The data: US TikTok sponsored content surged in the weeks after ByteDance finalized a deal in January to create a majority American-owned joint venture for the platform. Sponsored post volume rose 16.8% and active influencer count climbed 16.1% four weeks after the deal closed, per Billion Dollar Boy’s analysis of over 100,000 posts from more than 10,000 creators.

Zooming out: The rebound follows a pre-deal dip during months of uncertainty over TikTok's US future. Billion Dollar Boy's weekly tracking tells a clear recovery story:

• US sponsored posts fell from 1,403 to 1,339 in the two weeks before the deal. By Week 4 post-deal, volume had climbed to 1,564, a 16.8% increase over the pre-deal baseline.
• Active US influencers posting sponsored content dropped from 1,120 to 1,075 pre-deal, then rebounded to 1,248 by Week 4, up 16.1%.
• US engagement rates improved modestly, rising from 6.6% pre-deal to 6.9% post-deal.

The UK tells a similar story, minus the engagement lift. UK sponsored post volume grew 14.6% over the same period, and active influencers increased 17.9%. But UK engagement rates stayed flat, slipping from 6.92% to 6.87%, suggesting the US engagement bump was tied to renewed user enthusiasm around the deal's resolution.

The deal removed TikTok's existential risk in the US, which should accelerate growth. We forecast TikTok's US ad revenues will grow 27.9% in 2026, up from 16.1% in 2025. Boosting creator posts (39%) and branded sponsored posts featuring creators (38%) are the two creator marketing activities brand marketers say most effectively drive ROI, per CreatorIQ; Influencer marketing spending on TikTok this year will reach $2.9 billion, per our forecast.