Dropout (stylized as Dropout.tv, DROPOUT, or :DROPOUT) is an American subscription media service provider developed and operated by CH Media. It was founded in September 2018 and provides advertisement-free access to uncensored original shows, chat stories, comics, and a

Discord Discord is a VoIP and instant messaging social platform. Users have the ability to communicate with voice calls, video calls, text messaging, media and files in private chats or as part of communities called "servers".The developer documenta ...

server for fans.

History

In early September 2018, CollegeHumor began teasing the beginning of a new subscription service, putting hidden keyword clues on their website and in their videos. Entering these keywords to a website owned by CollegeHumor allowed users to see clips of videos, audio, and images that implied the beginning of a new CollegeHumor project. On September 26, 2018, Dropout officially launched in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

. CH Media's CEO, Rich Cusick, announced the service as a "TV-MA version of CollegeHumor", allowing fans to dive deeper into pre-established characters and shows from the primary CollegeHumor

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...

channel. CollegeHumor's Chief Creative Officer,

Sam Reich Sam Reich ( ; born July 22, 1984) is an American CEO, businessman, and game show host. He is best known for his work with CollegeHumor (which as of 2020, he majority owns), the TV show ''Adam Ruins Everything'', as well as hosting the web series ...

, also claims that the founding of Dropout was in response to difficulty in receiving advertising dollars on traditional media platforms for mature content. Dropout officially launched native

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...

and Android apps for its service in December 2018, allowing users to watch shows and also cast to smart TVs. Comics, especially the chat stories, were integrated into the app. As of December 2018, visitors to the service spent on average 31 minutes per visit, and visited on average 3.5 times per week. Throughout 2019, Dropout began to experiment with more live streaming versions of their shows, through using

Twitch Twitch may refer to: Biology * Muscle contraction ** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation ** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction ** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle co ...

and podcast-like formats. After IAC had let go of CollegeHumor in 2020, Dropout ended production on scripted shows and focused on unscripted shows such as ''Um Actually, Dimension 20'' and ''Game Changer'' through online confrence.

Subscription model

Dropout launched with a beta price of $3.99 per month, for the first three months of the service. After December 2018, the price rose to a three tiered option, with monthly memberships for $5.99/month, semi-annual memberships for $4.99/month, and annual memberships for $3.99/month. As of January 4th 2022, new subscribers paid $5.99 monthly or $59.99 yearly, while those who already subscribed prior to that date were charged $4.99 monthly or $47.99 yearly. Users are also able to access Dropout content through YouTube via the join function.The company has justified the pricing model as allowing them to create content without being dependent on, or beholden to, requests from advertisers. In August 2019, CollegeHumor also began to partner with

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin ...

to offer Dropout content via paid video subscriptions on Facebook's platform.

Services

In addition to viewing exclusive original series, subscription to Dropout allows users to view all other videos produced by CollegeHumor 72 hours before they are released to the public. There is also access to an exclusive

server where subscribers are allowed to chat with cast members and producers of the shows. Dropout also has a store which sells merchandise (such as shirts, stickers, and mugs) related to shows on the platform.

Original shows

Dropout planned to release a new original title per month in 2019, according to Sam Reich.

References

External links

Official website
{{CollegeHumor IAC (company) Streaming media systems Subscription video on demand services CollegeHumor