Cell phones, tablets and other portable devices will continue to be the best way to reach the under-35 content consumer, says Studio71 President & Co-Founder Dan Weinstein. An early pioneer in working with social media talent, Studio71 just signed content creator Hannah Hart along with a host of other multichannel-network partners.
In this interview with Beet.TV at the Digital Content NewFronts 2018, Weinstein traces the rise of Studio71 and talks about the growing impact of skinny bundles on mobile device consumption.
Studio71 recently signed on to help manage Hart’s digital strategy across the author and comedian’s digital footprint of some 5.3 million followers. In addition, Studio71 picked up such multichannel-network brands and personalities as Family Gaming Team, teen Loren Gray, one of the most popular creators on Musical.ly, and Matt Steffanina, the dancer and celebrity choreographer, as Variety reports.
Weinstein’s previous endeavor, The Collective, was formed circa 2005 as a talent management company. It ventured into the “new breed of talent” space by signing Lucas Cruikshank, who created the character Fred and an associated video series on YouTube, then financing what would become the highest-rated cable movie of 2010 after the movie was licensed to Nickelodeon.
“That was sort of aha moment for the company,” says Weinstein. “And that was the point where we tipped the scales into becoming more of a media enterprise than a management company.”
A few years ago, German broadcaster ProSieben made an investment in The Collective and ultimately took control of the enterprise before merging it with Studio71. Now the company is feeding the growing appetite of Millennials for content consumption as the widening desire for mobile viewing.
Studio71 creates content for audiences “that are wanting to watch a different kind of programming and in a different manner than sitting back in their living room and watching linear television. And that’s absolutely growing,” Weinstein says.
The rise of streaming packages is a welcome development in an age of cord cutters and cord nevers. “Those are also consumable via mobile,” he says of skinny bundles. “I think mobile still is the primary means for a certain demographic, the under-35 crowd, to watch the majority of their content.”
This video is part of Beet.TV’s coverage of the Digital Content NewFronts 2018. The series a co-presentation of Beet.TV and the IAB. Please see additional videos from the series on this page.
