Podcast Summary: "Why Creators Like Kai Cenat are Playing Dodgeball for $500K"
Podcast: Next in Media
Host: Mike Shields
Guest: Drew Muller (VP & General Manager, House of Highlights)
Date: August 19, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode dives into how House of Highlights (HoH)—originally an Instagram highlight account—has evolved into a youth culture sports media powerhouse. VP/GM Drew Muller discusses HoH’s rapid growth, its expanding creator-driven programming (notably the "Creator League"), innovative partnerships with brands, and the impact of streaming platforms. The conversation spotlights how events like creators playing dodgeball for $500K are capturing Gen Z audiences and changing the media and advertising landscape.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
House of Highlights: From Instagram to Powerhouse (01:29–04:30)
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Evolution of HoH
- Started as a highlights aggregator on Instagram; now over 100 million followers, 3–4 billion monthly views.
- Strategy: Expanding to a multi-platform media business targeting under-34 sports fans (01:50).
- “Fans are typically interacting with House of Highlights on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube... seeing a mix of the best sports highlights, viral youth culture and creator-led IP.” — Drew Muller [01:50]
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Editorial Mission Shift
- From curation/distribution to creating original content—focusing on audience engagement and entertainment value.
- "We solved a real audience need early on... But then we said: Can we make more of what we curate?" — Drew Muller [03:16]
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Maintaining Youth Audience
- As HoH scaled, challenge became staying relevant with the ever-changing youth demographic.
- “The challenge... is how to continue to serve that young audience as our number one consumer despite now reaching tens of millions... It really does put the onus on us.” — Drew Muller [04:30]
Brand Partnerships & Monetization Evolution (05:25–08:58)
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Advertising Growth
- Advertising business now well into eight figures.
- Integrates brands authentically via longer-form content, custom segments, beyond simple logo placement.
- "As we’ve moved... into longer formats, the ways that we’ve integrated brands have been just more leaned in." — Drew Muller [05:43]
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Streaming/CTV Trends
- Major scaling on YouTube—significant consumption via TV devices in living rooms now.
- Full game recaps (8–10 mins) are a favorite for both viewers and brands; acts as a bridge to new programming.
- “We’ve seen our TV device consumption on YouTube double over the last three years.” — Drew Muller [07:32]
- Active use of comment sections for content improvement: feedback directly impacts highlight choices. [08:58–09:44]
Creator League: The Next-Gen Sports League (09:44–15:22)
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What is Creator League?
- HoH’s owned sports league—creators (YouTubers, Twitch streamers) compete in sports for cash purses ($500K this season).
- Designed for Gen Z: action-dense, interactive, social-first broadcasts.
- “What if we wanted to own our own league?... We’re not going to compete [with pro athletes], but we can win with creator-driven sports entertainment.” — Drew Muller [11:20]
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Format & Competitions
- Season includes dodgeball, slam ball, flag football, go-karting, etc.
- “Started with a golf closest-to-the-pin, then basketball, dodgeball, go-karting... This season: dodgeball, slam ball, flag football, basketball, and a championship series.” — Drew Muller [12:39]
- Focused on continuity, competition, and building sustained audience engagement—huge success in viral highlights and live viewing.
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Casting & Team Composition
- Four creator-captained teams (e.g., Supreme Dreams/RDC World), chosen for audience relevance.
- Draft pool of creators with a combined 250M+ followers; prioritizes personality and competitiveness.
- “We want competitive people who really care. That started on draft night and has continued ever since.” — Drew Muller [14:57]
Audience Success & Live Streaming (15:22–17:54)
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Live Event Urgency
- Goal: Make live, appointment-based viewing cool for under-34s—a tough feat in streaming era.
- "Creator League this season is driving just over a hundred thousand under-34 average viewers across a two-hour Friday night broadcast." — Drew Muller [15:43]
- “That’s a pretty great rating in any time period for that audience.” — Mike Shields [16:27]
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Highlights Power the Flywheel
- Over 300 million highlight views from Creator League in just the first two months.
- “People want to continue to consume highlights for the 28 days between that event and the next one. It kind of builds this really compelling flywheel.” — Mike Shields [17:27]
Brand Integration in Creator League (17:54–19:47)
- Advertiser On-Boarding
- Initially grew organic audience before introducing sponsors.
- Early partners: Pizza Hut, Apple (MLS tie-in), Nissan (Final Four partnership).
- Unique brand integrations possible because HoH owns the IP (e.g., Pizza Hut Power Boost in go-karting—fan-voted speed boosts).
- “We were able to insert brands into the competition in ways you just can’t do with traditional leagues.” — Drew Muller [18:35]
The Art and Future of Creator Sports Programming (19:47–22:40)
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Casting Realities
- Mix of personalities: some exceptional athletes among creators; others are new wildcards.
- "You're a little bit reality show, a little Survivor producer, and sports league guy." — Mike Shields [19:57]
- "Everyone thinks they're an incredible athlete... we intentionally try to have that mix." — Drew Muller [20:01]
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Looking Forward
- Upcoming events for 2025: flag football, knockout, 5v5 basketball, championship in November.
- 2026: Plans to expand with more teams, higher stakes, new locations/experiences (e.g., matches at major sporting events, using broader TNT/Warner partnerships).
- "The exciting opportunity is as this continues to build, an avid under-34 audience in the millions... How can we make that an interesting complement to our linear sports portfolio?" — Drew Muller [21:03]
- Potential expansion into new sports (tennis, pickleball); continuing to innovate around creator participation and live content.
Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps
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On HoH’s identity transformation:
“We solved a real audience need early on... But then we said: Can we make more of what we curate?” — Drew Muller [03:16] -
On maintaining youth relevance:
“It can be easy to try to, you know, be something to everyone, which at scale can really water down your voice and your strategy... We really put the onus on us to continue to stay relevant.” — Drew Muller [04:30] -
On YouTube as the new TV:
"30, 40% of your consumption on YouTube actually coming on TV devices... that's where we want to be." — Drew Muller [06:23] -
On feedback shaping content:
“We read the comment sections religiously every single night... Knowing that many channels try to do the same thing, is informed by a feedback loop with fans.” — Drew Muller [08:58] -
On the purpose of Creator League:
“What if we wanted to own our own league?... Where we could win is seeing where young people were spending their time—creator livestreams.” — Drew Muller [11:20] -
On appointment viewing with Gen Z:
"If we can drive live appointment viewing audience for the under-34 demo, we've achieved something." — Drew Muller [15:43] -
On creator league highlight virality:
"A made up sports league that we own has driven hundreds of millions of views against creators playing competitions." — Drew Muller [16:29] -
On unique brand integrations:
“We made a Pizza Hut power boost where fans could vote on which creator they wanted Go Kart to have another five miles an hour... You can't do that in traditional sports.” — Drew Muller [18:35] -
On casting dynamic characters:
“Everyone thinks they're an incredible athlete. So we intentionally try to have that type of mix where you have really good athletes and some... you’ve never seen play sports.” — Drew Muller [20:01] -
Looking ahead:
"In 2026, I expect that to expand substantially in terms of teams, stakes, and locations... that's really the exciting opportunity.” — Drew Muller [21:03]
Important Segment Timestamps
- 01:29 – Origins and current scale of House of Highlights
- 03:16 – Shift from aggregator to content originator
- 05:25 – Brand partnerships and monetization
- 07:32 – Rise of CTV/YouTube TV consumption
- 09:44 – The genesis and structure of Creator League
- 12:39 – Event formats and competition details
- 15:43 – Building live, appointment-viewing with young audiences
- 17:54 – Brand integrations in Creator League, Pizza Hut as an example
- 19:47 – The “casting” approach to creators and competition
- 21:03 – Plans for expansion and future innovation
Summary
Drew Muller details how House of Highlights has morphed from an Instagram novelty into a juggernaut at the intersection of sports, youth culture, and content innovation. The success of Creator League—with creators like Kai Cenat headlining unusual competitions for big stakes—demonstrates the power of creator-led entertainment, viral highlights, and authentic brand partnerships. By harnessing social video and integrating brands in playful, participatory ways, HoH has redefined what sports fandom and media can look like for Gen Z. The conversation leaves little doubt: the future of sports content is interactive, creator-driven, and blurring the line between fan and participant.