Diverse Media Entities, Outlets & Services
A Hot Set highlights the domestic multiracial group-owned media entities.
MEDIA CONGLOMERATE
Represents media conglomerates founded by two or more people of different racial backgrounds.
Watcher Entertainment: Watcher Entertainment is a digital media and entertainment company, founded by Steven Lim, Shane Madej, and Ryan Bergara. The company features a Watcher (a multi-series production studio), WatchPodcast (a YouTube video podcast also available in audio format only), Watch TV (SVOD platform), and Watch Live (a live tour event focused on their Ghost Files content).
Westbrook Inc: Westbrook Inc. is a media company co-founded in 2019 by Will Smith, actress Jada Pinkett-Smith, Miguel Melendez, and Ko Yada to empower artists to tell stories that connect with the world. The company has five divisions Bel-Air Athletics (sportswear), Westbrook Media (strategizes, develops, and produces premium unscripted content, immersive media, and branded entertainment), Westbrook Motion Picture and Documentaries (develops and produces films and documentaries), Westbrook Television (develops and produces premium scripted and unscripted content), and Telepool (development, production, licensing and distribution of premium feature films and TV) which has two subsidiary brands Videobusters.de (video rentals, sales, and streaming) and Global Screen (International sales and distribution of film and TV projects). Westbrook Inc. also has an independent production company, Overbook Entertainment.
production companies
Represents production companies founded and owned by two or more people of different racial/ethnic backgrounds.
51 Minds Entertainment: 51 Minds Entertainment is an unscripted production company (a division of Banijay), the world’s largest international content producer and distributor, 51 Minds is led by Christian Sarabia and Zachary Klein, who serves as Chief Operating Officer.
Antigravity Academy: Antigravity Academy is a multimedia production company founded by director Carlos López Estrada and actress Kelly Marie Tran to develop and produce movies, television, theater, and short-form content for people from underrepresented groups.
Blackwater Pictures: Blackwater Pictures is a film production company founded by Antoine Dixon-Bellot and Kevin Harvey that combines the art of storytelling with innovative technology.
Dream Bay Entertainment: Dream Bay Entertainment is a film and television production company founded by Jason Hafford and Thomas Drachkovitch.
F.L.U.I.D.: F.L.U.I.D. (Fierce, Liberation, Unique Intersection of Diversity) are a film and television production company founded by Akbar Hamid & Evan Schwartz to produce film and television projects, engage film funds, and provide resources for LGBTQIA+ filmmakers, storytellers, and artists.
H.wood Media: h.wood Media is a film production company founded by John Terzian, Jeremy Allen, and Brian Toll.
Hillman Grad Productions: Hillman Grad Productions is a full-service media and production company founded by writer, producer, and actor, Lena Waithe, and led by CEO Rishi Rajani. It has six divisions across TV/Film, Music, Books, Podcasts, Branded Content, and Mentorship–quickly rising to become one of the most prominent companies in entertainment.
Honor Role: Honor Role is a film and television production company founded by Camila Mendes & Rachel Matthews to develop dynamic character-driven stories from sharp filmmakers.
Infinity Hill: Infinity Hill is a global multilingual film and television production company founded by Axel Kuschevatzky, Phin Glynn, and Cindy Teperman.
La Banda Films: La Banda Films is an American/Mexican film and television production company run by Roberto Sneider, Isabel Echeverry, and Jackeline Sánchez.
MRC Entertainment: MRC Entertainment is a film and television production company as well as a media investment firm founded by Asif Satchu and Modi Wiczyk.
Mucho Mas Media: Mucho Mas Media is a film and television finance and production company founded by Javier Chapa JD and Simon Wise to develop content for global Hispanic audiences.
Onyx Collective: Onyx Collective is a content brand, a subsidiary of Disney Entertainment, which focuses on projects from creators of color and other underrepresented groups and is led by Tara Duncan.
Prettybird: Prettybird is a hybrid production company bringing an elevated, yet holistic approach to content creation founded by Paul Hunter and Kerstin Emhoff.
Proximity Media: Proximity Media was founded by director Ryan Coogler, his wife Zinzi Coogler, and writer Sev Ohanian in 2021, to create event-driven content across various platforms.
Rampage ‘n J Productions: Rampage ‘n J Productions is a film and television production company founded by Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Joel Silverman to develop biopics, silver screen adaptations of literature, and scripted dramatic series.
Runyonland: Runyonland is a screen and theater production company founded by Alyah Chanelle Scott and Thomas Laub.
Significant Productions: Significant Productions is a motion picture production company founded by Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi which champions storytellers of color, proponents of authentic lenses, activists through film production, and mentors of unique voices.
Two Shakes Entertainment: Two Shakes Entertainment is a scripted and unscripted media production company founded by Damon Wayans Jr. and Kameron Tarlow.
Umbrelic Entertainment: Umbrelic Entertainment is a film and television production and financing company founded by Brian Katz and Thomas Zambeck.
Unrivaled: Unrivaled is a 3v3 professional women's basketball league, founded by U.S. Olympians Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart with six teams with five players each. This innovative league provides a platform for elite women's basketball talent.
Wayne & Mandie Creative: Wayne & Mandie Creative is a multimedia production company founded by TV host, comedian, actor, and singer Wayne Brady and his ex-wife and business partner Mandie Taketa.
Winter Coats Film: Winter Coasts Film is a film and television production company founded by Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon.
production company - Partnership
Promise Studios: Promise Studios, founded by Dave Clark, Jamie Byrne, and George Strompolos, produces original films, series, and new formats in collaboration with top GenAI artists, proven storytellers, and IP rights-holders.
Round Mound Media: Round Mound Media is a media production company founded by NBA vet Charles Barkley in partnership with EverWonder Studio to develop and produce documentaries, live telecasts, and scripted content.
linear tv network
Represents broadcast and cable networks founded or co-founded by people of color in a partnership or owning a minority or majority stake with a non-POC media company or investment firm.
Aspire: Aspire is a pay television channel founded by Magic Johnson, a subsidiary of Magic Johnson Enterprises, in partnership with NBCUniversal. It features reality series, specials, independent films, beloved dramas, contemporary comedies, and provocative documentaries targeting African Americans.
Bounce TV: Bounce TV is a digital multicast television network owned by Katz Broadcasting, a subsidiary of E. W. Scripps Company in partnership with Bounce Media, LLC co-founded by Martin Luther King III and Andrew Young. It features a mix of acquired series and feature films targeting African Americans.
Magnolia Network: Magnolia Network is a cable network co-founded by Chip and Joanna Gaines in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery. It broadcasts personality-based lifestyle programs related to topics such as home construction, renovation, and cuisine.
OWN: OWN is a cable network founded by Oprah Winfrey. It is jointly owned by Warner Bros. Discovery (95%) and Harpo Studios (5%). It features a mix of scripted and unscripted content.
Revolt: Revolt is a worker-owned digital cable television network led by Detavio Samuels in partnership with NBCUniversal. It features music, lifestyle, urban entertainment, and social justice programming.
Non-Linear TV Network
Represents streaming platforms founded and owned by two or more people of different racial backgrounds as well as media outlets they have now acquired and own.
Big3TV: Big3TV is a streaming platform founded by entertainer Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz. It is a subsidiary of Big3 that airs all Big3 games for domestic and international audiences.
Haystack News: Haystack News is a free, ad-supported streaming service for local, national, and international news videos available on Smart TVs, over-the-top platforms, and mobile apps. Daniel Barreto and Ish Harshawat founded it.
Non-Linear TV Network partnership
Represents streaming platforms founded by or co-founded with a person of color in a partnership or owning a minority or majority stake with a non-POC media company or investment firm.
Streaming platform
Allblk: Allblk is an over-the-top subscription video streaming service service, a subsidiary of RLJ Entertainment, a division of RLJ Companies operated by AMC Networks.
Acorn TV: Acorn TV is a subscription video streaming service, a subsidiary of RLJ Entertainment, a division of RLJ Companies offering television programming from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, other Commonwealth countries, Spain, and Mexico.
PlayersTV: PlayersTV is an athlete-owned and curated network and content provider founded by Deron Guidrey and Collin Castellaw.
Starzplay: Starzplay is an Arabic subscription video streaming service platform founded by Maaz Sheikh and Lionsgate. E-Vision and ADQ own a majority stake. The platform features content from 20 countries across the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan and content worldwide.
Watcher TV: Watcher TV is an over-the-top subscription video streaming platform (A subsidiary of Watcher Entertainment) that hosts all of WE’s video content.
fast channel
50 Cent Action: 50 Cent Action is a FAST channel founded by Curis Jackson in partnership with Lionsgate that features the Power television franchise and Lionsgate-owned action-based films and television series.
BET Tyler Perry Comedy: BET Tyler Perry Comedy is a FAST channel founded by Paramount Global and curated by Tyler Perry that features all of his comedy and dramedy television series for viewing by the general public via available via Roku, Pluto TV, Plex, TCL, and Amazon’s Freevee.
BET Tyler Perry Drama: BET Tyler Perry Drama is a FAST channel founded by Paramount Global and curated by Tyler Perry that features all of his dramatic television series for viewing by the general public via available via Roku, Pluto TV, Plex, TCL, and Amazon’s Freevee.
Ebony TV by Lionsgate: Ebony TV by Lionsgate is a FAST channel, a joint venture between Ebony Media Group and Lionsgate featuring licensed film and television content for and by African Americans.
content creator
Represents independent content creator platforms founded and entirely owned by two or more people of different racial backgrounds.
333 Media: 333 Media is a subsidiary of 3Point0 Labs and focuses on the production and growth of digital content. As well as the management of digital assets.
Boardroom: Boardroom is a media network that covers the business of sports, entertainment, and culture. It is a subsidiary of 35V and was founded by Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman. Boardroom also features a digital print platform for expanded coverage.
Breaking Points: Breaking Points is an independent video news platform founded by conservative Saagar Enjeti and leftist Krystal Ball. The platform features daily commentary and debates on social and political topics. The platform also features commentary from Conservative Emily Jashinsky and progressive Ryan Grim. In addition, the platform features guest interviews, panels, and political and social commentary.
For Your Amusement: For Your Amusement is a video and audio podcast (a subsidiary of Watcher Entertainment) that focuses on the world of theme parks.
Watcher: Watcher is a production studio (a subsidiary of Watcher Entertainment) focused on creating television-caliber, unscripted series in the digital space and features 15 subseries.
Pod Watcher: Pod Watcher is a video and audio podcast (a subsidiary of Watcher Entertainment) discussing a diverse array of topics.
gaming entities
Gaming & virtual reality entities founded by two or more people of different racial backgrounds.
Dr. Panda: Dr. Panda is a Chinese video game developer who creates educational applications for children on smartphones and tablets founded by Thijs Bosma and Yan Lin.
Mattel163: Mattel163 is a 50–50 joint venture between Mattel and NetEase founded by Amy Huang, aimed at developing and publishing online video games based on the former's intellectual properties.
Metatheory, Inc.: Metatheory, Inc. is a technology-driven entertainment company cofounded by Kevin Lin and David Barthwell which builds Web3 games, interactive multi-platform stories, and virtual world experiences imagined across innovative collective story franchise IPs.
R2Games: R2Games is a Chinese online game publisher specializing in free-to-play browser and mobile games founded by Jared Psigoda, Owen Luo, and Ben Chen.
Two Name Games: Two Name Games is a South African gaming studio founded by Tim Flusk, Kieran Reid, Kirsten Reid, and Vuk Vucetic to develop and grow the SA gaming industry.
Voidpet: Voidpet is a mobile game promoting mental health and self-care. It was founded by Ben Awad and Linda Chen.
Yodo1: Yodo1 is a Chinese mobile game publisher founded by co-founders Henry Fong and James LaLonde.
theater companies
Multiracial group-founded theater companies and troupes.
film festivals
Multiracial group-founded film festivals.
awards ceremonies
Multiracial group-focused awards ceremonies.
NAACP Image Awards: The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor POCs for outstanding performances in film, television, music, and literature.
NAMIC Awards: The National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications Awards is an annual American awards ceremony honoring people of color in scripted, reality, sports, and lifestyle media.
services & organizations
Two or more people of different racial backgrounds founded media organizations.
2AM: 2AM is a talent management and production company founded by Christine D’Souza Gelb, David Hinojosa and Kevin Rowe.
8 Lions Entertainment: 8 Lions Entertainment is a content-driven IP growth and development company founded by Jiella Esmat and Karine Ahton; that sources, develops, and grows media properties for kids and teens across multiple arenas.
Backdrop: Backdrop is an expense management platform for film, TV, commercials, and event productions founded by Akanksha Singh and Caitlin Short.
Big3 Big3 is a 3-on-3 player basketball league founded by entertainer Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz. The league consists of 12 teams whose rosters include both former NBA players and international players. The Big3 has a partnership with CBS, Triller, FITE TV, DAZN, and Vyre Network to air games. They also launched Big3TV on their platform and developed an associated YouTube channel featuring access to all games both domestically and internationally.
BIPOC Doc Editors: BIPOC Doc Editors is an organization dedicated to championing and linking non-white editors within the documentary sector to employment.
BIPOC TV and Film: BIPOC TV and Film is a community-centric non-profit organization advocating for racial equity and decent work practices in Canada’s screen media industry.
Center For Scholars & Storytellers: The Center For Scholars & Storytellers is a youth-centered organization that bridges the gap between social science research and media creation.
Color Congress: The Color Congress is an organization that provides resources, supports, connects, and champions nonfiction filmmakers, leaders, and audiences of color.
Colour Entertainment: Colour Entertainment is a non-profit organization dedicated to maximizing the potential of executives of color who work in the entertainment industry.
Firelight Media: Firelight Media is the premier destination for non-fiction cinema by and about communities of color.
Ghetto Film School: Ghetto Film School is a nonprofit founded in 2000 to educate, develop, and celebrate the next generation of great storytellers. With locations in New York City, Los Angeles, and London, GFS equips students for top universities and careers in the creative industries through two tracks: an introductory education program for high school students and early career support for alumni and young professionals.
Ghost Files Live: Ghost Files Live is an event from Watcher Entertainment focused on presenting a live version of their “Ghost Files” subseries from Watcher.
Patreon: Patreon is a monetization platform founded by Jack Conte and Sam Yam that provides business tools for content creators to run a subscription service and sell digital products. It helps artists and other creators earn a recurring income offering rewards and perks to their subscribers.
Range Media Partners: Range Media Partners is a talent and brand strategy agency Peter Micelli, Sandra Kang, Dave Bugliari, Mackenzie Condon Roussos, Rich Cook, Michael Cooper, Susie Fox, Rachel Kropa, Chelsea McKinnies, Lucinda Moorhead, Mick Sullivan, Byron Wetzel and Jack Whigham.
SMAC Entertainment: SMAC Entertainment is a talent management and content producer founded by Michael Strahan and Constance Schwartz-Morini.
Tarvus: Tarvus, a Phoenix model that generates talking head videos, complete with natural face movements and expressions accurately synchronized with the input.
Think Tank For Inclusion & Equity: Think Tank For Inclusion & Equity is an organization committed to increasing representation, inclusion, and improving working conditions for underrepresented TV writers.