Steven Bartlett and Authentic Brands Team Up to Build Creator-Focused Business Platform
Steven Bartlett has partnered with Authentic Brands to launch OBSN, a venture aimed at supporting content creators and developing consumer products around them. The platform will offer news, analysis, and live events for the creator economy, as well as help creators manage businesses. The collaboration seeks to expand the commercial opportunities for top digital talent.
The venture pairs Bartlett's entrepreneurial track record with Authentic Brands' expertise in managing and licensing consumer brands. OBSN will operate as both a media outlet covering creator economy news and a business services arm helping digital talent build commercial operations. The platform also plans live events as part of its offerings.
Authentic Brands brings established experience in product development and brand stewardship to the collaboration. The initiative targets top digital talent seeking to expand beyond content creation into broader business ventures, with the partnership aiming to create consumer products and services built around prominent creators' personal brands.
This partnership could signal a maturation of the creator economy, where individual influencers gain access to institutional brand management resources. Creators may benefit from professional infrastructure to monetize their personal brands, while traditional companies gain entry into digital audiences. However, increased commercialization could also pressure creators to prioritize business interests over authentic content, potentially affecting audience trust and the organic appeal that built their followings.