Whalerock Industries Holding Company, LLC, commonly referred to as Whalerock Industries, is an American media and technology company. Based in
West Hollywood, Whalerock partners with public figures and brands to create, build and operate direct-to-consumer multi-media apps which integrate music, video, live streaming, e-commerce, and gaming. Whalerock's partners include
Sirius XM,
Howard Stern,
Warner Bros.,
Pottermore,
MTV,
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
,
CMT,
MSN,
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
, the
Kardashian/Jenner sisters, and
Tyler the Creator. The multi-media apps were described by ''Wired'' as "promising a new kind of interaction—one with more control (and money) for celebrities and more content (and exclusive allure) for super fans."
Whalerock also produces and develops content for film, television, and stage, and develops and operates emoji keyboards for
Kim Kardashian
Kimberly Noel Kardashian (born October 21, 1980) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the celebrity sex tape ...
(
Kimoji), the
Los Angeles Lakers, (''Showtime!'' Stickers),
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American former comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer.
She began her career in stand-up comedy in the early 1980s, gaining national attention with a 1986 appearance on '' ...
(''Emoji Exploji''), and the
NFL Players Association (''Any Given Emoji'').
History
Whalerock Industries was founded in January 2014 by
Lloyd Braun, previously the president of
Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, the chairman of the
ABC Entertainment Group, and the head of the
Yahoo! Media Group. In 2005, he predicted that celebrities would become "more directly in contact with their fans, and that "instead of watching them through a cable box, you could see them on the Web and interact with them more." ''
The Street'' wrote in 2015 that Braun was doing "exactly" that, "but using mobile and over-the-top distribution over the Internet without traditional networks, cable TV, or even major social networking sites."
Braun founded Whalerock Industries following his buyout of
BermanBraun, a media production company he co-founded with
Gail Berman. In 2015, the investment firm GF Capital acquired a minority stake in the company, MGM renewed its existing TV and film deal with Whalerock, and launched the direct-to-consumer over-the-top media hubs were launched.
In 2016, the investment company
Insight Venture Partners acquired a minority stake in the company.
In September 2018,
RockYou acquired Mom.me and
Purple Clover from Whalerock Industries for an undisclosed amount.
Properties
Film and television
* ''
Nuts + Bolts'' (television)
* ''
Battlebots'' (television)
* ''
The Jellies!'' (television)
* ''
The Addams Family'' (film)
Digital
*
Tested
*
Khloe Kardashian
*
Kylie Jenner
*
Kimoji
Wonderwall
References
External links
* {{official website, http://www.whalerockindustries.com
Television production companies of the United States
Film production companies of the United States
Companies based in Los Angeles
Technology companies based in Greater Los Angeles
2014 establishments in California
American companies established in 2014
Mass media companies established in 2014
Technology companies established in 2014