MONTREAL, Jan. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Despite industry headwinds, privately-held YouTube powerhouse WatchMojo reported a remarkable 7th straight year of profitability. The company's rapid publishing model efficiently created nearly 5,000 original videos across multiple platforms in 2018 - expanding their YouTube library alone to 20,000+ original videos. This did not include the nearly 7,000 translated and reformatted videos distributed on its network of over 30 global channels across YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and other OTT platforms.
Since launching its first YouTube channel just over ten years ago, WatchMojo has built one of the biggest audiences on the platform: 30 million subscribers and a reach of 110 million unique viewers. Combined with its success on Snapchat, Facebook and other social platforms, the company's production, curation, publishing and distribution strategy helped grow its audience to 150 million monthly unique viewers globally.
Lessons of Leadership
WatchMojo used its YouTube expertise to launch on Snapchat in August 2018, and rapidly amassed over 1 million subscribers and 27 million unique viewers by the end of the year. Founder and CEO Ashkan Karbasfrooshan attributed the company's success to a consistent and experienced team: "We are humbled and grateful to be able to continue to grow and tap new platforms in this environment, despite the challenges facing digital media companies in 2019." He added: "We have been at this a long time, with a team that understands video content creation and social platform video distribution like no other. We are a digital video machine thanks to our passionate community."
Strength in Numbers
Now in its 13 year, WatchMojo recognized the shift in storytelling to video format early on; it embraced YouTube, and capitalized on short mobile format. The Montreal-based production company has consistently experimented with multiple distribution channels, video formats and production models. In 2012, the company made the strategic decision to focus on its Top 10 countdown format that has now become the dominant entertainment format for Gen Z "superfan" audiences. WatchMojo is synonymous with pop culture Top 10 lists, with over 70% of its audience consisting of young male millennials who rack up 300 million video views and nearly 2 billion minutes of watch time each month on YouTube. On this video platform alone, WatchMojo grew its view count to over 14 billion, its global subscriber base to 30 million.
The privately-held company has eschewed venture capital, and has grown organically at a time when media companies have scrambled for funding as they pivot to video.
New Horizons
WatchMojo is also succeeding with new audiences and broader genres. The company's female demo-oriented channel MsMojo has garnered over 2 million subscribers, while recently launched channels in travel (MojoTravels) and video gaming (MojoPlays) have enjoyed strong viewership and solid subscriber growth. It has also launched a youth-oriented programming channel (JrMojo) to develop child-safe programming that stands out in an environment that has given parents and educators pause.
Going forward in 2019, the company plans continued investment in initiatives focusing on video gaming, lifestyle programming and OTT distribution, along with a Gen Z-targeted channel focused on entrepreneurship, slated for launch in the first half of the year.
About WatchMojo
With a mission to inform and entertain global audiences, WatchMojo's vision is to become the most admired media company in the world.
WatchMojo owns and operates one of the 25 largest channels of all time on YouTube. The company's Top 10 lists have become a pop culture phenomenon. Since 2006, audiences have devoted 79 billion minutes watching its library of 20,000 original pop culture and infotainment videos 14 billion times. As one of the most successful media brands ever built on YouTube, its portfolio of owned-and-operated channel brands serve over 30 million subscribers. Its impassioned community of superfans spend well over 1 billion minutes of organic engagement, watching 300 million videos on a monthly basis. Since 2013, WatchMojo has remained in the upper echelons of popular YouTube channels. Successfully diversifying into multiple formats, platforms, markets and languages, it has rapidly grown audiences on Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat, while building on its North American goodwill by becoming a leader in Latin America, Europe & Asia as well.
The company employs 75+ full-time employees in Montreal, New York City, Los Angeles and London. It has never raised financing and has been profitable since 2012.
SOURCE WatchMojo
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