TikTok’s Reorg Signals a Fresh Focus on Publishers

Last week Kaya and I reported on a broad restructuring at TikTok, which included layoffs in the U.S. and other countries. Among the many changes were those directly linked to creators and publishers. The latter could signal an increased effort to court media companies and bring more professional content to the app, best known for its user-generated short videos. 

For instance, the company is introducing a team called publisher monetization operations to focus on sustainable revenue opportunities across “user-paid, e-commerce and [global business solutions]” or TikTok ads, according to a memo seen by The Information. The group is led by Harish Sarma, who was global head of sports and gaming before the reorganization, according to his LinkedIn.