WME has launched Creator Labs, an in-house digital operations team supporting clients as they develop media businesses on YouTube and other platforms.
The unit sits within the agency’s Digital Division and provides services including channel development, management, content scheduling and syndication. It works with creators, podcasters and other talent from the initial planning stage through to launch and ongoing operations.
Creator Labs is led by Joanne Lee, who joined WME in 2024 after holding leadership roles at Meta, YouTube and Sony Pictures.
Alongside the launch, WME has made a strategic investment in video strategy and operations company Astra Media, which has worked on projects involving Khloé Kardashian and Kevin Hart. The agency has also expanded its creator sales team, led by Doreen Dinour, to secure brand sponsorships and advertising for clients’ content.
Early clients include Manchester City footballer Erling Haaland, who worked with the team to launch his YouTube channel and secure sponsorships, and Julian Shapiro-Barnum, creator of Recess Therapy and Celebrity Substitute. Shapiro-Barnum, who featured prominently at YouTube’s Brandcast this year, used WME’s services to secure sponsorships for his YouTube late-night show.
WME has hired 11 people across Creator Labs and Creator Sales and plans to expand the operation further. The story was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
