Maker Studios

Method

Maker Studios starts in 2009 in Culver City among YouTube creators including Danny Zappin, Lisa Donovan, Ben Donovan, Scott Katz, Kassem Gharaibeh and Philip DeFranco as a network taking a cut of partners' YouTube ad revenue. By June 2012 it reports 1.1 billion monthly views across more than 1,000 channels and closes a 36 million dollar round led by Time Warner Investments. Disney agrees on March 24, 2014 to pay 500 million dollars with earnouts to 950 million; Maker misses the targets and the final price settles at a reported 675 million. Digiday reports 370 million dollars of 2015 ad revenue with only 70 million sold directly, which is the rung that breaks: the business is YouTube's, not Maker's. Disney cuts the roster from tens of thousands of channels to about 300, drops PewDiePie in February 2017 and folds Maker into Disney Digital Network on May 2, 2017.

Open on the map Directory Suggest a correction

The path: money and goods moving

• paid byYouTubeMaker's revenue is overwhelmingly YouTube ad share; Digiday reports 300 million of 370 million dollars in 2015 came through YouTube.2009 to 2017
• acquired byThe Walt Disney CompanyDisney agrees on March 24, 2014 to buy Maker for 500 million dollars with earnouts to 950 million; the final price is reported at 675 million after missed targets.2014
• spawnedRevelmodeMaker launches Revelmode with PewDiePie in January 2016 as a creator led sub network.2016
• spawnedRogue RocketMaker co founder Philip DeFranco later founds Rogue Rocket as an independent news company.2019

Influence

• influencedStyleHaulStyleHaul copies the vertical MCN model that Maker and Machinima prove, applying it to beauty; the DeBevoise family links the two. (partly verified)2011

Representation, events, tools

• representsEpic Rap Battles of HistoryEpic Rap Battles of History is produced and sold through Maker Studios in its early years. (unverified)2011 to 2014
• representsPewDiePie (Felix Kjellberg)PewDiePie is Maker's largest channel through its Polaris sub network until Disney drops him in February 2017.2012 to 2017
• representsMarkiplier (Mark Fischbach)Maker counts Markiplier among its top gaming partners in the Disney years.2014 to 2017
• hostsThe Walt Disney CompanyDisney folds Maker into Disney Digital Network, headquartered in Culver City, on May 2, 2017.2017