What streaming platforms wants from creators like The Besties
Streamers are increasingly outsourcing content discovery to creators. Here's what an Amazon exec has to share for those who want to follow in The Besties' footsteps.
The Besties are coming to Amazon's Fire TV Stick this summer, as announced at the VidCon 2026 panel, What Happens When a Creator's Social Content is a Big Streamer's Pipeline?
But what can other creators learn from The Besties' success? In this panel moderated by NorthStar Media Group producer Ivana Kirkbride, Besties Mackenzie Turner and Lael Hansen were joined by Pocketwatch CEO Chris H. Williams, and Global Head of Partnerships at Amazon's Fire TV Channels Dan Green. Together, they laid out the secrets to the Besties' success and what other creators need to know if they want their content on ad-revenue streaming platforms like Amazon Fire TV.
"If it works on YouTube, it'll work anywhere."
Williams repeated this in the panel, stressing that horizontal long-form content translates well to streaming services like Hulu and Amazon Fire. "As a brand and as content," he explained, "It's proven it's meddle in this insanely competitive environment, and now I have nine years of data to prove it."
From there, he explained what Pocketwatch looks for, with Green confirming along the way.
What are streamers looking for from content creators?
Presentation slide on What Happens When a Creator's Social Content is a Big Streamer's Pipeline?
Credit: Kristy Puchko / Mashable
Williams broke it down into three things.
1. Watch time.
Green noted that Amazon will look at a creator's subscriber numbers. But streamer studios/distributors are more interested in how long subscribers are watching. Are they making it through a full video? Watching one after another? Engagement and watch time is a better indicator of carrying over an audience than subscriber number.
"A 15-second view is different than a 15-minute view, right?" Williams explained. "In terms of the engagement of the audience, the level of fandom, what's going to translate when we take it somewhere else."
Turner expanded on this, saying that The Besties fandom is more engaged in their long-form content twice a week, making their show a part of their routine.
Green noted that a regular cadence for posting is also a good sign to streamers about a creator's ability to keep an audience interested.
2. Where are they big?
Williams explained that Pocketwatch is focusing on domestic audiences, so being big in the U.S. or at least with English-speaking audiences is a factor for him.
3. What device are they being consumed on?
Streamers want to know if creator content will be watched on television. Green noted that 20-somethings who grew up watching content on their phones and tablets are now watching that same content on TV. Kirkbride asked if Amazon had internal data to back that up, and while he declined to expand on her question he confirmed they do.
4. Horizontal over Vertical; Long form over short form
"That's what people want to watch," Green said of the horizontal, long-form content like The Besties put out. "It fits more of a laid-back TV viewing experience versus on a mobile [experience]. Mobile is more sort of for short, quickly consuming something where you've got a few spare minutes."
Williams agreed, saying, "No one has cracked the code on how to distribute vertical video, yet you know everybody's been trying."
Mashable is reporting live from VidCon 2026 in Anaheim. Follow our coverage for creator interviews, panel highlights, and the biggest moments from the convention floor.
