What LeVar Burton Entertainment does

LeVar Burton Entertainment (legal entity: LeVar Burton Media, LLC) is a privately held, founder-controlled entertainment company that develops content centered on storytelling, literacy, empathy, and diversity. Its product portfolio spans the Skybrary and Skybrary School interactive digital libraries distributed on iOS, Android, Kindle, and Web; the LeVar Burton Reads short-fiction podcast with soundscapes; children's books including 'The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm' sold via an owned e-commerce storefront; the video series 'This Is My Story' on the Black experience in America; and entertainment production work including the in-development 'Trivial Pursuit' game show with eOne and a MasterClass course on the power of storytelling. Skybrary was launched in 2012, entered the market as the #1 educational app, and was donated to Reading is Fundamental in 2019, a partnership that has placed Skybrary School in over 10,000 Title One schools and driven 20.7M+ books read and 20.9M+ videos watched since launch. The company's value proposition rests on LeVar Burton's personal brand credibility across children's education (Reading Rainbow on PBS for 23 seasons, 26 Emmy Awards including 11 for Outstanding Children's Series, and a Peabody Award), acting (Roots, Star Trek: The Next Generation), and literary programming.

The business model combines four revenue streams: (i) one-time book sales through owned e-commerce and physical retail, (ii) licensing and royalties from the Skybrary School brand and content licensed to Reading is Fundamental for Title One school distribution, (iii) podcast advertising and platform revenue share on free-to-consumer distribution, and (iv) project-based production and hosting fees from entertainment partnerships such as the eOne game show development deal. Go-to-market is hybrid: community-led (Burton's personal brand and social channels across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube), direct-to-consumer (apps, podcasts, e-commerce), and event-driven (Star Trek: The Cruise VII, the 2022 Tournament of Roses Grand Marshal appointment, speaking engagements including MPN Heroes). Primary customer segments are children and families using Skybrary for literacy development, schools and educators receiving donated Skybrary School access, and adult readers consuming curated short fiction via the podcast. The legal structure is a US-domiciled single-member LLC, with Sangita Patel listed as Chief Executive Officer and LeVar Burton as Founder, and no institutional investors, parent entities, subsidiaries, M&A, or restructuring actions identified.

Name

LeVar Burton Entertainment

Legal name

LeVar Burton Media, LLC

Website

https://levarburton.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LeVar Burton Entertainment is a privately held, founder-operated entertainment company that develops children's literacy, podcast, publishing, and television properties around storytelling, empathy, and diversity, anchored by the Skybrary digital library donated to Reading is Fundamental and distributed across apps, audio platforms, e-commerce, and broadcast partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Educational Media and Digital Content

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Edutainment & Learning-Through-Play Channels (MPABAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Language Learning & Literacy Channels (MPABAKAG), Foundational Literacy & Early Reading Apps (EDACANAA), Kids & Family Curated Content Platforms (MPACAKAL)

Keywords

• Children's educational content
• Digital library apps
• Audio podcast content
• Curated short fiction
• Multimedia storytelling

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Sale of children's books written by LeVar Burton, including 'The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm' sold through the company's e-commerce platform.
2. Digital Content Licensing: Licensing of Skybrary content and brand to Reading is Fundamental for the Skybrary School donation program to Title One schools.
3. Entertainment Production: Production and development of television content including hosting 'Trivial Pursuit' game show for eOne, with potential licensing revenue from entertainment properties.
4. Podcast Content: Distribution of 'LeVar Burton Reads' podcast featuring handpicked short fiction with soundscapes, monetized through podcast advertising and platform revenue shares.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LeVar Burton Entertainment creates, produces, and distributes multimedia content centered on storytelling, literacy, and empathy. Its core offerings include interactive digital library apps for children (Skybrary and Skybrary School), the LeVar Burton Reads short-fiction podcast, children's books such as The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm, and the This Is My Story video series, along with content delivered through partner platforms such as MasterClass, Toniebox, and podcasts.

Product overview

LeVar Burton Entertainment is a multi-platform entertainment company that creates content spanning television, digital media, publishing, and audio. The core offerings include Reading Rainbow (the iconic 23-season PBS children's educational series), Skybrary and Skybrary School (digital library apps with over 20 million books read), the LeVar Burton Reads podcast featuring curated short fiction, children's books like 'The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm,' and television work including Roots and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Additional content includes the documentary series 'This Is My Story' on race relations in America, and Burton hosts various projects including the Trivial Pursuit game show and MasterClass on storytelling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Skybrary: A carefully curated, ever-expanding interactive library of digital books and video explorations hosted by LeVar Burton. Entered the market as the number one educational app with over 20.7 million books read and 20.9 million videos watched since launch.
• LeVar Burton Reads

Products and services

• Skybrary A curated, ever-expanding interactive digital library of digital books and video explorations hosted by LeVar Burton, designed for children to foster literacy and a lifelong love of learning. Available as an app on iOS, Android, Kindle, and web browsers; entered the market as the #1 educational app.
• Skybrary School School-specific version of the Skybrary digital library accessible via the web and donated to Title One schools to provide digital books and video content for classroom literacy use.
• The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm A hardcover children's book by LeVar Burton and Susan Schaefer Bernardo, illustrated by Courtenay Fletcher; a poetic book-within-a-book about a rhino overwhelmed by a storm who learns to let go and heal, with discussion questions for children, sold through the company's own bookstore.
• LeVar Burton Reads A podcast featuring curated short fiction handpicked by LeVar Burton, including works by Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami, Octavia Butler, Ray Bradbury and others, with narration blended with soundscapes and distributed through major podcast platforms.
• This Is My Story An ongoing video series featuring real-life experiences related by LeVar Burton, focusing on the Black experience in America and using storytelling to bridge racial and cultural divides.
• MasterClass: The Power of Storytelling Online MasterClass course teaching the power of storytelling, taught by LeVar Burton and distributed through the MasterClass platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20.7 million books read through Skybrary digital library
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• eOne (Entertainment One)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 November 2021LeVar Burton signed on to host 'Trivial Pursuit' game show in development at eOne, expanding his presence into game show entertainment.
• CURE Media GroupminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 November 2021LeVar Burton served as Featured Speaker of the MPN Heroes Recognition Program, a healthcare-focused event partnership.
• Tonie-box (Boxlight)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 27 July 2021LeVar Burton content made available through the Tonie-box children's audio platform, with 'Tonie-fied' content releasing in Fall 2021.
• MasterClasscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 22 June 2021MasterClass announced LeVar Burton as a featured instructor teaching the power of storytelling, leveraging his credentials as legendary host of Reading Rainbow.
• Reading is Fundamental (RIF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019In 2019, LeVar Burton donated the Skybrary service to Reading is Fundamental, the leading literacy non-profit, in hopes of bringing books to millions more kids. Skybrary School has been donated to over 10,000 Title One schools through this partnership.
• WNED BuffalocoreOthersWNED Buffalo owns the registered trademarks for Reading Rainbow and the Reading Rainbow logo. The organization was the PBS affiliate that produced and distributed the show.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• StoryCorps: Nonprofit storytelling platform that records and shares personal stories to foster empathy across cultural divides. Highly aligned mission and format (storytelling as a bridge for empathy) with LeVar Burton Entertainment's stated purpose.
• OZY Media (and other founder-led media brands): Founder-led multi-platform content brands leveraging a celebrity/founder profile to monetize via content, events, and licensing serve as structural comparables for how celebrity-driven content enterprises are constructed and valued.

Direct peers

• MasterClass: Streaming education platform featuring celebrity instructors; LeVar Burton teaches the storytelling course on MasterClass. The partnership makes MasterClass both a distribution peer and a benchmark for how celebrity-led educational content is monetized.
• Fred Rogers Productions: Produces high-profile children's educational programming (Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Odd Squad, Alma's Way) with associated digital and publishing extensions. Closely comparable as a children's educational content company that translates TV-IP into learning products.
• Wondery: Premium podcast network producing and monetizing narrative audio content (and owned by Amazon). Directly comparable to LeVar Burton Reads as a scripted/fiction podcast business with advertising-revenue model and celebrity-hosted storytelling.
• Sesame Workshop: Mission-driven creator of iconic children's educational content (Sesame Street) with associated digital products, apps, and publishing. The most direct comparison to LeVar Burton Entertainment given parallel legacy TV-to-digital expansion and focus on empathy/social-emotional learning.
• Reading Rainbow (WNED Buffalo): WNED Buffalo owns the Reading Rainbow trademark and continues to operate the brand site. The originating/most direct peer in children's educational content, with which LBE shares brand association but not IP ownership.
• Toniebox (Boxlight): Children's screen-free audio storytelling platform that licenses branded content including LeVar Burton's 'Tonie-fied' material. Directly comparable as a children's audio content/licensing business serving the same parent demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Highlights for Children: Long-established children's content brand spanning magazine, books, and apps focused on literacy and learning. Comparable as a multi-decade children's literacy brand extending into digital and educational products.
• PBS Kids: The broader PBS children's ecosystem and the historic distributor of Reading Rainbow. Operates apps, video, and educational games at scale and is the platform-of-record for this category — the most established incumbent in children's educational broadcasting.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/levarburton
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5uSPZ3bvFM0qE20nM9dRfg
• Facebookfacebook.com/levarburton
• Instagraminstagram.com/levar.burton

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 LeVar Burton Entertainment