Nebula
Type of site
Video on demand
Available inEnglish
FoundedMay 23, 2019; 4 years ago (2019-05-23)
Headquarters
United States
Area servedWorldwide
OwnersStandard Broadcast LLC; Curiosity Stream has minority stake
Founder(s)Dave Wiskus
CEODave Wiskus
Total equity$50+ million
URLnebula.tv
RegistrationSubscription required to access entire library.
Users650,000 (November 2022)
Current statusActive

Nebula is a video-on-demand streaming service provider. Launched by the Standard Broadcast content management agency in 2019 to complement its creators' other distribution channels (primarily YouTube),[1][2] the platform has since accumulated over 650,000 subscribers,[3] making it the largest creator-owned internet streaming platform.[4][failed verification][5]

History

Dave Wiskus and various creators established Standard Broadcast LLC as a creator-owned alternative to multi-channel networks, assisting its members in the content management and marketing aspects of the creator economy.[1] Originating from Standard creator community discussions on means of diminishing reliance to dominant platforms such as YouTube, Nebula launched on 23 May 2019 with 75 creators.[2] The platform has since accumulated over 650,000 subscribers and 175 creators who collectively have over 120 million YouTube subscribers.[3][5]

In September 2021 Curiosity Stream acquired a minority stake in Nebula, valuing the company at over $50 million. Nebula subsequently collaborated with Curiosity Stream to promote a bundle subscription for both streaming services.[5] In 2022 Nebula expanded its Nebula Originals catalog, launching Nebula Classes in May for paid online courses and Nebula First in October for early access to videos that are later released on other platforms.[6][7] In November 2023 the platform announced that it would no longer be bundled with Curiosity Stream subscriptions in 2024, with subscribers to the latter needing to subscribe separately to Nebula upon renewal to retain access.[8]

Programming

Creators releasing content on Nebula include Jordan Harrod, Hbomberguy, Lindsay Ellis, LegalEagle, MinutePhysics, Extra Credits, Adam Neely, Johnny Harris, Rene Ritchie, Not Just Bikes, Abigail Thorn, RealLifeLore, Real Engineering, and Sam Denby.[9]

Some video essayists have published content on Nebula that may be censored or removed on YouTube, such as Maggie Mae Fish's Unrated and Broey Deschanel's Taboo on Screen, both of which cover sexuality in film.[10]

Nebula funded an Off West End play, The Prince (2022), by Abigail Thorn. It broke even through ticket sales before opening night. After performances at the Southwark Playhouse in September and October 2022, a recording of the play was released in February 2023, with a remastered version following later in the year.[11][12][13][14] The play received awards from The Offies and BroadwayWorld.[15][16] In November 2023 Wiskus said Nebula is working towards becoming a Netflix competitor instead of a YouTube competitor, with Thorn's short film Dracula's Ex-Girlfriend set to be released exclusively on Nebula.[17]

Standard distributes half of the platform's subscription profits to creators based on watch time.[18] A portion of the company's revenue is spent on its other subsidiary, Standard Studios, an in-house production company that assists creators with production, editing, and graphics for both Nebula Originals and cross-platform videos.[19] Creators can sell merchandise through the website.[20]

Reception

Nebula received nominations for the "Best Influencer Campaign" in the 10th and 12th Annual Streamy Awards as well as "Best Creator Product" in the 11th Annual Streamy Awards.[21][22][23] In 2023, Sight and Sound's video essay poll received nine Nebula nominations across seven unique videos. Three of the videos were published simultaneously to YouTube, three were published later, and one had a shorter version published on YouTube.[10]

In a 2022 review for PCMag, Jordan Minor said its basic tier was better value than YouTube Premium but its classes worse value than MasterClass. Minor praised the interface, including accessibility features and VPN compatibility, though he critiqued the lack of age ratings or controls. Minor praised the creator-owned nature of Nebula, but said its limited exclusive content was a limitation.[20]

In March 2024, FastCompany named Nebula one of the most innovative companies in video.[24]

References

  1. ^ a b Patel, Nilay (17 May 2022). "The videos that don't work on YouTube and the future of the creator business with Nebula CEO Dave Wiskus". The Verge. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b Hale, James (10 June 2019). "Creators Can't Always Take Risks With Their Content. That's Why YouTuber Community Standard Built Nebula — A Platform For Its Creators To Experiment". TubeFilter. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b Wiskus, Dave (8 November 2023). "Six Hundred Thousand". Nebula.tv. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  4. ^ Molloy, David (6 March 2021). "Why popular YouTubers are building their own sites". BBC.com. BBC. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "Curiosity Invests in Nebula, World's Largest Creator-Owned Streaming Platform". BusinessWire. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Creator Streaming Service Nebula Pushes Into Online Classes". Business Insider. Insider Inc. 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  7. ^ Wiskus, Dave (31 October 2022). "Nebula First". Nebula Blog. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  8. ^ Wiskus, Dave (6 November 2023). "An update on the Curiosity Stream bundle". Reddit. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Creators". Nebula. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  10. ^ a b Meadows, Queline; Trocan, Irina; Webb, Will (19 December 2023). "The best video essays of 2023". Sight and Sound. British Film Institute. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  11. ^ Burrows, Joel (11 January 2024). "From YouTube to Hollywood: How Abigail Thorn Is Changing the Film Industry". The Latch. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  12. ^ Thomas, Sophie (1 August 2022). "Shakespeare-inspired play 'The Prince' to open at Southwark Playhouse". London Theatre. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  13. ^ THE PRINCE Official Trailer (2023), retrieved 14 March 2024
  14. ^ Wiskus, Dave (24 April 2023). "The Prince: Special Edition". Nebula Blog. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Abigail Thorn #Offies 2022 #NewNoms: ONEOFF Special Award". The Offies. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  16. ^ "Winners Announced for The 2022 BroadwayWorld UK / West End Awards; MOULIN ROUGE Wins Best Musical!". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  17. ^ "'Jennifer's Body' Meets 'Euphoria' Short Film 'Dracula's Ex-Girlfriend' Starring YouTuber Abigail Thorn Set at Nebula (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  18. ^ "FAQ". WatchNebula. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  19. ^ Hale, James (22 February 2021). "Creator Community Standard Launches In-House Studio Offering Production Resources To All Digital Creators". TubeFilter. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  20. ^ a b Minor, Jordan (6 October 2022). "Nebula Review". PCMAG. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  21. ^ "10TH ANNUAL NOMINEES & WINNERS – The Streamy Awards". Streamys.org. Streamy Awards. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  22. ^ "12TH ANNUAL NOMINEES & WINNERS – The Streamy Awards". Streamys.org. Streamy Awards. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  23. ^ "11TH ANNUAL NOMINEES & WINNERS – The Streamy Awards". Streamys.org. Streamy Awards. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  24. ^ "This video service drives subscriptions for creators while giving them YouTube's reach". FastCompany. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.

External links

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