Fox Corporation acquired Red Seat Ventures, a leading business in the creator economy that powers talent across a range of genres as they build their direct-to-consumer media businesses. Red Seat Ventures will operate as a standalone entity within FOX's Tubi Media Group. Paul Cheesbrough, CEO of Tubi Media Group, assumes the role of Chairman, Red Seat Ventures. Across their 17 creator-led shows, Red Seat Ventures properties cumulatively drove over 200 million monthly active views in November 2024 and exists as a Top 10 podcast network in the US in terms of scale and reach.
The Red Seat Ventures executive team, led by founding partners Chris Balfe and Kevin Balfe, will continue to lead and operate the business."The creator economy is one of the fastest growing media categories worldwide by measure of reach and influence, and consumers are increasingly looking to get their information, insights and entertainment directly from the voices and brands they trust across these platforms," said Paul Cheesbrough, CEO, Tubi Media Group. "Working with two outstanding entrepreneurs like Chris and Kevin, we see tremendous opportunities to drive additional scale in genres such as sports, news and entertainment and look forward to supporting the continued growth of this business."
From podcasts to video, subscription products and live events, such as the wholly owned CrimeCon, Red Seat Ventures has an unmatched track record of successfully partnering with some of the biggest brands and personalities to operate and expand their cross-platform direct to consumer presence."From the beginning, Red Seat Ventures has had the opportunity to work with some of the most influential creators in the world to grow their new media businesses and develop their personal brands," said Chris Balfe, CEO, Red Seat Ventures. "In aligning with FOX, we will be able to build upon that investment and expand the services we provide to our creators, while continuing to maintain the independence and integrity of their brands, which is truly the best case scenario."