Cuba Gooding Jr. & Mars Callahan Introduce VChannel: YouTube’s Web3 Challenger
June 19th, 2025, the GCN Investor Conference at Newport Beach in Southern California was buzzing with excitement and innovation, as investors gathered to discover the next big thing in creator-focused tech. The highlight of the event came when Mars Callahan took the stage alongside Cuba Gooding Jr. to unveil their groundbreaking platform, VChannel. This innovative new player in the video content space leverages Web3 technology to give creators a staggering 80% share of ad revenue, compared to YouTube’s typical ~55% share .
Mars Callahan presenting on stage
Cuba Gooding Jr. energized the crowd with candid humor, sharing how residual royalty checks often diminish over time, joking that one check was for negative $0.37, prompting loud laughter from the attendees. He even channeled his signature “Show me the money!” catchphrase during their investor pitch, adding a nostalgic and powerful punch.
Adding even more heft to the platform’s launch, Richard Thompson, a former member of BlackRock, joined Mars and Cuba on stage. His presence lent serious credibility, underscoring VChannel’s ambitious vision and potential.
Why VChannel Matters
The creator economy is booming, globally worth between $160–250 billion in 2025, with projections reaching up to $528 billion by 2030 (thebusinessresearchcompany.com). In North America alone, it’s valued at over $32 billion and growing rapidly . In this dynamic landscape, platforms like Patreon and OnlyFans have already demonstrated the power of direct fan monetization, Patreon typically taking 8–12%, while OnlyFans pays creators 80% of subscription revenue . Yet these platforms cater to specific niches and often require juggling multiple tools.
VChannel is different. It’s designed as a true all-in-one solution:
A video + Shopify-esque storefront, plus
Personalized domain and full data control, and
In-platform talent aggregation (actors, videographers, directors) to streamline the creative and hiring process.
What’s more, Mars and his team have been quietly building VChannel for years, privately funding the project to stay ahead of the curve, now arriving with everything seamlessly integrated into a single location. No external leaks, no half-built features, just pure creator-centric innovation.
The Bigger Picture
Creators today are diversifying across platforms, merch, subscriptions, even adult content, partly to hedge against algorithm changes and demonetization events like YouTube’s "adpocalypse" (time.com and coherentmarketinsights.com). VChannel builds on that trend, giving creators control over their content, income, and community.
With big names, bold promises, and a creator-first mission, VChannel could be the Web3 breakthrough the content world’s been waiting for.