Steven Bartlett’s creator holding company Steven.com has partnered with global brand and entertainment platform Authentic to launch OBSN, a new venture targeting creator-led media companies and consumer brands.
The partners said they aim to deploy up to $400m into creator businesses over the coming years, combining Steven.com’s media, technology and audience-growth capabilities with Authentic’s experience in areas including brand development, products, licensing, strategic partnerships and international distribution.
OBSN, short for Obsession, will tailor its involvement to individual creators, potentially supporting the expansion of media operations, product development, licensing, investment and international growth. The venture will also operate a creator economy media and live-events business offering news and analysis. Its existing Instagram account has more than one million followers, with plans to expand into additional content formats, channels, festivals and awards.
Steven.com’s portfolio includes Bartlett’s podcast and video brand The Diary Of A CEO, alongside businesses including FlightStory, FlightCast and FlightFund. Authentic owns or invests in more than 50 brands and intellectual properties, including Reebok, Champion, Sports Illustrated, David Beckham, Kevin Hart, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe. The company works with more than 1,700 licensees and strategic partners across 150 countries.
“The next generation of global media companies and consumer brands will be built around creators. But a global audience of millions is not yet a company, and it certainly should not be the ceiling of a creator’s potential,” said Steven Bartlett, founder of Steven.com. “Steven.com understands how to build media and audiences around creators, and Authentic understands how to build and extend brands around the world. OBSN brings those capabilities together so ambitious creators can reach the full scale of their ambition. We are aiming to deploy up to $400m in creator businesses over the coming years, OBSN is at the heart of that strategy.”
Matt Maddox, president and CEO of Authentic, said: “Creators are redefining media and shaping the future of entertainment, with many poised to become multigenerational brands in their own right. We are excited to partner with Steven Bartlett and his exceptional team to launch OBSN and create a powerful new model for creators and their businesses. By combining our complementary capabilities, we will identify, invest in and scale creator-led IP – capitalising on a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strategically deploy hundreds of millions of dollars across the creator economy and build the brands of tomorrow.”
