Artists Equity
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Artists Equity does
Artists Equity is a privately held, artist-led film and television production studio founded in November 2022 by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital Partners, which provided at least $100 million in initial financing. The company operates three divisions — Scripted, Unscripted, and Advertising — and produces theatrical features, streaming films, documentary series, and brand advertising content from its Los Angeles headquarters. Its core differentiator is a profit-participation and performance-bonus compensation model that pays cast and crew based on viewership outcomes, intended to give filmmakers economic upside and creative autonomy that traditional studio structures do not.
The studio's catalog spans approximately 20 projects including Air, The Rip, Unstoppable, The Accountant 2, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Small Things Like These (Berlin Film Festival opener), plus documentaries such as The Python Hunt, Believers: Boston Red Sox, and Turbulence. Distribution is anchored by a multi-year first-look streaming deal with Netflix and a three-year theatrical agreement with Sony Pictures, with Amazon MGM Studios handling select titles. Underlying technology is light: AI and data tools are used to track streaming viewership and trigger performance bonuses, while the company's standalone AI film toolset (InterPositive) was acquired by Netflix rather than retained internally.
Revenue is generated through production and financing fees, streaming licensing, theatrical distribution participation, co-financing arrangements with partners such as Black Bear and Amazon MGM, and professional advertising services for brands including Dunkin' and Stella Artois. The company serves two primary customer segments: A-list film talent and major distribution platforms (Netflix, Sony Pictures, Amazon MGM), with consumer brands as a secondary segment for advertising. Headcount is reported at 51–100, with a recently expanded executive bench (COO Dillon West, Presidents Amy Baer and Andrew Gumpert) signaling organizational scaling.
Artists Equity firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Artists Equity
- Legal name
- AE Ops, LLC
- Website
- https://artistsequity.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Artists Equity industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Film Production
- NAICS
- Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Full-Service Artist Management (MPAIAGAA)
Keywords
Where Artists Equity is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Artists Equity business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Film production and financing: Artists Equity finances and produces films, generating revenue through distribution fees, production fees, and profit participation. The company has raised at least $100 million in initial financing from RedBird Capital and implements profit-sharing models with talent and crew.
- Streaming distribution deals: First-look streaming deal with Netflix covering creative and production activities for streaming titles, generating revenue through licensing and co-production arrangements.
- Theatrical distribution: Theatrical film agreement with Sony Pictures for feature film distribution, generating revenue through distribution fees and box office participation.
- Co-financing partnerships: Co-financing arrangements with partners like Black Bear, Amazon MGM Studios, and Roadside Attractions/Lionsgate for specific film projects.
- Advertising and brand partnerships: Creation and production of advertising content for brands like Dunkin' and Stella Artois, including multiple Super Bowl commercials.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Pay-as-you-go | Performance bonus model for crew |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels5 records
Artists Equity product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Artists Equity is an independent, artist-led film production studio that finances, produces, and distributes scripted films, documentary features, and advertising campaigns. The company operates through Scripted, Unscripted, and Advertising divisions, partnering with major studios, streaming platforms, and consumer brands to bring projects to theatrical, streaming, and broadcast audiences worldwide.
Product overview
Artists Equity is an independent, artist-led film production studio founded in 2022 by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital. The company operates three distinct divisions: Scripted, Unscripted, and Advertising. Artists Equity focuses on creating entrepreneurial partnerships with filmmakers through an innovative business model that allows talent to participate in profit sharing. The portfolio includes theatrical films (The Rip, Air, The Accountant 2, Unstoppable, Small Things Like These, Kiss of the Spider Woman), documentary features (Turbulence, The Python Hunt, Believers: Boston Red Sox, Kiss the Future), and advertising campaigns (Dunkin' Super Bowl commercials including Good Will Dunkin' and Stella Artois David & Dave). The company has first-look deals with Netflix for streaming content and theatrical agreements with Sony Pictures.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Artists Equity Advertising: The commercial creative arm of Artists Equity, producing advertising campaigns including Super Bowl commercials for brands like Dunkin'.
Products and services
- The Rip Netflix crime thriller following Miami-Dade officers investigating corruption after uncovering $20 million in cartel-linked cash. Directed by Joe Carnahan, starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
- Air Award-winning film directed by Ben Affleck about the groundbreaking partnership between Michael Jordan and Nike's basketball division, which revolutionized sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. Starring Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker.
- The Accountant 2 Sequel to the 2016 action thriller featuring Ben Affleck as Christian Wolff, who recruits his estranged and highly lethal brother Brax (Jon Bernthal) to solve a murder case. Distributed by Amazon MGM Studios.
- Unstoppable
Quantifiable outcome
- Netflix paid performance bonuses to all 1,200 crew members on 'The Rip', marking a rare exception to standard upfront-only payment models
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Artists Equity
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Artists Equity technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Artists Equity partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
23 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Black BearflagshipCo-financing partner with Artists Equity on multiple projects including 'A Woman in the Sun'. Black Bear introduces projects to international buyers at Cannes and distributes in North America, UK, and Canada.
- Big Picture Co. (Renée Zellweger)coreCo-financing partnership with Renée Zellweger's Big Picture Co. on 'A Woman in the Sun'. Zellweger produces through her company while Artists Equity and Black Bear co-finance.
- Sony Pictures ClassicscoreCo-financing partnership with Sony Pictures Classics for Tom McCarthy's untitled climate change drama. Also involves Anonymous Content, Slow Pony, Aloe Entertainment, and other executive producers.
- Anonymous ContentcoreProduction partner for Tom McCarthy's Sony Pictures Classics climate change drama.
- Jigsaw ProductionsminorExecutive producer on Tom McCarthy's Sony Pictures Classics climate change drama.
- Hammerstone StudiosminorExecutive producer on Tom McCarthy's Sony Pictures Classics climate change drama.
- ConcordiaminorExecutive producer on Tom McCarthy's Sony Pictures Classics climate change drama.
- Andrew Lauren ProductionsminorExecutive producer on Tom McCarthy's Sony Pictures Classics climate change drama.
- Galisteo MediaminorExecutive producer on Tom McCarthy's Sony Pictures Classics climate change drama.
- InterPositivecoreAI startup founded by Ben Affleck that creates tools for filmmakers. Acquired by Netflix, with the entire InterPositive team joining Netflix and Affleck becoming senior adviser.
- NetflixcoreMulti-year first-look streaming deal with Netflix covering creative and production activities for streaming titles. Netflix reaffirmed the deal and also acquired Ben Affleck's AI company InterPositive. Includes performance bonuses for crew.
- Paramount+coreStreaming partner for 'Kiss the Future' documentary about U2's Sarajevo concert, releasing on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Canada.
- Apple TV+coreStreaming partner for 'The Instigators' starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck.
- The Whisper GroupcoreDocumentary production partnership for Adrian Newey F1 documentary 'Turbulence' with The Whisper Group and Mark Stewart Productions.
- Mark Stewart ProductionscoreDocumentary production partnership for Adrian Newey F1 documentary 'Turbulence' with The Whisper Group and Artists Equity.
- ESPNcoreCo-production partnership with ESPN for 'Believers: Boston Red Sox', an unscripted episodic series.
- Religion of SportscoreCo-production partnership with Religion of Sports for 'Believers: Boston Red Sox' documentary series.
- Sony PicturescoreThree-year theatrical feature film agreement with Sony Pictures for distribution of theatrical releases. Covers creative and production activities.
- Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate, LD EntertainmentcoreNorth American distribution partnership for 'Kiss of the Spider Woman'. Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate, and LD Entertainment officially picked up the film.
- Stella ArtoiscoreAdvertising partnership for Super Bowl campaign 'David & Dave' starring Ben Affleck as David Beckham and Matt Damon as Dave Beckham.
- Amazon MGM StudioscoreDistribution partnership for 'The Accountant 2'. Amazon MGM Studios teamed with Artists Equity for the sequel.
- Wild State (Chris Hemsworth)coreStrategic partnership with Chris Hemsworth's production company Wild State for scripted content development.
- Dunkin'flagshipMajor advertising partnership with Dunkin' that has produced four consecutive Super Bowl commercials including 'Good Will Dunkin''. The partnership includes brand campaigns and commercials featuring Ben Affleck and other celebrities.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Artists Equity competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Plan B Entertainment: Brad Pitt's production company, founded by A-list Hollywood talent with a track record of producing critically acclaimed, commercially successful films. Highly comparable to AE's celebrity-founded, artist-driven production model.
- A24: Independent film and television production studio known for an artist-driven approach to financing and producing distinctive, awards-focused content. Closely comparable to AE in operating model and slate positioning.
- Pearl Street Films: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's previous production company through which they produced 'Promised Land' and other titles. Same founders, prior iteration of the same producer-led studio model now scaled via Artists Equity.
- Appian Way Productions: Leonardo DiCaprio's production company producing films and documentaries with prestige positioning. Comparable A-list celebrity founder producing scripted films and documentaries, similar to AE's hybrid slate.
- Happy Madison Productions: Adam Sandler's production company producing comedy-driven films through Netflix and Sony distribution deals. Directly comparable in leveraging a celebrity founder to secure major studio and streamer output deals.
- Participant Media: Independent media company producing socially relevant theatrical and streaming content. Comparable slate composition (mid-budget dramas with awards ambitions, like AE's 'Small Things Like These' and McCarthy climate project).
- Skydance Media: Diversified film and television production company producing tentpole theatrical releases and streaming content. Comparable in producing high-budget films (similar to AE's 'The Rip') with major distributor partnerships.
Broad incumbents
- Amblin Partners: Steven Spielberg-founded film and television production company with a long-standing theatrical and streaming output strategy. Larger and more established than AE but operates on a similar filmmaker-led, prestige-driven model.
- Netflix (Production): AE's primary streaming partner and acquirer of InterPositive. While a much larger global platform and counterparty rather than peer, Netflix's growing in-house production ambitions create the most consequential competitive overlap for AE's streaming slate.
Emerging players
- Range Media Partners: Talent management and production company representing actors, writers, and directors while packaging film and TV projects. Comparable to AE in artist-friendly economics and overlap between representation and production.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Artists Equity social profiles
Digital presenceArtists Equity financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Artists Equity leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Artists Equity funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Artists Equity 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 Artists Equity
What does Artists Equity do?
Artists Equity is an independent, artist-led film production studio that finances, produces, and distributes scripted films, documentary features, and advertising campaigns. The company operates through Scripted, Unscripted, and Advertising divisions, partnering with major studios, streaming platforms, and consumer brands to bring projects to theatrical, streaming, and broadcast audiences worldwide.
Is Artists Equity a public or private company?
Artists Equity is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Artists Equity founded?
Artists Equity was founded in 2022. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Artists Equity based?
Artists Equity is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Artists Equity make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Film production and financing is the primary driver. The others are streaming distribution deals, theatrical distribution, co-financing partnerships and advertising and brand partnerships.
Who are Artists Equity's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Plan B Entertainment, A24, Pearl Street Films, Appian Way Productions, Happy Madison Productions, Participant Media and Skydance Media. Broad incumbents are Amblin Partners and Netflix (Production). Range Media Partners is listed as an emerging player.
Does Artists Equity have an API?
No public API is recorded for Artists Equity.
What industry is Artists Equity in?
Artists Equity's product category is Film Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAGAA, Full-Service Artist Management. Its NAICS code is 71119 and its SIC code is 7812.