Variety
Variety is a 120-year-old entertainment trade publication producing film, TV, music, and digital media journalism across web, podcasts, events, and data products for industry professionals and consumers, operated as a Penske Media subsidiary.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1905
- HeadquartersMiami Beach, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Variety does
Variety is a 120-year-old entertainment industry trade publication founded in 1905 and operated as Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Media Corporation. The company produces multi-platform editorial coverage of film, television, music, digital media, theater, and gaming for entertainment industry professionals (studio executives, agents, producers, marketing leaders) and engaged entertainment consumers. Core products include the flagship Variety.com website, the Daily Variety and Strictly Business podcasts, the Emmy-winning Actors on Actors interview franchise distributed via CNN and YouTube, the Awards Circuit prediction hub, the Luminate film and TV analytics platform, the Variety500 executive ranking, the Power of Women event series, the What To Watch streaming guide, the 120-year Variety Archives, and the Variety+ premium subscription tier.
The underlying technology is a web-based digital media platform with a content management system supporting articles, video, podcasts, newsletters, and mobile distribution; the company also operates a data analytics platform (Luminate) and licenses content to third-party audio platforms such as Spotify. Variety monetizes through four diversified streams: recurring digital subscriptions (Variety+), display and classified advertising (including dedicated real estate and display sales), events and corporate sponsorships (Power of Women, Entertainment Marketing Summit at CES, True Crime Summit at SXSW, plus tentpole lists and festivals), and content licensing and reprint fees. Distribution extends globally through owned channels (variety.com, mobile, email, YouTube, social) and third-party partnerships (CNN for Actors on Actors; Spotify for audio articles), with editorial bureaus in Los Angeles (headquarters), New York, London (regional HQ), Paris, Rome, and Hong Kong serving markets in the U.S., U.K., France, Italy, Spain/Portugal, Latin America, and Hong Kong.
Variety firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Variety
- Legal name
- Variety Media, LLC
- Website
- https://variety.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1905
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Variety is a 120-year-old entertainment trade publication producing film, TV, music, and digital media journalism across web, podcasts, events, and data products for industry professionals and consumers, operated as a Penske Media subsidiary.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Variety industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Entertainment Trade Publication
- NAICS
- All Other Miscellaneous Retailers (459999)
- SIC
- Retail-Miscellaneous Retail (5900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Newsstand & Aggregation Platforms (Magazine/News Apps, Bundles) (MPAJAKAE)
Keywords
Where Variety is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Miami Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Variety business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Subscription Revenue: Variety offers digital subscriptions providing access to premium content, exclusive features, and the digital magazine edition
- Advertising: Display advertising, sponsored content, and promotional placements on Variety.com and in the magazine targeting entertainment industry executives and consumers
- Events and Sponsorships: Variety hosts events including Power of Women, Entertainment Marketing Summit, True Crime Summit, and other industry gatherings with corporate sponsorships
- Content Licensing: Licensing articles and content to third-party platforms such as Spotify for audio article format
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Digital Subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels12 records
Variety product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Variety operates a multi-platform entertainment news publication delivering film, TV, music, theater, digital, and gaming industry coverage through its flagship website Variety.com, podcasts (Daily Variety, Strictly Business), video franchises (Actors on Actors), live events (Power of Women, Entertainment Marketing Summit), and data products (Luminate). It serves entertainment industry professionals, advertisers, and consumers with breaking news, reviews, awards coverage, box office analysis, and executive rankings, monetized through digital/print subscriptions, advertising, event sponsorships, and content licensing.
Product overview
Variety is a multi-platform entertainment news publication operated by Penske Media Corporation, offering a unified editorial product across its flagship website, podcasts, events, and data services. The core offering is Variety.com, an entertainment news website providing film reviews, awards coverage, film festival reporting, box office analysis, and breaking news across film, TV, music, theater, gaming, and digital media. Supporting the website are the Daily Variety podcast for audio news delivery, the Awards Circuit for predictions and analysis, Luminate for analytics, the Actors on Actors video franchise, and the Power of Women event series. The publication also offers a premium Variety+ subscription tier and maintains extensive historical archives spanning over 120 years of entertainment journalism.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Variety.com Flagship entertainment news website covering film reviews, awards, film festivals, box office, entertainment industry conferences, and breaking news across film, TV, music, theater, gaming, and digital media for entertainment industry professionals and consumers.
- Daily Variety Podcast Daily news and analysis podcast tailored for the entertainment industry, hosted by Cynthia Littleton, covering breaking news, interviews, and industry trends.
- Strictly Business Podcast Variety and iHeartRadio co-produced podcast focusing on business and industry news in entertainment.
- Variety+ Subscription Premium subscription service offering enhanced content, exclusive articles, and ad-free reading experience on Variety.com and the digital magazine edition, billed monthly.
- Variety Archives Historical archive of entertainment industry coverage spanning over 120 years of Variety publications, accessible through the dedicated archive platform.
- Luminate Film and TV analytics data platform providing industry intelligence and metrics for entertainment professionals.
- Variety500 Annual ranking of the most powerful entertainment executives, profiling leaders from major studios, streamers, music companies, and live entertainment.
- Actors on Actors Emmy-winning interview franchise pairing top performers for in-depth conversations, available across CNN and Variety's YouTube channel.
- Power of Women Event series honoring influential women in entertainment across multiple cities including Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, and London.
- Entertainment Marketing Summit Annual summit at CES bringing together marketing executives to discuss AI's impact, creator partnerships, and franchise-building tactics.
- True Crime Summit at SXSW Inaugural True Crime Summit hosted at SXSW, presented by Investigation Discovery, targeting the true crime content community.
- What To Watch Streaming and entertainment recommendation hub helping users discover what to watch across platforms.
Quantifiable outcome
- Webby Award winner in Music, General Video & Film category for Blackpink video content with 3.3M+ views
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Variety
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Variety technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Variety partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Variety competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IndieWire: Entertainment trade publication focused on independent film, TV, and digital content with industry analysis and reviews. Direct competitor in entertainment trade journalism and also owned by Penske Media.
- The Hollywood Reporter: The most direct competitor to Variety in entertainment industry trade journalism, covering film, TV, and entertainment business for Hollywood professionals. Also owned by Penske Media Corporation, intensifying portfolio overlap and cannibalization risk.
- Deadline: Leading entertainment industry news site covering film, TV, and digital content with breaking news and reviews for Hollywood professionals. Direct head-to-head competitor to Variety and also owned by Penske Media Corporation.
- The Wrap: Independent digital-first entertainment news outlet covering film, TV, and media business. Direct competitor targeting the same entertainment industry professional audience and entertainment advertisers as Variety.
- Entertainment Weekly: Mainstream consumer-facing entertainment news and reviews publication covering film, TV, music, and pop culture. Competes with Variety for entertainment consumer audiences and entertainment advertising, though more pop-culture than trade-focused.
Regional players
- Empire Magazine: Leading UK film and entertainment magazine with reviews, features, and industry coverage. Comparable to Variety's entertainment journalism and print-magazine heritage but primarily serving UK and Commonwealth audiences.
Broad incumbents
- The New York Times: General-interest newspaper with substantial Arts and Entertainment coverage including film, TV, and media business reporting. Larger scale incumbent competing for entertainment advertising and subscription audiences.
- Billboard: Premier music industry trade publication covering charts, industry news, and artist coverage. Sister publication to Variety under Penske Media Corporation; overlaps in music industry coverage and entertainment advertising pool.
- Forbes: Major business publication with dedicated entertainment, media, and celebrity coverage sections. Overlaps with Variety's entertainment business analysis and affluent audience advertising, though broader in business scope.
Others
- Variety Intelligence Platform / Luminate: Variety's own film and TV analytics data product for industry intelligence. Listed as a peer because the data/analytics subscription business is functionally adjacent to entertainment trade intelligence vendors like Samba TV, Comscore, and Parrot Analytics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Variety social profiles
Digital presenceVariety financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Variety leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Variety funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Variety M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Variety
What does Variety do?
Variety operates a multi-platform entertainment news publication delivering film, TV, music, theater, digital, and gaming industry coverage through its flagship website Variety.com, podcasts (Daily Variety, Strictly Business), video franchises (Actors on Actors), live events (Power of Women, Entertainment Marketing Summit), and data products (Luminate). It serves entertainment industry professionals, advertisers, and consumers with breaking news, reviews, awards coverage, box office analysis, and executive rankings, monetized through digital/print subscriptions, advertising, event sponsorships, and content licensing.
Is Variety a public or private company?
Variety is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Variety founded?
Variety was founded in 1905. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Variety based?
Variety is headquartered in Miami Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does Variety make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Subscription Revenue is the primary driver. The others are advertising, events and Sponsorships and content Licensing.
Who are Variety's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IndieWire, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, The Wrap and Entertainment Weekly. Empire Magazine is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are The New York Times, Billboard and Forbes. Variety Intelligence Platform / Luminate is listed as an others.
Does Variety have an API?
No public API is recorded for Variety.
What industry is Variety in?
Variety's product category is Entertainment Trade Publication. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAKAE, Digital Newsstand & Aggregation Platforms (Magazine/News Apps, Bundles). Its NAICS code is 459999 and its SIC code is 5900.