Creator News & Guides

If you're a creator trying to turn momentum into money, pay attention. A new player with real cash, real receipts, and a sports-sized network just entered the chat - and it's aiming to make brand deals simpler, bigger, and actually measurable.

Meet HardScope: the new power broker built for streamers

DraftKings co-founder Matt Kalish is launching HardScope, a company positioning itself as the backbone for the creator economy - helping top streamers turn attention into lasting businesses. Think strategy, production, distribution, social media management, and sponsorships engineered to perform with Gen Z. Less PowerPoint, more pipeline.

Kalish is not new to creator-land. He put $11 million into FaZe Media last year (separate from esports operations), a stake reportedly large enough to give him 49% ownership of that media arm. Since then, FaZe picked up Best Content Organization at the 2024 Streamer Awards - another sign that the content side of "esports orgs" is where the action (and money) is drifting.

What HardScope actually does (beyond the buzzwords)

Content engine: Creative strategy, production support, and distribution designed to spark repeatable formats, not one-off viral flukes.
Audience growth: Social programming and platform-native packaging tuned for YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, and whatever you're ignoring at your own peril.
Monetization: Integrated brand partnerships, performance-driven campaigns, and ad placement designed for creators who move culture (and product).

The pitch: a battle-tested in-house team that builds assets creators actually own, while giving brands a direct line into communities without the usual parade of middlemen.

Early roster and results

HardScope has already collaborated with a slate of livestreamers, including JasontheWeen, Lacy, Stable Ronaldo, Adapt, YourRage, Kaysan, and Silky. In October, the team ran a subathon that generated 1.8 billion views and 85 million engagements across social - numbers that make media buyers put down their coffee.

Internally, the company is leaning into a simple thesis: the creators who "own the keys to Gen Z" need a platform that builds their empires, while brands need frictionless ways to plug into those worlds with native integrations that actually drive results.

The DraftKings connection - and why brands should care

Kalish remains on the board at DraftKings and serves as President, North America. That matters for two reasons:

Distribution and deal flow: Sports and gaming brands want creators who can host watch parties, run live activations, and drive measurable sign-ups or sales. This is that pipeline.
Category expertise: Betting, fantasy, and sports-adjacent advertisers demand compliant, performance-driven creator campaigns - not "vibes." Expect tighter conversion goals and better reporting.

FaZe and DraftKings have partnered before. With HardScope entering the mix, expect more creator-led sports moments, esports integrations, and shoppable live content - done with brand safety in mind.

The bigger picture: creators are media companies, whether they like it or not

Money is there: Industry estimates put influencer marketing spend north of $20-25 billion in 2024, with the broader creator economy projected to grow sharply through 2027 (Goldman Sachs has pegged the total opportunity in the hundreds of billions).
Esports is pivoting: Many gaming orgs are prioritizing media over medals. The reliable revenue is content, IP, and sponsorships - not just tournament winnings.
Subathons work: Long-form tentpoles + short-form highlights = compounding distribution. Run-of-show + clips factory = growth engine.

For creators: how to steal from the HardScope playbook

Productize your stream: Build recurring formats with clear sponsor slots (presented by, segment bumpers, on-screen CTAs). Selling formats beats selling time.
Clip like it's your job: Every live moment gets a short, every short gets a caption, every caption gets a hook. Turn "moments" into a content calendar.
Bundle deliverables: Offer a ladder: stream integration + shorts package + community activation (Discord/Reddit) + post-campaign recap. Brands love receipts.
Own your IP: Keep rights to formats, overlays, and music where possible. Partners come and go; IP keeps paying.
Measure like a grown-up: Track CPM, CPA, watch time, save rate, and conversion. If you can't prove it, you can't price it.

For brands: how to make creator partnerships not suck

Prioritize fit over reach: High-affinity mid-tier creators can outperform mega names on cost-per-action.
Integrate natively: Sponsor segments creators already do - challenges, loadouts, tier lists, review days. Don't bolt a banner onto a moment; co-create it.
Ask for a postmortem: Demand a clean recap with learnings, not just vanity metrics. Then iterate.
Mind the rules: In regulated categories (finance, alcohol, betting), insist on compliance workflows and disclosures from day one.

Risks and realities (so you're not surprised later)

Platform volatility: Policy changes on Twitch, YouTube, or TikTok can nuke formats overnight. Diversify distribution.
Concentration risk: Betting too much on one category or one creator makes campaigns fragile. Build creator portfolios.
Attribution drama: Social platforms still make perfect tracking a pain. Use unique codes, links, and offer windows to tighten the feedback loop.

Why this launch matters

Creators are the new prime-time, but many still operate like freelancers. HardScope is betting that the next wave of winners will look like mini-studios with repeatable shows, owned IP, and brand programs that scale across platforms. The early roster, the FaZe Media foothold, and the DraftKings-adjacent network suggest this isn't just another "management company" - it's a commercial engine built around streamers who lead culture.

Bottom line

If you're a creator: package your formats, master your short-form output, and be ready with clean analytics - so when platforms like HardScope come knocking, you're deal-ready. If you're a brand: plan for native integrations, performance accountability, and continuity. The money is moving to creators who can ship shows, not just streams.