Why Legacy Publishers Are Building In-House Creator Teams
Legacy publishers are replacing search-driven revenue with branded content partnerships. DMG Media's 100-person creator operation generates 250M+ views per video, signaling a structural shift in how publishers monetize.
DMG Media, publisher of the Daily Mail, has hired more than 25 creators as full-time employees since launching two dedicated creator divisions in October 2025, generating average video views of 250,000 to 300,000 per video across its social channels.
The move represents a structural shift in how a major legacy publisher generates revenue, replacing dependence on search-driven website traffic with branded content partnerships built around employed creator talent.
DMG Builds a 100-Person Creator Operation
DMG Media launched two internal units, DMG New Media and DMG Creator Media, to centralize all social content production for Daily Mail, Daily Mail UK, and Mail Sport accounts on TikTok and Instagram.
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The combined teams now employ approximately 100 people, including four senior hires from creative agencies brought in to lead DMG New Media under head of new media Nick Moar. Creators attend daily editorial meetings and pitch content alongside traditional journalists.
Three flagship formats, Street Talks, Headlines, and How The World Watches, each average 250,000 to 350,000 views per video, outperforming legacy Daily Mail and Mail Sport social accounts. On Premier League transfer deadline day, a team of just three creators produced content that generated 40 million views.
"We are ambitious that this will become a significant part of DMG Media," said Nick Moar, Head of New Media at DMG Media.
Branded Partnerships Replace Display Advertising as Core Revenue
The commercial rationale centers on branded content, not traditional display advertising. DMG's gaming channel, The Respawn, delivered a Supercell-sponsored video that generated over 11 million views. A Primark campaign featuring creator Mimi Yates achieved 1.3 million views and 30,000 likes.
This Is Money, a personal finance channel launched in partnership with Nationwide Bank, reached 200,000 followers within months. The launch-partner model allowed a brand sponsor to fund channel development from the start in exchange for early positioning in a growing audience vertical.
DMG Creator Media explicitly positions its employed creator roster as a brand-safe alternative to freelance influencer risk, describing the model as offering brands "stability over individual freelancers, reducing risks like controversy or short-term engagements."
Search Traffic Decline Drives the Pivot
The strategic context is straightforward. One in five Americans now regularly get news from social media, while AI-powered search tools increasingly answer questions directly without sending users to publisher websites.
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"As referral traffic declines in a more zero-click, AI-driven environment, publishers need to own attention within platforms, and this is a clear move in that direction," said Abigail Niziankiewicz, VP of Strategic Media Investment at Mediassociates.
U.S. advertiser spend in the creator economy reached an estimated US$37 billion in 2025, within a global creator economy valued at over US$190 billion. Separately, 70% of publishers surveyed report concern that creators are pulling audiences away from traditional content.
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Recruitment Follows Two Distinct Paths
DMG fills its creator roster through two pipelines. The first targets social-native talent, such as Prashan Leigh, hired after building nearly 20,000 TikTok followers through man-on-the-street interviews. The second recruits journalism-trained staff, such as Mimi Yates, hired following internships and screen tests.
This dual approach blends platform-native credibility with editorial discipline inside the same payroll structure, a design choice that directly addresses advertiser concerns about brand safety in creator-led content.
DMG's total social following stands at 150 million, growing at approximately two million new followers per month. Between 65% and 70% of those followers are Gen Z, the demographic group that most advertisers are prioritizing in current budget allocation.
DMG produces more than 100 social videos daily across its creator and new media operations, with plans to increase that volume further as the model scales.
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