The Chaser

What The Chaser does

The Chaser is an Australian satirical media company that has operated continuously since 1999 under the legal entity Chaser Digital Pty Ltd and related subsidiaries (Chaser Broadcasting Pty Ltd, Chaser Publishing Pty Ltd). It produces comedic commentary on Australian and international news across a digital content platform spanning a website (chaser.com.au), a daily podcast (The Chaser Report, 1,286+ episodes as of July 2026), a weekly email newsletter (The Chaser Weakly, 332+ issues as of July 2025), a video library of stunts and pranks, and touring live comedy shows. The company also runs The Shot, a related satirical site, and The Chaser Shop, an e-commerce store for branded clothing, books, and gift packs. Founded by Charles Firth, Craig Reucassel, Julian Morrow, and Dominic Knight, with Andrew Hansen, Chas Licciardello, and Chris Taylor joining subsequently, the team has produced more than 15 TV and radio shows historically, including ABC programs CNNNN and The War on Everything.

The business model is built on a supporter-funded, ad-free structure designed to preserve editorial independence. Revenue streams include tiered site memberships at $2, $10, and $20 per month, one-off contributions, a premium ad-free podcast tier at approximately $3 per month via Supercast and Acast, merchandise sales through The Chaser Shop, and live event ticket sales (e.g., $20 for The Chaser Report Live and Arty shows at venues like The Soda Factory in Sydney). Content is distributed free across the website, podcast platforms, and social channels (Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok), with paywall elements reserved for premium supporters. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on fan engagement and grassroots distribution rather than paid acquisition. The company serves a horizontal persona segment — Australian adults seeking satirical alternatives to mainstream news — and is privately held with no disclosed institutional investment, operating as a small team of 11-50 employees based in Ultimo/Sydney.

Name

The Chaser

Legal name

Chaser Digital Pty Ltd

Website

https://chaser.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Chaser is an Australian satirical media company that publishes comedic news articles, a daily podcast, a weekly newsletter, videos, and live comedy shows, monetized through tiered supporter memberships, podcast subscriptions, merchandise, and live events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ultimo

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Supporter Memberships: Monthly subscription model with three tiers ($2, $10, $20/month) providing supporter access and supporting writers
2. Podcast Premium Subscriptions: Ad-free premium podcast access through Supercast and Acast platforms at approximately $3/month
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of merchandise including clothing, books, and gift packs through the Chaser Shop
4. One-time Contributions: One-off payment option for supporters who prefer not to commit to monthly subscriptions
5. Live Events: Revenue from live shows and events such as The Chaser Report Live and Arty performances

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Chaser is an Australian satirical media company that creates and distributes humorous commentary on news and current events. It publishes satirical articles on chaser.com.au, produces a daily news podcast (The Chaser Report), a weekly editorial newsletter (The Chaser Weakly), satirical videos, live comedy shows, and an annual print publication. The company sells branded merchandise and runs tiered subscription memberships that fund its ad-free editorial operations.

Product overview

The Chaser is a satirical media company operating primarily as a digital news and entertainment platform. The core product portfolio consists of the main chaser.com.au website publishing satirical articles across news categories, the daily Chaser Report podcast hosted by Charles Firth and Dom Knight, the weekly Chaser Weakly email newsletter, and a video archive of comedic stunts and investigative journalism. The company also operates The Shot (a related satirical site), an e-commerce shop for branded merchandise, publishes an annual compendium, and runs live comedy touring events. A supporter membership program offers tiered subscriptions for ad-free and premium content access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Chaser Weakly: Weekly editorial newsletter featuring satirical commentary on news and current events.
• The Chaser Report

Products and services

• The Chaser Website Main satirical news website publishing articles across General News, Sport, World, and Entertainment categories for Australian audiences seeking political and current-events satire.
• The Chaser Report Podcast Daily news podcast hosted by Charles Firth and Dom Knight, voted one of the Top 1000 daily news podcasts; provides satirical daily commentary on Australian and global news. Available on Apple Podcasts, Acast, and Supercast for premium ad-free subscriptions.
• The Chaser Weakly Newsletter Weekly editorial email newsletter featuring satirical commentary on news and current events, delivered to subscribers; 332+ issues published as of July 2025.
• The Chaser Videos Video archive featuring satirical stunts, pranks, and comedic investigative journalism pieces, hosted on the website and YouTube channel.
• The Chaser Shop Merchandise store selling Chaser-branded items including clothing, literature/books (e.g., Official Guide to Bad Parenting), Christmas gift packs, and other branded products.
• The Chaser Annual Annual print publication compiled from the year's satirical content and news coverage.
• The Shot Related Australian satirical news website at theshot.net.au operated alongside The Chaser.
• Live Shows Live touring comedy events including The Chaser Report Live and Arty performances, held at venues such as Soda Factory in Surry Hills, Sydney.
• Supporter Membership Subscription membership program with Basic ($2/month), Mid ($10/month), and Premium ($20/month) tiers offering ad-free content and exclusive access; supports editorial independence.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Chaser Report podcast ranked in Top 1000 daily news podcasts globally

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Babylon Bee: US-based conservative-leaning satirical news site producing articles and a podcast with a recurring subscription and supporter model. Comparable in format (digital satire + podcast + newsletter) to The Chaser's offering.
• The Daily Mash: UK satirical news site publishing daily comedic articles on politics and current events. Directly comparable in format (regular satirical digital articles), audience (national politically-engaged readers), and distribution (social-led).
• The Betoota Advocate: Australia's leading online satirical newspaper, operating in the same Australian market with a comparable community-driven, ad-free satire model. The Betoota Advocate is the closest direct competitor to The Chaser.
• The Beaverton: Canada's leading satirical news publication covering federal and provincial politics with a comedic lens. Directly comparable in product (satirical digital articles, newsletter, podcast) and audience (politically engaged national readership).
• The Onion: America's flagship satirical news brand, producing digital articles, videos, and podcasts across politics and culture. The Onion is the most recognized direct peer globally in the satirical media category.
• ClickHole: Satirical digital media brand focused on parody content and absurd news. Operates a similar community-driven, ad-supported satire model targeting a digital-native audience.
• The Shovel: Australian satirical news publication covering politics and current events with a similar comedic lens and Australian audience targeting. Operates as a digital-first satire outlet in the same niche as The Chaser.
• Reductress: US-based satirical feminist digital publication with newsletter, podcast, and video content. Comparable in operating a digital-first satire outlet with a defined audience segment and recurring content formats.
• The Hard Times: Satirical digital publication parodying news and culture with a niche focus. Operates a comparable digital-first satirical content model targeting a younger online audience.

Broad incumbents

• Private Eye: Long-established UK satirical magazine combining print periodicals with digital presence. A broader incumbent in the satirical media space with a traditional publishing business model analogous to The Chaser's roots in print satire.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chaser
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuayGfyniMALgXa0aFxErAQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/thechaser
• Instagraminstagram.com/chaserwar
• TikToktiktok.com/@chaser.com.au
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-chaser

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 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 The Chaser