AspireTV
AspireTV is a privately held, Atlanta-based television network founded in 2012 by Earvin 'Magic' Johnson that produces lifestyle programming celebrating Black culture for distribution via MVPD carriage, the aspireTV+ streaming service, mobile apps, and an e-commerce marketplace, monetizing through advertising, carriage fees, and subscription streaming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What AspireTV does
AspireTV (legal entity: Aspire Channel, LLC) is a privately held American television network founded in 2012 by Earvin 'Magic' Johnson and operated as a brand within UP Entertainment, LLC alongside sister networks UPtv and UP Faith & Family. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with advertising sales offices in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, the company delivers lifestyle programming — including cooking, home design, HBCU content, documentaries, music specials, and comedy — targeted at Black and African American audiences seeking authentic, positive representation. Its product surface comprises the linear aspireTV channel carried via MVPDs; the aspireTV+ subscription streaming service distributed through Amazon Prime Video Channels, Xfinity, and the Roku Channel; the free aspireTV mobile app for iOS and Android; the Tribe Talk editorial platform; and the aspireTV MKTPLC e-commerce marketplace for Black-owned brands.
The company monetizes through three revenue streams: advertising sales (supported by a multi-city ad sales team), MVPD carriage fees from cable, satellite, and telco distributors, and recurring subscription revenue from the aspireTV+ streaming tier. Distribution is purely domestic in stated operating geography, although streaming partnerships (Amazon, Roku) extend technical reach globally. The business is supported by 11–50 employees and partners with flagship talent including Chef G Garvin, Yo-Yo, Issa Rae (as EP), and the Harlem Globetrotters for original programming. There is no public ticker, no disclosed funding rounds, and no AI/ML capabilities documented in the available source material; monetization, content, and culturally specific curation — not technology platforms — form the basis of the business.
AspireTV firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AspireTV
- Legal name
- Aspire Channel, LLC
- Website
- https://aspire.tv
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- AspireTV is a privately held, Atlanta-based television network founded in 2012 by Earvin 'Magic' Johnson that produces lifestyle programming celebrating Black culture for distribution via MVPD carriage, the aspireTV+ streaming service, mobile apps, and an e-commerce marketplace, monetizing through advertising, carriage fees, and subscription streaming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AspireTV industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cable Television Entertainment
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)
- SIC
- Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Lifestyle & Reality Cable Networks (Food, Home, Travel) (MPABAFAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- General Entertainment SVOD Platforms (MPACAAAA)
Keywords
Where AspireTV is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
AspireTV business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Subscription Streaming (aspireTV+): aspireTV+ is a subscription-based streaming service offering Black culture and urban lifestyle entertainment content including original programs, movies, series, independent films, and documentaries. Available through Amazon Prime Video Channels and other streaming platforms.
- Advertising Sales: aspireTV generates revenue through advertising sales targeting millions of diverse consumers subscribed to the network. The company maintains advertising sales teams in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.
- MVPD Carriage Fees: Revenue from cable, satellite, and telco video distribution services that carry the aspireTV network in their channel lineups.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free tier - Mobile app with schedule and previews |
| Subscription | Monthly | aspireTV+ subscription streaming - Pricing not disclosed |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
AspireTV product offering
Product offeringCore offering
aspireTV is a cable television network that produces and broadcasts original and acquired lifestyle programming celebrating Black culture and African American experiences, including cooking shows, home design, HBCU content, movies, documentaries, music specials, and comedy. The network distributes this content via MVPD carriage agreements and through the aspireTV+ subscription streaming service on Amazon Prime Video Channels, Xfinity, and Roku Channel, complemented by a free mobile app providing schedules and tune-in reminders.
Product overview
aspireTV is a television network and entertainment platform dedicated to celebrating Black culture. The core offering consists of the aspireTV linear television network featuring original and acquired programming across cooking, home design, HBCU content, movies, documentaries, music specials, and comedy. The company operates the free aspireTV mobile app (iOS and Android) for schedule viewing and reminders, the aspireTV+ subscription streaming service available through Amazon Prime Video Channels, Xfinity, and RokuChannel, the Tribe Talk editorial content platform, and the aspireTV MKTPLC e-commerce marketplace for Black-owned brands. Sister networks UPtv and UP Faith & Family, both under UP Entertainment, round out the portfolio. Key original programming includes Style Kings, City Eats, Downright Delicious with Yo-Yo, The Original Harlem Globetrotters: Secrets of the City, 6 Minutes to Glory, Butter + Brown, and Chop It Up with Gina Neely.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- aspireTV Television Network Cable television network dedicated to celebrating Black culture through original and acquired programming including cooking series, home design, HBCU content, movies, documentaries, music specials, and comedy. Available through MVPD partners (cable, satellite, telco providers) to millions of subscribers.
- aspireTV+ Streaming Service Subscription streaming service focused on Black culture and urban lifestyle entertainment offering original programs, movies, series, independent films, and documentaries. Available via Amazon Prime Video Channels, Xfinity, and Roku Channel.
- aspireTV Mobile App Free mobile application for iOS and Android allowing users to view the 7-day programming schedule, set tune-in reminders, access exclusive video previews, and read Tribe Talk stories celebrating Black culture.
- aspireTV MKTPLC Curated e-commerce marketplace showcasing Black-owned brands and products, enabling viewers to shop and support Black-owned businesses.
- Tribe Talk Editorial content platform featuring stories, news, and articles celebrating Black culture across categories including film and TV, music, sports, fashion, business, and food.
- Style Kings Original luxury style and design series hosted by fashion expert Dedrick Thomas and interior designer Justin Q. Williams, showcasing high fashion and interior design for celebrity clients and high-profile projects.
- City Eats Original food and travel series hosted by Chef G Garvin that takes viewers on immersive culinary tours of cities including Savannah and Charleston, showcasing local restaurants, hidden gems, and culinary culture.
- Downright Delicious with Yo-Yo Original cooking series starring hip-hop artist Yo-Yo (Yolanda Whitaker) featuring favorite dishes, cocktails, desserts, and cooking alongside friends and family.
- The Original Harlem Globetrotters: Secrets of the City Original feel-good action adventure travel series showcasing the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters players' favorite travel eats, hacks, and shenanigans in cities around the world.
- 6 Minutes to Glory: The HBCU Band Experience Original documentary series showcasing HBCU marching bands, featuring coverage of events like the Honda Battle of the Bands and profiles of band directors and students.
- Butter + Brown Original cooking series adapted from the web series, executive produced by Issa Rae and Chef G. Garvin, hosted by Seth Brundle and Leslie Antonoff, showcasing creative ways to prepare food and popular ingredients.
Companies that use AspireTV
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
AspireTV technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
AspireTV partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- UPtvcoreUPtv is a sister network under UP Entertainment, sharing ownership and distribution infrastructure with aspireTV. Both networks cross-promote content and share advertising sales operations. UPtv serves as an affiliated brand within the UP Entertainment portfolio.
- UP Faith & FamilycoreUP Faith & Family is a sister network under UP Entertainment, sharing ownership and brand affiliation with aspireTV. The network targets faith-based content and is part of the UP Entertainment family of channels.
- Harlem GlobetrottersflagshipaspireTV partnered with the Harlem Globetrotters to produce 'The Original Harlem Globetrotters: Secrets of the City,' a feel-good action adventure travel series showcasing the players' travel experiences. The series premiered as part of aspireTV's fall programming lineup.
- UP Entertainment, LLCcoreUP Entertainment is the parent company that owns and operates aspireTV, UPtv, and UP Faith & Family. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, GA with advertising offices in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.
- Chef G GarvinflagshipChef G Garvin is the host of 'City Eats' series on aspireTV, taking viewers on immersive food tours to cities like Savannah and Charleston. Garvin is also executive producer of 'Butter + Brown' on the network.
- Yo-Yo (Yolanda Whitaker)flagshipHip-hop pioneer Yo-Yo hosts 'Downright Delicious with Yo-Yo' on aspireTV, a cooking series featuring recipes, cocktails, and family gatherings. The show is a flagship original production for the network.
- Issa RaeflagshipIssa Rae serves as executive producer of 'Butter + Brown' on aspireTV, a cooking show adapted from the beloved web series. The partnership brings her production company's content to the aspireTV platform.
- Amazon Prime Video ChannelscoreAmazon Prime Video Channels serves as the distribution platform for aspireTV+ subscription streaming service. Users can subscribe to aspireTV+ through the Prime Video Channels marketplace.
- XfinitycoreXfinity (Comcast) serves as a distribution platform for aspireTV+ streaming service, allowing Xfinity subscribers to access aspireTV content through their cable subscription.
- RokucoreRoku Channel serves as a distribution platform for aspireTV+ streaming service, making aspireTV content available to Roku users through the Roku Channel marketplace.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AspireTV competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- UPtv: Sister network under UP Entertainment, sharing headquarters, ad-sales, and MVPD distribution; useful benchmark for the aspireTV parent's portfolio economics.
Broad incumbents
- BET (Black Entertainment Television): The dominant Black-culture-focused cable network and parent of BET+, the closest direct competitor to aspireTV's programming thesis but at massively larger scale and broader scope.
- OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network): Premium lifestyle/wellness cable network with strong multicultural audience and original lifestyle programming that overlaps aspireTV's food, design, and personal-development slate.
Direct peers
- TV One: Cable network targeting African American adult audiences with original movies, series, and lifestyle content — the most directly comparable format and audience to aspireTV.
- Bounce TV: Free over-the-air broadcast network targeting African American audiences with movies, originals, and lifestyle content; competes for the same multicultural advertising dollars.
- Cleo TV: Niche multicultural lifestyle cable network targeting women of color with food, travel, and lifestyle content — closest niche-comparable in format and audience overlap with aspireTV.
Emerging players
- Revolt TV: Black-culture-focused media company spanning linear TV and digital, comparable in audience targeting though more music/hip-hop oriented than aspireTV's lifestyle emphasis.
- Fox Soul: Streaming-first Black-audience channel carried on Pluto TV and Tubi; competes with aspireTV+ for FAST/AVOD-style Black audience attention in the OTT marketplace.
- ALLBLK (WWE/Urban One streaming): SVOD service from Urban One dedicated to Black movies and series, the streaming-only counterpart competing for aspireTV+'s subscriber pool.
- Essence (Essence Studios / digital): Black women-focused lifestyle media brand with editorial video and unscripted content; comparable audience overlap in lifestyle/food/culture, though distributed primarily digitally.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AspireTV social profiles
Digital presenceAspireTV financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AspireTV leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
AspireTV funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AspireTV 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 AspireTV
What does AspireTV do?
aspireTV is a cable television network that produces and broadcasts original and acquired lifestyle programming celebrating Black culture and African American experiences, including cooking shows, home design, HBCU content, movies, documentaries, music specials, and comedy. The network distributes this content via MVPD carriage agreements and through the aspireTV+ subscription streaming service on Amazon Prime Video Channels, Xfinity, and Roku Channel, complemented by a free mobile app providing schedules and tune-in reminders.
Is AspireTV a public or private company?
AspireTV is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was AspireTV founded?
AspireTV was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AspireTV based?
AspireTV is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
How does AspireTV make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Streaming (aspireTV+) is the primary driver. The others are advertising Sales and MVPD Carriage Fees.
Who are AspireTV's main competitors?
UPtv is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are BET (Black Entertainment Television) and OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network). Direct peers are TV One, Bounce TV and Cleo TV. Emerging players are Revolt TV, Fox Soul, ALLBLK (WWE/Urban One streaming) and Essence (Essence Studios / digital).
Does AspireTV have an API?
No public API is recorded for AspireTV.
What industry is AspireTV in?
AspireTV's product category is Cable Television Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABAFAG, Lifestyle & Reality Cable Networks (Food, Home, Travel), with a secondary code of MPACAAAA, General Entertainment SVOD Platforms. Its NAICS code is 516210 and its SIC code is 4841.