Owens will be EP of the new firm, which raised money from Emerson Collective and media veterans Jesse Angelo, David Leavy, Brent Montgomery and Patrick Steel.

Hollywood once dismissed them. Now it’s casting them, courting them and counting on them to deliver audiences. Meet the social media stars the industry is obsessed with.

The studios are offering rich deals to grow engagement on their platforms. The Google-owned video giant is punching back with its own offers — and threats.