the YouTube engine (or TikTok/IG) that keeps feeding new people into your world. The Matters reportedly plan to keep posting weekly on YouTube - smart. ([news.thepublishpress.com](https://news.thepublishpress.com/p/the-youtuber-netflix-couldn-t-ignore?utm_source=openai))
Negotiate carve-outs like your life depends on it (because your business might). Clips, shorts, behind-the-scenes, "season 1 stays exclusive but I keep my archive," email/SMS promotion, even windowing. The worst version of a streamer deal is: you disappear for 18 months and come back to an audience that moved on.
Protect your IP and your brand lanes. If you sell products - or plan to - get painfully specific about who owns what, who can license what, and what happens if Netflix passes on future projects. "Consumer products" sounds exciting until it's your logo on something you didn't approve.
Own a direct line to your audience. Email list. SMS. Community. Something you can export. Because every platform - YouTube included - can decide tomorrow that your content is "less recommended." And then you're back to shouting into the void.

Netflix signing Jordan & Salish Matter is a headline. The real story is the trend: streamers are turning creators into infrastructure. Make sure you're not just raw material.