Benedict Townsend

Was anything written down? Obviously, there's an NDA, but did they present you with like a little charter of requests or anything? Well...

Was anything written down? Obviously, there's an NDA, but did they present you with like a little charter of requests or anything? Well...

Each. It wasn't one million dollars. It was one million dollars each. One small word that made all the difference.

Each. It wasn't one million dollars. It was one million dollars each. One small word that made all the difference.

So much for that NDA. Once other creators started hearing about Vine potentially paying a million dollars for content, it became a free-for-all. Setting a precedent Twitter had hardline avoided for years. There was no way they'd agree to a payout now that the word had got out. If there had been a chance for a turnaround, there definitely wasn't one anymore.

So much for that NDA. Once other creators started hearing about Vine potentially paying a million dollars for content, it became a free-for-all. Setting a precedent Twitter had hardline avoided for years. There was no way they'd agree to a payout now that the word had got out. If there had been a chance for a turnaround, there definitely wasn't one anymore.

So, no deal. And true to their word, the 1,600 Viners headed straight for the door. But they weren't bluffing this time. They were gone. For Rich Arnold, head of design, it felt like Vine was finally reaping what they had sown.

So, no deal. And true to their word, the 1,600 Viners headed straight for the door. But they weren't bluffing this time. They were gone. For Rich Arnold, head of design, it felt like Vine was finally reaping what they had sown.

I think it would be easy at this point to be like, oh, boo-hoo, these rich 20-year-olds didn't get their million dollars or whatever. But everyone has a different perspective on it. But when you look in subsequent years, how much money platforms like YouTube or now TikTok are more than happy to pay creators.

I think it would be easy at this point to be like, oh, boo-hoo, these rich 20-year-olds didn't get their million dollars or whatever. But everyone has a different perspective on it. But when you look in subsequent years, how much money platforms like YouTube or now TikTok are more than happy to pay creators.

Obviously, those are platforms that are much more successfully monetized with ads, which is one of Vine's various failings. Mr. Beast or any of these huge creators make a lot of money and platforms are willing to give them money because they value what they create. Is it that crazy what they were asking for?

Obviously, those are platforms that are much more successfully monetized with ads, which is one of Vine's various failings. Mr. Beast or any of these huge creators make a lot of money and platforms are willing to give them money because they value what they create. Is it that crazy what they were asking for?

cannot emphasize enough how consequential this was in so many ways it would have been one thing if the 1600 vine negotiations had just quietly failed but word getting out that they'd happened in the first place arguably was even more detrimental the creative relationships that karen had been carefully nurturing for months were destroyed in a matter of days

cannot emphasize enough how consequential this was in so many ways it would have been one thing if the 1600 vine negotiations had just quietly failed but word getting out that they'd happened in the first place arguably was even more detrimental the creative relationships that karen had been carefully nurturing for months were destroyed in a matter of days

Most of the creators I've spoken to from around that time say that even if they respected the sheer savviness of the 1600 group in monopolizing the platform, their overwhelming presence was still damaging to the Vine-iverse and to Vine content overall. Here's Manon Matthews.

Most of the creators I've spoken to from around that time say that even if they respected the sheer savviness of the 1600 group in monopolizing the platform, their overwhelming presence was still damaging to the Vine-iverse and to Vine content overall. Here's Manon Matthews.

Jasmeet Raina, he's the creator we met back in episode four who found success, often from taking the piss out of popular Vine trends.

Jasmeet Raina, he's the creator we met back in episode four who found success, often from taking the piss out of popular Vine trends.

And that deterioration was very real. Brandon Calvillo, one of Vine's very first creators, had built a serious following for his comedy skits long before cliques, collaborations, and re-Vine for re-Vine became the norm. He'd seen Vine through every era, and he remembers when it was clear that the end was nigh.

And that deterioration was very real. Brandon Calvillo, one of Vine's very first creators, had built a serious following for his comedy skits long before cliques, collaborations, and re-Vine for re-Vine became the norm. He'd seen Vine through every era, and he remembers when it was clear that the end was nigh.