Psycho Studio
Psycho Studios is a Phoenix-based, bootstrapped independent horror multimedia company co-founded by Mike and Mykal Knight, producing original film development, a monthly newsletter (The Sprinkler), a horror film podcast, and the Steam game 'Terrors to Unveil - Day Off' for horror film enthusiasts worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersPhoenix, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Psycho Studio does
Psycho Studios is a privately held, father-son-run independent horror multimedia company based in Phoenix, Arizona, co-founded by Mike Knight and Mykal Knight. The company operates across four product surfaces: original film and television development (with multiple treatments and scripts in pipeline under projects such as MidPoint Murders, The Dread Pool, and Showbiz), a monthly newsletter called The Sprinkler (published as numbered chapters since August 2019), the Psycho Studios Podcast (a horror film review and interview show distributed across Spotify, Apple, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Castbox, and YouTube), and a horror video game titled 'Terrors to Unveil - Day Off' released on Steam in December 2025.
The business model is consumer-direct and bootstrapped. Revenue is generated primarily through a newsletter subscription priced below $10 per month on a 13-month billing cycle, supplemented by donations at $10–$40 tiers and, in principle, one-time game licensing on Steam (though the game was offered as part of Steam's Free to Keep promotion in May 2026). Distribution is fully digital and self-serve, with no sales-led motion, no enterprise contracts, and no institutional funding. The company is exclusively founder-owned; the two co-founders not only operate the business but also act as its editorial team for the newsletter.
Psycho Studios serves a horizontal persona segment of horror film enthusiasts ranging from classic Universal monster fans to consumers of modern horror, with distribution channels geared to global reach via podcast apps, Steam, YouTube, and email. The headcount is effectively two (the co-founders), despite platform-level data showing an 11–50 employee range, suggesting the firm operates at sub-scale creative-venture economics rather than as a venture-backed production company.
Psycho Studio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Psycho Studio
- Legal name
- Psycho Studios
- Website
- https://psycho-studio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Psycho Studios is a Phoenix-based, bootstrapped independent horror multimedia company co-founded by Mike and Mykal Knight, producing original film development, a monthly newsletter (The Sprinkler), a horror film podcast, and the Steam game 'Terrors to Unveil - Day Off' for horror film enthusiasts worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Psycho Studio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Horror Film & Multimedia Production
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Recording Studios (Commercial, Project, Mobile) (MPAIAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Indie Game Studios (MPAFAAAC)
Keywords
Where Psycho Studio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Phoenix
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Psycho Studio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Newsletter Subscription: Monthly subscription-based newsletter with premium content including film reviews, music recommendations, wellness tips, and practical life skills. The 13-month subscription model was mentioned as less than $10 per month.
- Podcast Content: Podcast distributed via Spotify, Apple, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Castbox, and YouTube. Episodes released at least twice monthly.
- Game Development and Distribution: Developed and released horror game 'Terrors to Unveil - Day Off' on Steam platform in December 2025.
- Donations/Support: Accepts one-time and recurring donations at various levels ($10, $20, $30, $40) to support the platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | 13-month newsletter subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Psycho Studio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Psycho Studios is an independent horror-focused film/TV production company that creates and distributes original multimedia content, including a monthly subscription newsletter (The Sprinkler), a horror-genre podcast, original horror film screenplays and treatment outlines in development, and a self-published horror video game distributed on Steam. The studio operates as a small, founder-led creator business producing horror entertainment across text, audio, video, and interactive game formats for horror enthusiasts.
Product overview
Psycho Studios is an independent Film/TV production company based in Phoenix, Arizona, operating as a multimedia platform. The company produces original horror content including screenplays, scripts, and adaptations, with multiple projects in development such as MidPoint Murders, The Dread Pool, Showbiz, and others. Their multimedia offerings include The Sprinkler newsletter (a monthly film-first dispatch with chapters), the Psycho Studios Podcast (horror movie reviews and interviews), and they developed the horror video game 'Terrors to Unveil - Day Off' released December 2025 on Steam. The company was founded by father-and-son duo Mike and Mykal Knight.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Sprinkler: Monthly newsletter publication covering film reviews, music, wellness, sports commentary, and industry insights from Psycho Studios.
- Psycho Studios Podcast
Products and services
- Film/TV Production Services Independent horror film/TV production services creating original screenplays, scripts, and screenplay adaptations for production studios and film industry partners. The studio maintains multiple horror projects in active development.
- The Sprinkler Newsletter Monthly subscription newsletter (Chapter series) for horror film enthusiasts covering film reviews using the proprietary Psycho Scale 0-10 rating system, music recommendations, wellness tips, sports commentary, and lifestyle content. Subscribed to directly via the company's website.
- Psycho Studios Podcast Multimedia podcast exploring horror movies, unique films, and interviews with fascinating guests, distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Castbox, and YouTube. Episodes released at least twice monthly.
- Terrors to Unveil - Day Off Horror video game developed by Psycho Studio featuring VHS aesthetics and atmospheric horror gameplay with approximately one hour runtime, distributed digitally on the Steam platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- Newsletter published consistently for nearly 3 years with 35+ chapters
Companies that use Psycho Studio
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Psycho Studio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Psycho Studio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Psycho Studio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- iHeartPodcasts: Major podcast publisher and distributor; comparable to Psycho Studios because both distribute horror-focused podcasts across consumer platforms, though iHeart operates as a large-scale publisher rather than an independent creator brand.
- Blumhouse Productions: Leading independent horror film/TV production company founded by Jason Blum; comparable to Psycho Studios because both focus on producing original horror IP for film/TV audiences, though Blumhouse operates at vastly greater scale with theatrical releases and major studio partnerships.
- Studio71: Multi-channel network producing and distributing podcasts and digital video content; comparable to Psycho Studios because both monetize podcast and video content across major platforms, though Studio71 operates as a network serving multiple creators rather than a single brand.
- Shudder: Streaming platform dedicated exclusively to horror content; comparable to Psycho Studios because both serve horror film audiences, though Shudder operates as a subscription streaming service distributing other studios' content rather than producing original IP.
- A24: Independent film production and distribution company; comparable to Psycho Studios because both produce original independent films targeting engaged niche audiences, though A24 operates at vastly greater scale with theatrical distribution and broader genre focus.
Direct peers
- Crypt TV: Digital-first horror brand producing short-form horror films for social media and YouTube; comparable to Psycho Studios because both build horror audiences through owned digital channels and original IP, though Crypt TV has institutional backing from Facebook/Meta.
- Fangoria: Long-running horror media brand covering horror film news, reviews, and culture; comparable to Psycho Studios because both target horror enthusiasts through written and multimedia content, though Fangoria operates at larger scale with a print magazine and broader editorial team.
- Dread Central: Horror entertainment news and review site with podcast and multimedia extensions; comparable to Psycho Studios because both target horror film enthusiasts through written reviews, podcasts, and digital content, though Dread Central has a larger editorial team.
- Rue Morgue: Horror culture magazine and digital platform covering film, books, music, and lifestyle; comparable to Psycho Studios because both blend horror film criticism with adjacent lifestyle content (music, wellness, culture) for dedicated horror enthusiasts.
- Bloody Disgusting: Horror-focused digital media platform producing reviews, news, podcasts, and original video content; comparable to Psycho Studios because both serve horror film enthusiasts through multi-format content (reviews, podcasts, video) and have expanded into original content production.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Psycho Studio social profiles
Digital presencePsycho Studio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Psycho Studio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Psycho Studio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Psycho Studio 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 Psycho Studio
What does Psycho Studio do?
Psycho Studios is an independent horror-focused film/TV production company that creates and distributes original multimedia content, including a monthly subscription newsletter (The Sprinkler), a horror-genre podcast, original horror film screenplays and treatment outlines in development, and a self-published horror video game distributed on Steam. The studio operates as a small, founder-led creator business producing horror entertainment across text, audio, video, and interactive game formats for horror enthusiasts.
Is Psycho Studio a public or private company?
Psycho Studio is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Psycho Studio founded?
Psycho Studio was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Psycho Studio based?
Psycho Studio is headquartered in Phoenix, United States, in the North America region.
How does Psycho Studio make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Newsletter Subscription is the primary driver. The others are podcast Content, game Development and Distribution and donations/Support.
Who are Psycho Studio's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are iHeartPodcasts, Blumhouse Productions, Studio71, Shudder and A24. Direct peers are Crypt TV, Fangoria, Dread Central, Rue Morgue and Bloody Disgusting.
Does Psycho Studio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Psycho Studio.
What industry is Psycho Studio in?
Psycho Studio's product category is Independent Horror Film & Multimedia Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAHAA, Recording Studios (Commercial, Project, Mobile), with a secondary code of MPAFAAAC, Indie Game Studios. Its NAICS code is 512 and its SIC code is 7812.