OZY Media

What OZY Media does

OZY Media was a multi-platform news and entertainment company founded in 2012 by Carlos Watson, headquartered in Mountain View, California. The company operated across five content surfaces — a digital magazine (OZY.com), premium television programming (14 shows across 9 networks), original podcasts (10 titles), email newsletters (5 leading publications), and live events (OZY Fest, an annual 'TED meets Coachella' festival). Its editorial positioning centered on profiling 'the new and the next' — emerging trends and personalities before mainstream recognition — backed by a global freelance network of more than 500 journalists across 100+ countries.

OZY monetized primarily through advertising and brand partnerships. The company signed more than $200M in advertising deals with Fortune 500 advertisers including Coca-Cola, Target, Walmart, Pepsi, and worked with holding companies WPP and Dentsu for agency relationships. Distribution partnerships with PBS, Amazon, Hulu, OWN, BBC, A+E, Lifetime, History Channel, and iHeartMedia provided platform reach; B2B branded content was delivered through the 'Future of X' podcast franchise sponsored by Smartsheet, Vital Farms, PSJH, and Ford. Awards and recognition included a 2020 Emmy for 'Black Women OWN the Conversation' and a Webby nomination for 'The Thread' podcast.

According to OZY's own website, the company was forced to shut down following a 2021 New York Times article by Ben Smith, which triggered mass departures of team, investors, and partners. In 2023, Carlos Watson and OZY were indicted by Brooklyn prosecutors, with the company's legal team alleging racial targeting in the prosecution. As of the most recent data, OZY Media, Inc. operates only as a curated archive of prior content.

Name

OZY Media

Legal name

Ozy Media USA, Inc.

Website

https://ozy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

OZY Media was a multi-platform news and entertainment company (founded 2012, Mountain View, CA) that produced premium digital, TV, podcast, newsletter, and live event content profiling emerging trends and personalities, monetized via advertising with Fortune 500 brands and distribution partnerships with major networks. The company was forced to shut down following a 2021 New York Times article.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Media and Entertainment

akta.pro primary industry

Content Aggregators & Syndication Networks (Multi-Program Bundlers) (MPABAMAJ)

Keywords

• Digital news media
• Multi-platform entertainment
• Premium podcast production
• Television programming
• Email newsletters

Headquarters

HQ city

Mountain View

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Advertising: OZY generated revenue through advertising partnerships with Fortune 500 companies including more than 30 advertisers such as Coke, Target, Walmart, Pepsi, Moog, Jasport, and Elektron. The company signed more than $200M in advertising deals. Revenue also came from ad agency partnerships with WPP and Dentsu.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

OZY Media was a multi-platform news and entertainment company producing original content across a digital magazine (OZY.com), 14 premium television shows distributed via major networks (PBS, Amazon, Hulu, OWN, A+E, Lifetime, History Channel), 10 original podcasts (including The Thread and Future of X series), 5 email newsletters, the annual OZY Fest live event, and the OZY Genius Awards program. Content was offered free to consumers, with revenue generated through advertising, brand sponsorships, and content distribution partnerships with leading media networks.

Product overview

OZY Media was a multi-platform news and entertainment company operating across 14 premium television shows, 10 original podcasts, 5 newsletters, festival events, and award programs. The core product was OZY.com, a digital magazine focused on profiling emerging trends and personalities before they became mainstream. The television portfolio included shows across major networks (PBS, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, OWN, Lifetime, A+E, HISTORY, YouTube) such as The Contenders, Third Rail with OZY, Breaking Big, Black Women OWN the Conversation (Emmy-winning), Defining Moments, The Carlos Watson Show, and festival events like OZY Fest ('TED meets Coachella'). The podcast network featured titles including The Thread (Apple Top Ten), When Katty Met Carlos (BBC co-production), Future of X franchise (Health, Work, Farming, Mobility), Flashback, and The Carlos Watson Show. Newsletter offerings included Daily Dose, Whiskey in Your Coffee, Presidential Daily Briefing, The Weekender, Sunday Magazine, and Guest Editors. The company also operated the OZY Genius Awards for college entrepreneurs and launched Too Black for Business initiative addressing racial barriers in entrepreneurship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OZY.com Digital Magazine Digital news and entertainment platform profiling "the new and the next" in politics, business, foreign and national affairs, technology, arts and culture. Reached 20 million monthly unique users and 1.5 million newsletter subscribers.
• The Contenders PBS documentary series exploring presidential candidates throughout American history, examining what made certain contenders unique and worthy of America's highest office.
• Third Rail with OZY Half-hour cross-platform debate show from WGBH Boston's Studio Six, hosted by Carlos Watson, exploring provocative questions debated by expert and celebrity guests in front of a live studio audience.
• Breaking Big Documentary series where influential artists, innovators, athletes and leaders recount their most difficult, dramatic and serendipitous turning points to Carlos Watson. Distributed on PBS and Amazon Prime Video.
• Take on America Groundbreaking town hall series traveling across the U.S. to confront pressing issues by exploring diversity of opinions among groups often pigeonholed for voting as a bloc.
• Black Women OWN the Conversation Partnership with OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) presenting discussions with Black women from all walks of life on topics rarely discussed openly—love, beauty, mental health, personal finance, religion—featuring 100 real women plus celebrity guests and experts. Won an Emmy Award in 2020.
• Defining Moments with OZY Hulu documentary series featuring in-depth interviews with inspiring, groundbreaking people getting raw and vulnerable about their path to success and how they overcame adversity.
• The Carlos Watson Show Talk show featuring meaningful conversations with game-changers and change-makers, hosted by Emmy-winning journalist and OZY co-founder Carlos Watson, interviewing guests from President Obama to Bill Gates and Heidi Klum. Distributed via Amazon Prime Video and YouTube.
• Real Talk Real Change Special episode of The Carlos Watson Show in partnership with Chevrolet, taking on toughest questions about the American Dream with leaders including Jalen Rose, Eddie Glaude Jr., Bill Gates, and Malcolm Gladwell.
• Voices Magnified A+E Networks cross-platform campaign spotlighting voices making changes in communities, with specials focusing on mental health in America in partnership with OZY.
• Torn from Her Arms Lifetime film based on true story covered by OZY editorial, depicting mother and daughter separated at U.S. border under Zero Tolerance Policy and their journey to reunite.
• The Campaigns that Made History Two-hour HISTORY Channel special exploring unexpected twists and turns that highlighted presidential politics over the last half-century.
• The Time Is Now: Race and Resolution A+E Networks special in partnership with OZY addressing race and social reform following the death of George Floyd.
• The Thread Podcast Apple Top Ten, Webby-nominated podcast exploring history's interlocking lives and events, turning back the clock one story at a time to discover how various strands create historic figures, big ideas or tragedies. Created by Sean Braswell.
• When Katty Met Carlos BBC World Service and OZY Media co-production presented by Katty Kay and Carlos Watson, examining issues reshaping America's future—from Covid-19 to race, economy, and more.
• The Carlos Watson Show Podcast Podcast featuring conversations with game-changers and change-makers hosted by Emmy-winning journalist Carlos Watson, interviewing presidents, celebrities, and thought leaders.
• Future of X: Health Five-part series in partnership with PSJH exploring healthcare in 2069, from chronic diseases we don't yet recognize to a world without hospitals.
• Future of X: Work Series in partnership with Smartsheet exploring how AI will enhance productivity and how automation could unlock greater human achievement in the workplace.
• Future of X: Farming Podcast series in partnership with Vital Farms investigating the future of farming, from how data will revolutionize agriculture to solutions for food insecurity and climate change.
• Future of X: Mobility Series exploring industries and domains that will shape our world over the next 50 years, examining mobility and transportation futures.
• Flashback Podcast Series of stories about disastrous turning points, dangerous ideas, crazy coincidences, unsung heroes and forgotten villains, created by Sean Braswell of The Thread.
• The Food That Built America Podcast HISTORY Channel podcast based on the documentary series, telling true stories of food industry titans like Henry Heinz, Milton Hershey, the Kellogg brothers and Ray Kroc.
• Take On America Podcast Series where Emmy Award-winning journalist Carlos Watson travels the country for provocative discussions on pressing issues affecting Americans of all backgrounds.
• Daily Dose Newsletter Daily newsletter providing fresh stories and bold ideas that vault readers ahead of the traditional news cycle.
• Whiskey in Your Coffee Newsletter Flagship morning newsletter with a twist, helping readers catch up and vault ahead with the latest news.
• Presidential Daily Briefing Newsletter Morning dossier on the most important world news, rounded off with intriguing and offbeat stories.
• The Weekender Newsletter Weekend recommendations from OZY Tribe members featuring the best things to listen to, drink, cook, read, download or watch.
• Sunday Magazine Newsletter Weekly must-read features exploring the world with a gorgeous cover every weekend.
• Guest Editors Newsletter Newsletter featuring guest curators sharing what they consider the most important and intriguing stories of the day.
• OZY Fest Annual music and ideas festival combining insightful thought leadership, comedy, food, and music, positioned as 'TED meets Coachella'; held in NYC Central Park (2016-2019) and virtually (2021). Featured speakers including Malcolm Gladwell, Hillary Clinton, John Legend, and Trevor Noah.
• OZY Genius Awards Award program finding and supporting the next generation of thought leaders, presenting up to $10,000 to college students pursuing big ideas; included Amanda Gorman among winners before her presidential inauguration performance.
• Too Black for Business Platform launched to shed light on systemic racial barriers faced by Black and Brown entrepreneurs in business startups and funding endeavors.
• Sneaker Fiends Five-part YouTube docuseries hosted by 'kickfluencer' The Notorious K.I.A. examining sneaker culture and the women pushing it forward.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20 million monthly unique users and 1.5 million subscribers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• PBScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOZY expanded to TV with its first primetime series 'The Contenders' on PBS, which also aired globally on BBC. Later shows included 'Breaking Big', 'Take on America', and 'Third Rail with OZY'.
• BBCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBC co-produced 'When Katty Met Carlos' with OZY Media, presented by BBC's Katty Kay and OZY co-founder Carlos Watson. Also distributed 'The Contenders' internationally.
• HulucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOZY partnered with Hulu for original programming including 'Defining Moments' exclusively on Hulu, featuring in-depth interviews with public figures.
• AmazoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmazon distributed OZY shows including 'Breaking Big' and 'The Carlos Watson Show' via Prime Video.
• OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOZY partnered with Oprah Winfrey Network for 'Black Women OWN the Conversation' which won an Emmy award. The show featured 100 real women plus celebrity guests and experts discussing topics rarely discussed publicly.
• A+E NetworkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOZY partnered with A+E Networks for shows including 'The Time Is Now: Race and Resolution' following George Floyd's death, and 'Voices Magnified' focusing on mental health in America.
• iHeartMediamajorStrategic or Co-development PartneriHeartMedia and OZY announced a new multi-year deal in 2020 to co-produce new iHeartRadio Original Podcasts including The Thread and other shows.
• WPPmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOZY signed ad agency partnership with WPP as part of their advertising strategy, competing against former top competitors like VICE and BuzzFeed.
• DentsumajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOZY signed ad agency partnership with Dentsu as part of their advertising strategy to win deals against competitors.
• ChevroletmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerOZY and Chevrolet teamed up for 'Real Talk Real Change', an innovative discussion show taking on the toughest questions in society today. Chevrolet was a brand sponsor for the special episode.
• PSJH (Providence St. Joseph Health)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOZY partnered with PSJH for 'Future of X: Health' podcast, a five-part series painting a picture of healthcare in 2069.
• Vital FarmsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOZY partnered with Vital Farms for 'Future of X: Farming' podcast investigating the future of farming, food insecurity, and climate change.
• SmartsheetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOZY partnered with Smartsheet for 'Future of X: Work' podcast exploring how AI will enhance productivity and automation in the workplace.
• WGBH BostoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWGBH Boston's Studio Six partnered with OZY to produce 'Third Rail with OZY' and 'Take on America', brand-new takes on cross-platform cutting edge debates.
• LifetimecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLifetime distributed 'Torn From Her Arms', a film based on a true story originally covered by OZY editorial team about immigration and family separation.
• History ChannelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistory Channel distributed OZY shows including 'The Campaigns that Made History' and 'The Food That Built America'.
• Bill GatesminorOthersBill Gates became OZY's first Guest Editor in 2013, one of many high-profile guest curators invited to share what they thought were the most important stories of the day.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Daily Beast: Digital news and editorial brand operating across web, newsletters, and video, with a progressive editorial slant — directly comparable in format and audience to OZY.com.
• Vice Media: Multi-platform digital media company producing editorial, video, TV, and documentaries targeting millennial/Gen Z audiences with progressive editorial voice — direct overlap with OZY's positioning.
• BuzzFeed: Digital-first media company spanning editorial, video, news, and commerce — the named competitor in OZY's ad agency pitch decks and the subject of OZY's declined 2019 acquisition offer.
• Vox Media: Multi-brand digital media holding company operating editorial verticals, podcasts, and live events (e.g., Vox, The Verge, SB Nation, New York Magazine) — comparable multi-platform, advertising-supported model.
• Axios: Digital-native news media company with newsletters, podcasts, and live events (e.g., Axios HQ) targeting engaged professional audiences — closely matches OZY's newsletter-first, B2B-friendly approach.
• HuffPost: Pioneer digital-native news and opinion outlet covering politics, business, culture, and lifestyle — overlapping with OZY's editorial verticals and progressive-forward audience.
• Mic: Digital media brand targeting millennial audiences with progressive editorial coverage — comparable demographic positioning and editorial voice; also experienced significant operational disruption.
• Bleacher Report: Multi-platform digital media company producing editorial, video, social content, and live programming around sports and culture — comparable in multi-format distribution and Gen Z targeting.
• Quartz: Digital business news brand with newsletter-led distribution, premium subscription experiments, and global affairs coverage — directly comparable to OZY's forward-looking business journalism approach.

Broad incumbents

• Insider (Business Insider): Established digital business and lifestyle news brand with broader scope and larger audience than OZY, owned by Axel Springer (also OZY's lead investor) — overlapping but more diversified.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ozy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/OZYMedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ozy-media
• Facebookfacebook.com/ozy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OZY Media