What American High Digital does

American High (legal entity: American Indie, LLC) is a privately held, vertically integrated comedy film production studio founded in 2014 and headquartered at a repurposed 100,000-square-foot former middle school (A.V. Zogg Middle School) in Syracuse, New York. The company produces and licenses original feature films and series — primarily young adult and high school-themed comedies — to major streaming platforms and theatrical distributors. Its owned production facility functions as interchangeable soundstages, sets, offices, and equipment storage, providing capital-intensive infrastructure that reduces per-project location costs and enables rapid production turnaround. The company is led by founder/CEO Jeremy Garelick (director of Netflix's Murder Mystery 2 and Rolling Loud) and operates with 11-50 employees.

The business model rests on three reinforcing revenue streams: (1) content licensing and first-look production deals with enterprise streaming platforms — principally Hulu (8-picture first-look deal signed May 2019, renewed March 2023) and Netflix (28-episode Minimum Wage series ordered in 2026, plus prior Banana Split and Murder Mystery 2 acquisitions); (2) digital content distribution through American High Digital, a wholly-owned division launched in November 2022 that produces daily short-form comedy sketches across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, reaching 1M+ followers and 1B+ streams by October 2023 and serving as a viral IP development funnel for longer-form productions; and (3) ancillary operations including Syracuse Studios (production services for third-party films), The Academy at American High (non-profit crew training), American High Records LLC (in-house music composition), and direct-to-consumer branded merchandise e-commerce.

Supporting infrastructure includes wholly-owned subsidiaries in production services, music composition, and crew education, plus distribution partnerships extending to Disney+ (international, via Hulu on Disney+), Ketchup Entertainment (therical, Rolling Loud in 2,000+ theaters), and VOD platforms (Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Peacock, Tubi). The company has accumulated industry recognition including a SXSW Grand Jury Award (I Love My Dad, 2022), a Sundance Grand Jury Prize nomination (Big Time Adolescence, 2019), a Golden Reel Award (The Ultimate Playlist of Noise, 2018), and a People's Voice Webby Award for Social Comedy (American High Shorts, 2025), and was profiled on the front page of The New York Times business section in 2021.

Name

American High Digital

Legal name

American Indie, LLC

Website

https://americanhigh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

American High is a vertically integrated comedy film studio that produces young adult comedies for streaming platforms (Hulu, Netflix, Disney+) and theatrical release, operating from a 100,000 sq ft owned Syracuse, NY production facility and a multi-channel short-form digital division.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Live-Action Short-Form Production (Short Films, Web Series) (MPADABAE)

Keywords

• Comedy film production
• Independent film studio
• Short-form digital content
• Streaming content production
• Production facility rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Film/Series Production and Licensing: American High produces comedy films and series, securing first-look deals and distribution agreements with streaming platforms (Hulu, Netflix, Disney+) and theatrical distributors. Revenue comes from licensing content to these platforms.
2. Merchandise Sales: Direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales of branded merchandise including hats, shirts, skateboards, accessories. Sells through company website with US shipping available.
3. Production Services: Syracuse Studios offers production facilities and services to third-party productions when not in use by American High, generating ancillary revenue from the physical infrastructure.
4. Academy Programs: The Academy at American High offers workshops and educational programs taught by industry professionals including cinematography, production design, stunt coordination, and music industry skills.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

American High Digital is the digital content arm of American High, an independent film production studio that develops, produces, and licenses comedy films and series — primarily high school and young adult comedies — to major streaming platforms (Hulu, Netflix, Disney+) and theatrical distributors. The company produces daily short-form sketch content through its American High Shorts channels (TikTok, YouTube, Instagram), operates a 100,000 sq ft production facility in Syracuse, NY, and supports productions with in-house music composition (American High Records), studio rental services (Syracuse Studios), and crew training (Academy at American High).

Product overview

American High is a film production company that operates as a multi-platform entertainment studio. The core offering consists of feature-length comedy films (distributed via Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, theatrical release, and VOD platforms), short-form digital content (American High Shorts on TikTok/YouTube/Instagram), and the Minimum Wage franchise adapted from viral short-form series into a Netflix series. Supporting operations include The Academy at American High (non-profit film education), Syracuse Studios (production services), American High Records (music composition), and a merchandise e-commerce store. The company is headquartered at a repurposed high school in Syracuse, NY, which serves as both production facility and creative campus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Feature Film Production & Licensing Production and licensing of original feature-length comedy films (primarily high school, college, and young adult themes) for distribution via streaming platforms (Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Peacock, Tubi) and theatrical release. Customers are streaming platform content acquisition teams and theatrical distributors.
• American High Shorts (Short-Form Digital Content) Daily sketch comedy content distributed across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, focused on high school, college, and post-grad life scenarios. Functions as a top-of-funnel audience discovery channel for the company's long-form productions. Reached 1M followers and 1B streams before first birthday (October 2023).
• Syracuse Studios Production Services Soundstage and production facility rental offering 100,000 sq ft of interchangeable sets, soundstage, offices, equipment, and crew access to third-party film and TV productions in Central New York. Has serviced productions including The Night House (Sundance 2020) and On the Count of Three (Sundance 2021).
• The Academy at American High Non-profit educational organization offering workshops and internship programs taught by industry professionals, covering cinematography, production design, stunt coordination, music industry, and location scouting. Targets aspiring film crew in Central New York.
• American High Records In-house record label composing and producing original music scores and soundtracks for American High film productions. Reduces dependence on external music licensing.
• American High Branded Merchandise Direct-to-consumer e-commerce store selling American High branded merchandise including hats ($10–$20), apparel/t-shirts ($15–$25), accessories ($5–$15), skateboards ($65), letterman jackets ($1,600), and baby onesies ($25). Ships within the US.
• Casting Services Talent casting services for American High film productions, with online submission form for aspiring actors.
• Minimum Wage (Series) Netflix-original 28-episode ensemble workplace comedy series set in a chaotic local pizza shop, adapted from the viral short-form Minimum Wage series (30M+ views). Targeted at teen and young adult streaming audiences.
• Rolling Loud (Film)

Quantifiable outcome

• Minimum Wage short-form series achieved 30M+ views across platforms
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and minor.

• HuluflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 May 2019Signed 8-picture first-look deal with Hulu in May 2019 following success of Big Time Adolescence. Deal was later renewed. Hulu distributes most American High content including The Binge (Hulu's first original film), Plan B, Sex Appeal, Crush, Prom Dates, Summer of 69, Pizza Movie, and Never Change.
• Syracuse StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2018Production services company born from American High's facility. Offers soundstages and production services to third-party films when not in use by American High. Has serviced productions including The Night House (Sundance 2020), Mabel, Paper Spiders, On the Count of Three (Sundance 2021).
• Ketchup EntertainmentmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKetchup Entertainment acquired domestic distribution rights for Rolling Loud film starring Owen Wilson and Matt Rife. Film released in over 2000 theaters.
• Live Nation StudiosmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of Rolling Loud film with American High. The film is set against the backdrop of the Rolling Loud hip-hop festival with contributions from various artists.
• Prince Hobo ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction banner of Peyton Elizabeth Lee, who will produce Second First Date alongside Jeremy Garelick and Ben Frahm. Reunites American High with Lee following Pizza Movie success.
• All Things ComedyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of Pizza Movie alongside American High. Comedy-focused production partnership.
• Atlas EntertainmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of I Love My Dad alongside American High.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Live Nation Studios: Film and television arm of Live Nation focused on music-anchored productions and co-productions, including the Rolling Loud film with American High. Comparable as an emerging content producer intersecting music and comedy.

Broad incumbents

• Lionsgate: Independent-leaning studio with major film, television, and streaming distribution operations. Comparable as an indie-oriented studio selling premium content into streaming and theatrical, though at a substantially larger scale.
• Legendary Entertainment: Larger-scale independent studio producing film, television, and digital content. Comparable in business model and multi-platform distribution, but operates at materially greater scale and budget than American High.
• Searchlight Pictures: Disney-owned specialty film label focused on prestige and indie releases with strong festival and streaming ties. Comparable as an indie-leaning film label, though operating as part of a larger incumbent studio.

Direct peers

• A24: Independent film production and distribution studio with a strong streaming and festival pipeline. Comparable to American High as a privately held production studio building premium, brand-driven comedy and genre films for major platforms.
• Blumhouse Productions: High-output independent film and television producer known for a capital-efficient production model and direct platform deals. Closely comparable to American High's approach of producing cost-effective, repeatable content for major streamers.
• Annapurna Pictures: Independent film and television production company distributing through streaming and theatrical channels. Comparable as a privately held production studio with multi-platform distribution and festival-driven releases.
• Happy Madison Productions: Adam Sandler's comedy-focused production banner with deep, long-running Netflix output deals. Directly comparable to American High's comedy-first slate and multi-picture streaming relationships.
• Imagine Entertainment: Long-running independent film and television producer (Ron Howard, Brian Grazer) with deep relationships across streamers and broadcasters. Comparable to American High's independent production model and broad platform distribution.
• Participant Media: Independent content company producing film and television with a social-impact lens and strong streaming relationships. Comparable as a privately held production company selling premium original content to major platforms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@americanhighshorts
• Facebookfacebook.com/americanhigh
• Instagraminstagram.com/americanhighshorts
• Xx.com/americanhigh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-high

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 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 American High Digital