Jellysmack

Capital Must Build Credit for Creator Economy

This column by Josh Stein argues that the creator economy has already been institutionally priced at the senior end, but the credit and underwriting instruments required for mid-tier, studio-scale creator businesses have not been built. Stein cites recent institutional actions — BNP Paribas’s sector declaration, Goldman Sachs research sizing, and Architect Capital’s May 2026 investment in Fenix International (OnlyFans parent) — as evidence that Tier 1 capital recognises the asset. However, legacy valuation comps, projection methods that rely on view counts, and traditional diligence checklists fail to capture retention-driven, repeat audience behavior. The author calls for catalog- and behavior-backed credit facilities with behavioral covenants, standardized documentation, and surveillance frameworks to enable non-extractive financing for the operator middle class over the next 24–36 months.

Law&Crime Acquires Court TV from Scripps

Dan Abrams’ Law&Crime is acquiring the Court TV brand from The E.W. Scripps Company, a deal announced on Feb 11, 2026. The acquisition places the legacy Court TV brand under the ownership of Jellysmack, the parent of Law&Crime, and follows Jellysmack’s 2023 purchase of Law&Crime. Scripps said the sale will strengthen its balance sheet; Scripps President and CEO Adam Symson described the brand as a natural complement to Law&Crime’s library. Law&Crime will operate Court TV as a distinct brand and position it as the network’s primary destination for trial coverage. The deal gives Law&Crime control of a brand known for high-profile trial coverage, including the Depp vs. Heard trial.

Oriane raises $1.5M for AI video search engine

Oriane, a startup launched in 2025, has raised $1.5 million to build an AI-powered search engine for the video-first internet. The round was led by Clint Capital, with participation from Hartmann Capital, Secways, Archipelago Next, and strategic angels from Google, PayPal, Sony, and Jellysmack. The platform uses multimodal analysis of visuals, audio, speech, faces, and trademarks to make millions of videos searchable across platforms, helping brands and creators track content reuse and gain insights into virality, engagement, and sentiment. Oriane is already used by major enterprises and operates across the US, London, Paris, and Barcelona. The funding will further develop the AI search engine.