Printing Khaby Lames

PRESENTED BY KURV

Happy Wednesday, Future Party. With the concept of cold calling now going viral across social media (at least among sales reps), it’s only a matter of time until prank calling becomes cool again, too. But since we live in an age of caller ID, those prank calls will be aimed at multinational corporations instead of your neighbor down the street. Speaking of which, McDonald’s — is your refrigerator running?

TikTok creator Khaby Lame has sold his company to financial firm Rich Sparkle Holdings in a $975 million deal.

Why It Hits: Khaby Lame has been the most-followed TikTok creator for nearly four years, demonstrating his enduring global popularity. Any deal that monetizes his likeness and influence was bound to be rich, but an almost ten-figure deal proves that digital creators can command the same payouts as A-list actors and top-tier artists.

Behind The Deal: Khaby Lame is officially the MrBeast of TikTok.

Closing Thoughts: Lame has amassed 360 million followers across his socials through humorous, wordless reaction videos and life-hack clips, content that Rich Sparkle says is perfect for “scale across languages and cultures without translation.” On the e-commerce front, the company expects to generate $4 billion in annual sales from Lame’s name, image, and likeness — a pretty great return on investment.

And with the deal only being exclusive for three years, Lame will have plenty of juice to score another billion-dollar deal soon after… all before he even turns 30.

Next Upload: With the social media age arguably having peaked, expect even more top creators to start looking for a financial exit… earmarking an influencer-as-IP era.

One in four Americans avoid stores that don’t offer tap-to-pay, so Kurv wants to make your transition as smooth as possible.

Offering straightforward onboarding for those who want to keep things simple, Kurv has become a go-to solution for thousands of small- to mid-sized businesses that need to update how they process payments.

Here’s why:

With a $250 meet-or-beat guarantee and a $250 check for any merchant referral that leads to a new Kurv client, it’s never been a better time to sign up.

Get payment peace of mind with Kurv today.

Universal Music Group is getting in on the livestream game with a new Twitch channel dubbed “Universal Music Live.”

The Big Picture: Livestreaming platforms have become one of the key portals for people to watch well… actual… live content. While YouTube turns to mainstream programming, UMG is betting that Twitch still feels niche enough to find a new fanbase used to engaging with content literally 24/7.

Behind The Stream: Can UMG turn Twitch into its own MTV?

Encore: While Universal Music Live only has a few clips from The Re-Fresh podcast available, the hub is meant to kick off in earnest on February 1st — the date of the Grammys. According to Tubefilter, the label’s after-party red carpet will stream to Twitch, likely giving fans a more man-on-the-street approach to its coverage. That could really appeal to the stans… which, again, is exactly who UMG wants to reach.

Next Show: Expect UMG to test dropping ticket pre-sale codes or merch giveaways mid-stream to drive engagement. That’ll get the stans watching.

Marketing that runs itself? Yeah, that’s a thing now.

Constant Contact has automation tools that run in the background, so you don’t have to. Emails, texts, offers — they go out exactly when you want them to, without needing to hit send every time.

Want to make customers feel seen? Use an automation template to send birthday wishes.

Trying to boost sales? Set up an abandoned cart email; it’s a friendly reminder that often leads to actual purchases.

Got customers who’ve gone MIA? Send a promo or offer to bring them back.

You don’t need to micromanage any of it. Just choose your triggers, like someone clicking a link or leaving something in their cart — and the system handles the rest. You stay focused on your actual to-do list. The marketing keeps humming in the background.

So, TFP readers: Are you ready to stop spending time on repetitive stuff?

Then give Constant Contact’s automation tools a try. It’s free to get started, and honestly? It’s kind of a game-changer.

Get started for free

70.1% of you voted Yes in yesterday’s poll: Would you say you’re into Alfred Hitchcock’s films?

“I go to MeTV and see what Alfred Hitchcock episodes are listed for that day. Then I go to Peacock.com and watch those episodes. I am a scholar. I know the actors, actresses, plots — everything about Hitchcock, you name it.”

“Nonstop suspense and glamorous women in gorgeous gowns… what’s not to love?”

“Give me North by Northwest anytime!”

“There’s an underlying coldness that makes full immersion difficult — I can feel Hitchcock behind the camera, trying to show how superior he is.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join our Poll Of The Day newsletter, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

🍿 A24 reports that the Charli xcx-starring The Moment broke its record for most ticket presales, with Q&A tickets being scalped on Reddit.

🎸 Range Sports has acquired experiential agency Superfly, which is behind festivals such as Bonnaroo and Outside Lands.

🎮 Rockstar Games is considering releasing GTA VI as a digital-only launch at first to curb leaks from physical copies.

🛒 Amazon announced that it will be closing all of its Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores as it focuses on its Whole Foods brand.

🛍️ Phia, the AI-powered shopping platform from Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, raised a $35 million round led by Notable Capital.

👀 Yahoo is getting in the AI-discovery game with a new feature called “Yahoo Scout.”

💰 TikTok is joining Snap in settling the landmark social-media addiction lawsuit before it goes to trial.

🤖 Pinterest is laying off 15% of its staff as it pivots to focus on AI.

📱 France is getting on the social-media ban bandwagon, barring users under 15 from platforms.