1. A method comprising: computing, by a processing device, scores for a plurality of media items hosted by a content hosting platform based on a plurality of positive user actions associated with the plurality of media items; ranking the plurality of media items based on the scores, the plurality of media items comprising one or more media items that are associated with the plurality of positive user actions and have not been featured by any platform external to the content hosting platform; in view of the ranking and the one or more media items that are associated with the plurality of positive user actions and have not been featured by any platform external to the content hosting platform, selecting, from the plurality of media items hosted by the content hosting platform, highest ranked media items that have been featured by at least one platform external to the content hosting platform; and creating a popular media item data set including the highest ranked media items that have been featured by the at least one platform external to the content hosting platform.