Fullscreen (company)

Fullscreen (company)
Name	Fullscreen
Type	Private
Industry	Digital media
Founded	2011
Founder	George Strompolos
Headquarters	Santa Monica, California, United States
Key people	George Strompolos, Bryan Goldberg
Products	Creator services, multichannel network, original programming, analytics
Parent	Otter Media (AT&T/The Chernin Group) (past)

Fullscreen (company) is a Los Angeles–based digital media company founded in 2011 that developed creator-focused services, a multichannel network, original programming, and analytics for online video talent. The company operated within the networked ecosystems of YouTube, collaborated with entities such as Warner Bros. Discovery, AT&T, The Chernin Group, Viacom, and Disney, and competed with firms including Maker Studios, AwesomenessTV, Tastemade, and Fullscreen Media. Fullscreen combined talent management, advertising sales, content production, and platform technology to serve online creators, brands, and distributors across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and streaming platforms.

History

Fullscreen was founded in 2011 by George Strompolos following his tenure at YouTube and early work with creators who rose during the Web 2.0 era; initial growth paralleled the rise of creators like PewDiePie, Shane Dawson, Lilly Singh, and CollegeHumor alumni who defined early network strategies. The company expanded rapidly through the 2010s amid consolidation driven by acquisitions such as Maker Studios by The Walt Disney Company and strategic investments from AT&T and The Chernin Group, culminating in ownership transitions involving Otter Media and private equity players. Leadership shifts included executive roles filled by industry figures who previously worked at YouTube, Hulu, Yahoo!, and Viacom, reflecting wider talent mobility among digital studios like Vice Media and BuzzFeed. Throughout the decade, Fullscreen navigated changing platform policies at YouTube and algorithmic shifts on Facebook, prompting restructuring comparable to moves by AwesomenessTV and Machinima.

Business model and services

Fullscreen's business model combined multichannel network (MCN) services, brand partnerships, subscription offerings, talent management, and analytics. The MCN arm provided creators with monetization, rights management, and cross-platform distribution—services similar to those offered by BBTV, BBTV (company), Studio71, and ZEFR—while its branded content studio executed campaigns for advertisers such as Nike, Amazon, Coca-Cola, and Samsung. Revenue streams included advertising sales on YouTube, sponsorship deals for creators who worked with agencies like WME, CAA, and UTA, licensing of original series to distributors such as Netflix and Hulu, and subscription revenue comparable to offerings on Patreon and Twitch. The company also sold creator-focused analytics and rights-management tools that paralleled products from Tubular Labs, VidCon partners, and IRIS.TV.

Content and programming

Fullscreen produced original series, short-form content, and creator-driven programming, collaborating with talent who previously appeared on channels like Good Mythical Morning, Rooster Teeth, Smosh, and The Graham Norton Show guest creators. Programming spanned scripted comedies, reality formats, lifestyle shows, and branded series that targeted demographics tracked by firms such as Nielsen and Comscore. Distribution strategies included first-run premieres on YouTube Red (later YouTube Premium), licensing windows with streaming platforms like Hulu and Netflix, and cross-promotion at events such as VidCon and SXSW. Fullscreen's content slate featured partnerships with creators who had previously collaborated with entities like Complex, Consequence of Sound, Rolling Stone, and The FADER.

Technology and platform

Fullscreen developed platform tools for rights management, audience analytics, and creator monetization that integrated with APIs from YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter; these systems resembled analytics suites from SocialBlade and Tubular Labs. The company's technology focused on content ID management, cross-platform publishing, and performance dashboards used by creators and brand partners, employing data practices comparable to those at Spotify for creator-facing metrics and advertiser targeting used by The Trade Desk. Technical infrastructure relied on cloud providers and CDN services similar to those used by Akamai and Amazon Web Services to deliver video and measure engagement across mobile apps and connected TV environments like Roku and Apple TV.

Partnerships and acquisitions

Fullscreen forged strategic partnerships with media conglomerates and digital platforms, including business dealings with AT&T, joint-venture arrangements with The Chernin Group via Otter Media, and content licensing deals with Netflix and Hulu. The company was involved in the industry consolidation that saw peer firms such as Maker Studios acquired by The Walt Disney Company and prompted comparable moves among FullScreen competitors; it also entered collaborations with talent agencies including CAA and brand marketers like Lionsgate on co-productions. Fullscreen pursued acquisitions and minority investments to expand talent services, echoing tactics used by BuzzFeed and Vice Media to integrate creative studios and technology platforms.

Criticism and controversies

Fullscreen faced criticism and controversy typical of MCNs and digital studios: disputes over contract terms with creators, transparency in revenue sharing, and the effectiveness of network services relative to promises made during the MCN boom that involved actors such as Felix Kjellberg (PewDiePie) and corporate responses seen at YouTube. The company navigated public scrutiny during industry-wide debates about content moderation, demonetization on platforms like YouTube and algorithm changes on Facebook that affected creators' incomes; these issues mirrored controversies involving Maker Studios, Machinima, and AwesomenessTV. Labor and talent-management concerns arose in relation to agreements and restructurings, similar to disputes at Vice Media and contractual debates involving agencies like WME and UTA.

Category:Digital media companies