Fashion’s biggest night, by the numbers
The 2026 Met Gala delivered staggering numbers across every metric WeArisma tracks. Early results from May 3 to 7 across influential voices, including VIPs, creators, and media outlets reveal:
Earned Media Value (EMV): $1.49B
What makes this year particularly remarkable is the sheer scale of organic creator participation, the 2026 Met Gala has set a new benchmark for influencer-driven cultural moments in fashion.
The top 100 media and entertainment brands across video streaming, audio streaming, and content creation generated $63.4B in total Earned Media Value in 2025, up +7.0% YoY. Growth is uneven across sub-sectors, video streaming surged while audio streaming declined sharply, platform dynamics are shifting fast, and a handful of breakout brands are rewriting what influence looks like in entertainment.
TikTok grew +70.2% YoY and is rapidly closing the gap on YouTube as the dominant entertainment influence platform. YouTube remains #1 at $32.6B but declined -11.3%, while Instagram grew +4.4% to $13.3B. Facebook nearly doubled to $7.3B (+98.9%), making media and entertainment one of the few categories where four platforms are genuinely competing for share.
State of Influence Index 2026 now LIVE - Explore the creators, trends and platforms driving conversations