Media and tech executives at CES 2026 explain how creators are transforming Hollywood’s talent pipeline and business model. Caroline Brehman / AFP via Getty Images

Creators are evolving into entrepreneurs and disrupting the traditional Hollywood model. At CES 2026, executives from Lionsgate, Hello Sunshine, Amazon, Microsoft and T-Mobile made clear that the creator economy is reshaping how entertainment is made, distributed and monetized. For studios, that shift is forcing a rethink of where content lives and how success is measured. For tech companies, creators have become essential partners.

At Lionsgate, executives increasingly weigh whether a project belongs in theaters or platforms like YouTube. “At the end of the day, people always want to see their stuff on the big screen, or on Amazon Prime or on Netflix, or wherever it makes the most sense for them—for their ego,” said Brad Haugen, EVP of digital strategy and growth at Lionsgate and 3Arts, during a Monday (Jan. 5) panel on how creators are redefining Hollywood’s talent pipeline. “But that’s not always the best home for the content.”

Hello Sunshine has taken a slightly different approach by building its business around audience ownership and community. The women-focused media company co-founded by Reese Witherspoon has leaned heavily into digital-first initiatives such as Reese’s Book Club, which has become a powerful engine for turning novels into cultural hits and screen adaptations.

One of its most notable successes was Daisy Jones & the Sixadapted from Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel into a Prime Video miniseries starring Riley Keough. When it debuted in 2023, it became one of Amazon’s most-watched series.

More recently, Hello Sunshine launched a program aimed at amplifying female-led creators across social platforms. The initiative currently includes about 40 creators, among them authors Laura Dave and Danielle Robey.

“The net-net of it is to change the narrative for women,” said Jennifer Wiener, EVP of brand partnerships and experimental at Hello Sunshine, on the same panel. “You have to be doing it across every platform. We are storytellers, and we want to be telling those stories everywhere.”

That multi-platform mindset plays directly into Amazon’s advantage as a company rooted in technology and media. Rather than forcing creators into a single format, Amazon has built an ecosystem that allows them to scale across audio, video, social and commerce.

On the same panel, Matt Sandler, general manager of creator services at Amazon, pointed to brands like Wondery, Studio126 and Prime Video as engines for creator growth, citing partnerships with LeBron James, Keke Palmer and MrBeast.

“Amazon can serve those customers in a really material way,” Sandler said. “What we’ve done is create this new creator services business to super-serve the content at the center—which is largely digital or social content.”

While media companies are adapting to creator-led models, tech giants are increasingly baking creators directly into their core business strategies. Over the past year, Microsoft has hired more producers, editors and scriptwriters with backgrounds in the creator economy, according to Marcus Frieske, the tech giant’s general manager of social and creative marketing.

“They come from YouTube and Snapchat,” Frieske said during a separate panel Monday on why creators have become brands’ most valuable media channel. “They’re used to, ‘Hey, we’ve got to make a video, and it needs to go live in the next couple of days.’ Having fast-paced individuals who understand that rhythm has been really critical to our success.”

T-Mobile, meanwhile, is leaning into creators as collaborators rather than spokespeople. Kimberley Hand, senior creator manager at the telecom company, said T-Mobile is developing an advisory board made up of creators to shape campaigns and ensure authenticity.

She also highlighted Club Magenta, the brand’s experiential activation that has appeared at music festivals and events such as Lollapalooza. The pop-up features charging stations, lounges, and social spaces—designed not just for fans, but also for creators to document and share their experiences in real-time.

Creator Jazmyn Smith, for example, helped bring the activation to life for her audience. “(Smith) is able to bring it alive in a way that we can’t through our own storytelling,” Hand said. “It fits very naturally into her content and her experience at Lolla.”