You’d be hard pressed to find an industry more impactful than the media industry. Whether it’s the Academy Award-winning films we see in theaters or the popcorn ads that play before the trailers, the marks of the media industry on our daily lives can be seen nearly everywhere we go. But as people’s tastes change and things go in and out of style, media professionals have to be willing to test new waters to keep up with their audiences.
The past few decades have witnessed the rise of digital media, and as more and more people turn to their phones and computers for entertainment, digital media companies have been able to innovate entirely new ways for us to get the content we love. With just the click of a button, audiences can instantly access their favorite shows, games and news from nearly everywhere in the world, shortening the gaps between creation and distribution and forming a tighter network of viewers across the globe. From video games to social media apps, digital media continues to be a driving force not only in the market, but in our culture — and given that over 96 percent of Americans own a smartphone of some kind, the influence of digital media seems to show no signs of slowing down. Take a look at these 15 digital media companies leaving their mark on the world.
Digital Media Companies To Know
- Crunchyroll
- Snap
- Medium
- The Athletic
- Discovery Digital Media
- Influence Mobile
- Hulu
- HBO
CRUNCHYROLL
Headquarters: San Francisco
Founded: 2006
What they do: Crunchyroll is a digital media company specifically focusing on anime, manga and adjacent content genres, providing a one-stop platform for streaming anime shows and movies. In addition to video content, Crunchyroll also offers their fans manga-related news content, digital games and the opportunity to attend hosted conventions and other events. Crunchyroll is a part of the greater network of WarnerMedia companies and boasts a community of fans and team members spanning over 200 countries.
SNAP
Headquarters: San Francisco
Founded: 2011
What they do: Snap’s team aims to combine digital photography with social media in a way that empowers connection and creative collaboration amongst their users and fans. Under the company’s brand umbrella are prolific mobile products like Bitmoji, Spectacles and Snapchat, and they continue to innovate in the digital photography and social media spaces with app features like AR camera technology, dynamic lenses, and monetization options for businesses.
MEDIUM
Headquarters: San Francisco
Founded: 2007
What they do: Medium is disrupting the digital publishing industry by providing a web platform through which writers and subscribers can publish their own content for wide distribution without having to go through the pitching process. Their ad-free platform aims to highlight work from journalists and writers without distraction, while their Medium Partner Program offers writers the opportunity to earn money from their article views and get paid monthly for their work.
THE ATHLETIC
Headquarters: San Francisco
Founded: 2016
What they do: The Athletic is a one-stop platform for international sports-related media content, covering 47 United States markets in addition to Brazil, the U.K. and a number of other countries. Their ad-free model allows users the option to subscribe to the site and receive uninterrupted, high-quality coverage of the NFL, MLB, NBA and other sports organizations.
DISCOVERY DIGITAL MEDIA
Headquarters: Seattle
Founded: 1985
What they do: Discovery Digital Media is the digital content arm of the Discovery Network brand, delivering engaging digital resources so viewers can connect with the company’s many cable programs through the web. Their aim is to create a more immersive experience for fans that goes beyond nightly TV shows, and their expert tech team helps engineer web docs, digital events and VR content to connect with viewers on a deeper level.
INFLUENCE MOBILE
Headquarters: Seattle
Founded: 2012
What they do: Influence Mobile is a startup-sized app developer primarily focused on delivering app experiences for sports fans that reward them for their engagement. Their platforms provide users with sports scores, rosters and more, keeping them updated on the latest news from their favorite teams or sports while offering the chance to win licensed gear and gift cards for participating in trivia contests and other events.
HULU
Headquarters: Seattle
Founded: 2007
What they do: Hulu is a digital streaming service that allows subscribers the option to watch on-demand content and stay up-to-date on live shows while they’re on the air. Their multi-tiered subscription model allows users the opportunity to view content at their preferred price range, offering the option to go completely ad-free at higher tiers. Their portfolio of shows and movies covers nearly every genre imaginable, from reality TV and sitcoms to Academy Award-nominated films.
HBO
Headquarters: Seattle
Founded: 2012
What they do: HBO is an internationally recognizable brand and television network, operating both cable video content and a subscription-based streaming service in over 150 countries across the globe. HBO’s creative team partners with innovative filmmakers and directors to produce new content with HBO’s distinctive trademarks, and their strategy of offering both 24-hour TV networks and on-demand content streaming has helped them become a household name.
ANIMOTO
Headquarters: New York
Founded: 2006
What they do: Video content is increasingly becoming an essential resource for digital marketing, and Animoto aims to empower creators and brands to take charge of their brand strategies by providing a platform with which users can easily create visually engaging video content. Their partnerships with leading social media brands like Instagram and Twitter helps Animoto provide the latest insights on the social media world to their clients and gives them the power to engineer relevant and powerful tools that their customers can use to succeed in the world of web marketing.
DAILYMOTION
Headquarters: New York
Founded: 2005
What they do: Dailymotion offers an alternative model for video streaming that relies on algorithmic data and intelligent technology to discern each user’s tastes and interests, directing them toward news content and digital entertainment tailored to their needs. Delivering content to over 250 million viewers across the world, Dailymotion maintains an international network of offices and markets spanning the United States, Europe and Singapore.
BLISS POINT MEDIA
Headquarters: New York
Founded: 2014
What they do: Bliss Point Media helps companies leverage digital media content for use in their advertising and marketing initiatives, providing them with data science and analytical tools to build effective content strategies. Their core service branches cover television and streaming, and through a combination of consulting and digital tools, Bliss Point Media empowers their clients to take advantage of streaming and cable to build scalable and effective campaigns that attract new and loyal fans.
VIANT
Headquarters: Los Angeles
Founded: 1999
What they do: Viant specializes in helping digital media companies and ad buyers fine-tune their operations, offering a cloud-based platform through which their clients can track the effectiveness of their ad strategy. Companies that use Viant’s proprietary technologies gain access to attributes from over 12,000 audience members, and their platform enables users to purchase ad space across web, mobile and a variety of other platforms.
MEDIACOM
Headquarters: Los Angeles
Founded: 1986
What they do: Digital media content is one of the most powerful ways today’s brands can build a loyal audience, and MediaCom aims to help companies leverage powerful media tools to further their goals and establish their unique brand voices. With industry leaders like Coca Cola and Sony as members of their client base, MediaCom has spent the last three decades developing impactful video advertising content for global brands and has been recognized with awards from Adweek, WARC Media, Cannes Lions and other organizations.
LEAF GROUP
Headquarters: Los Angeles
Founded: 2016
What they do: With influential brands like Livestrong and Saatchi Art under their tool belt, Leaf Group leverages digital web technology to empower content creators to craft their own brands and break into the fitness and art industries. Leaf Group’s brands have been featured in outlets like The New York Times and Buzzfeed, and through their platform, dozens of brands have been able to pursue sponsorship opportunities, advertising strategies and other opportunities for audience growth.
PLUTO TV
Headquarters: Los Angeles
Founded: 2013
What they do: Pluto TV aims to democratize television streaming, and they’re doing so by offering a platform where viewers can watch over 100 channels of film and video content at no cost. With a community of over 20 million viewers and 170 content partners, Pluto TV offers their customers a vast portfolio of Internet content, movies and TV shows all for free, with the ability to stream on any device. Pluto TV’s home bases are in West Hollywood, but the company has additional U.S. locations in New York, Silicon Valley and Chicago, as well as an international satellite office in Berlin.