Yellow Dot Studios
Yellow Dot Studios is a 501(c)(3) non-profit media studio, founded in 2023 by Adam McKay, producing climate-focused comedy series, documentaries, podcasts, and live shows distributed free across YouTube, streaming, and social platforms to challenge fossil fuel disinformation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Yellow Dot Studios does
Yellow Dot Studios is a 501(c)(3) non-profit media studio (EIN 92-3299803, incorporated in California in 2023) that produces climate-focused entertainment content to challenge fossil fuel disinformation. Founded by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Adam McKay (Don't Look Up, The Big Short, Vice), the studio operates with a small team of 1–10 employees out of Los Angeles and produces across multiple formats including comedy series ('Do You Even Care'), NSFW climate education ('Headline Newds'), documentary film ('You Need This'), live comedy-variety shows ('Let's Not Die!'), investigative podcasts ('SABOTAGE'), comedy-science game shows ('So You Think You Can Science'), meteorologist-led explainers ('Extreme Weather Report'), and short satirical videos targeting fossil fuel executives and disinformation campaigns.
The studio's core technology is content production rather than software — proprietary formats such as the sauna-based interview concept and OnlyFans-distributed climate education differentiate it from conventional climate journalism. Distribution is free and multi-platform: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, OnlyFans, and commercial streaming via Grasshopper Film (Prime Video, Apple TV). Content has reached audiences through film festivals including CPH:DOX, Doclands, and Docs Ireland, and has been covered by Fast Company, The Guardian, Deadline, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, and Rolling Stone. Celebrity collaborators include Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, Jane Fonda, Rainn Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Chelsea Handler, and others.
The business model is donation- and grant-funded rather than revenue-generating: income derives from individual donations (tax-deductible under 501(c)(3) status), philanthropic grants, and commissioned work from allied climate advocacy organizations. All content is distributed free to viewers. Strategic partnerships include Grasshopper Film (distribution), Scenery/Banijay and Hyperobject Industries (co-production), Butcher Bird Studios (production services), and Stop The Oil Profiteering (campaign collaboration). The Take Action page routes engaged audiences to partner advocacy organizations, positioning the studio as a top-of-funnel awareness and cultural-attitude-shifting layer within the broader climate movement infrastructure.
Yellow Dot Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Yellow Dot Studios
- Legal name
- Yellow Dot Studios, Inc.
- Website
- https://yellowdotstudios.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Yellow Dot Studios is a 501(c)(3) non-profit media studio, founded in 2023 by Adam McKay, producing climate-focused comedy series, documentaries, podcasts, and live shows distributed free across YouTube, streaming, and social platforms to challenge fossil fuel disinformation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Yellow Dot Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Non-profit Climate Media
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Sound Recording Studios (512240)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Media Partnerships & Content Co-productions (NGO/Cultural) (MPABADAN)
Keywords
Where Yellow Dot Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Yellow Dot Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting climate-focused media. Yellow Dot Studios is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with EIN 92-3299803.
- Philanthropic Grants: Funding from philanthropists and foundation donors who support climate education and advocacy through entertainment media.
- Commissioned Work: Productions commissioned by partners and allied organizations for climate advocacy campaigns and educational content.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Yellow Dot Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Yellow Dot Studios is a 501(c)(3) non-profit media studio that produces climate-focused entertainment content including comedy series, documentaries, podcasts, live shows, and satirical videos. The studio creates content that challenges fossil fuel industry disinformation and educates audiences about the climate crisis through humor, celebrity partnerships, and unconventional formats. All content is distributed free to the public via digital platforms and live venues.
Product overview
Yellow Dot Studios is a non-profit media studio producing climate-focused entertainment content across multiple formats. The portfolio includes the 'Do You Even Care' comedy series (sauna-based format trapping celebrities until they discuss climate issues), the NSFW 'Headline Newds' series (featuring OnlyFans performers explaining climate science), documentary 'You Need This' (examining consumerism), live comedy/variety show 'Let's Not Die!', investigative podcast 'SABOTAGE' (covering climate activists), game show 'So You Think You Can Science', 'Extreme Weather Report' video series (meteorologist analysis), and various satirical videos targeting fossil fuel industry disinformation. The studio also runs the El Niño Warning Letter advocacy campaign and provides Take Action resources for climate activism. Content is distributed via YouTube, OnlyFans, Instagram, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and major streaming platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Headline Newds: A series exposing truth through provocative content, featuring episodes with OnlyFans performers discussing climate topics.
- Do You Even Care
- Let's Not Die!
- You Need This
- So You Think You Can Science
- Extreme Weather Report
- SABOTAGE
Products and services
- Do You Even Care Comedy series where host Esteban Gast traps guests in a progressively heating sauna until they demonstrate care about climate and environmental issues. Features comedians and celebrities discussing topics like farming, air pollution, corporate disinformation, and climate policy.
- Headline Newds NSFW series featuring OnlyFans performers and sex work-adjacent creators who explain climate science and fossil fuel industry practices using provocative, attention-grabbing content formats.
- Let's Not Die! Yellow Dot's live climate comedy and variety show featuring performances by comedians, expert speakers on climate topics, and audience engagement. Held at venues like Dynasty Typewriter LA, Chelsea Music Hall NYC, Hollywood Improv, and during Climate Week NYC.
- SABOTAGE Podcast 9-part investigative podcast series following reporters Alessandra Ram and Samantha Oltman as they cover controversial climate activists. Selected by Apple Podcasts in 'Best So Far 2025'. Executive produced by Adam McKay and Staci Roberts-Steele.
- So You Think You Can Science World's first live comedy-science game show where comedians compete in real science challenges, making science accessible and entertaining for general audiences.
- You Need This Documentary Documentary exploring how consumerism evolved from 1950s American optimism into a global system shaping desires, identities, and behaviors. Directed by Ryan Andrej Lough, produced by Adam McKay. Acquired by Grasshopper Film and distributed on Prime Video and Apple TV.
- Extreme Weather Report Video series featuring meteorologist Chris Gloninger breaking down how fossil fuel pollution drives extreme weather events, covering heat waves, floods, hurricanes, and climate-related topics.
- El Niño Warning Letter Campaign Public petition campaign addressed to governors, mayors, and first responders urging immediate preparation for an impending large-scale El Niño warming event. Signed by celebrities and scientists including Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jane Fonda.
Quantifiable outcome
- Productions featured in Fast Company, The Guardian, Deadline, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, National Geographic, and other major outlets
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Yellow Dot Studios
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Yellow Dot Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature3 records
Yellow Dot Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- Grasshopper FilmcoreGrasshopper Film acquired and distributed the documentary 'You Need This' for theatrical and streaming release, making it available on platforms including Prime Video and Apple TV.
- California Attorney General Rob BontaminorFeatured California AG Rob Bonta at a live show where he announced California's lawsuit against ExxonMobil for plastic pollution disinformation. Collaboration on climate accountability messaging.
- Scenery (Banijay)coreScenery, a Hotel Motion Pictures production under Banijay, co-produced the 'You Need This' documentary with Yellow Dot Studios.
- Butcher Bird StudioscoreProduction partner for multiple Yellow Dot Studios productions including IRA Kitchen, Chelsea Handler vs oil executives, and other video content.
- Stop The Oil ProfiteeringmajorCo-produced 'A Love Letter From Darth Vader to Exxon' video with Stop The Oil Profiteering campaign.
- Hyperobject IndustriesmajorCo-produced climate content with Adam McKay's production company Hyperobject Industries, which also produced 'Don't Look Up'.
- Environmental Voter ProjectminorFeatured on Yellow Dot's Take Action page as a partner for urging leaders to act on climate issues.
- Climate ChangemakersminorPartner organization featured on Take Action page for the Hour of Action campaign to engage voters on climate issues.
- Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation TreatyminorEndorsement partner featured on Take Action page for advocacy work to end fossil fuels.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Yellow Dot Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Oxygen (formerly Seeker): Digital media brand producing science and environmental video content for social platforms. Comparable as a video publisher targeting climate-curious younger audiences, though with broader science coverage and corporate backing.
- PBS: Public broadcasting network airing educational programming including climate documentaries (Yellow Dot content even appeared on PBS via the Climate California episode). Operates as the established non-profit broadcaster counterpart to Yellow Dot's digital-first model.
- The Guardian Climate Desk: Major newsroom with one of the largest dedicated climate journalism sections, including coverage that has featured Yellow Dot's Headline Newds series. Comparable in climate-mission focus, though operates as paid journalism rather than non-profit entertainment production.
- Vice Media: Large digital media company with significant climate and environmental journalism (Vice Climate Desk). Operates in adjacent space — younger-audience climate content — but with broader editorial portfolio and paid production model versus Yellow Dot's donation-funded approach.
Emerging players
- Climate Town: YouTube creator producing climate-focused comedic explainers. Targets the same audience of climate-curious viewers seeking entertaining rather than doom-laden content; operates as a comparable emerging digital climate-comedy brand.
Others
- 350.org: Major climate advocacy non-profit running public education and mobilization campaigns. Comparable as a 501(c)(3)-style organization pursuing climate communications; differs in being activism-led rather than entertainment-led.
- Patagonia (activism arm): Brand-driven climate advocacy organization funding environmental campaigns and films. Comparable as a non-corporate entity using commercial platform for climate action, though operates primarily through product revenue rather than media production.
Direct peers
- NowThis: Social-first video publisher producing climate, social-justice, and progressive news content optimized for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Closely comparable mission (advocacy via short-form digital video) and similar cross-platform distribution strategy.
- Hyperobject Industries: Adam McKay's production company behind Don't Look Up and Yellow Dot's co-production partner on 'A Love Letter From Darth Vader to Exxon.' Operates in the same climate-satirical media niche with the same founder and overlapping creative team.
- Funny or Die: Comedy-driven media company co-founded by Adam McKay. Both Yellow Dot's Executive Director (Staci Roberts-Steele) and Executive Producer (Anna Wenger) came from Funny or Die, and the studio inherits its political-comedy video production DNA.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Yellow Dot Studios social profiles
Digital presenceYellow Dot Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Yellow Dot Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Yellow Dot Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Yellow Dot Studios 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 Yellow Dot Studios
What does Yellow Dot Studios do?
Yellow Dot Studios is a 501(c)(3) non-profit media studio that produces climate-focused entertainment content including comedy series, documentaries, podcasts, live shows, and satirical videos. The studio creates content that challenges fossil fuel industry disinformation and educates audiences about the climate crisis through humor, celebrity partnerships, and unconventional formats. All content is distributed free to the public via digital platforms and live venues.
Is Yellow Dot Studios a public or private company?
Yellow Dot Studios is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Yellow Dot Studios founded?
Yellow Dot Studios was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Yellow Dot Studios based?
Yellow Dot Studios is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Yellow Dot Studios make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are philanthropic Grants and commissioned Work.
Who are Yellow Dot Studios's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Oxygen (formerly Seeker), PBS, The Guardian Climate Desk and Vice Media. Climate Town is listed as an emerging player. Others are 350.org and Patagonia (activism arm). Direct peers are NowThis, Hyperobject Industries and Funny or Die.
Does Yellow Dot Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for Yellow Dot Studios.
What industry is Yellow Dot Studios in?
Yellow Dot Studios's product category is Non-profit Climate Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABADAN, Public Media Partnerships & Content Co-productions (NGO/Cultural). Its NAICS code is 512 and its SIC code is 7812.