DreamWorks’ AwesomenessTV Sells Stake to Hearst

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AwesomenessTV is living up to its name, according to one media giant.

Hearst Corp. has acquired a 25 percent stake in DreamWorks Animation’s subsidiary for $81 million.

DreamWorks and Hearst plan to build out the multichannel network’s video content, broaden its audience and expand globally. AwesomenessTV will have access to Hearst’s subscription video on demand technology to help further distribute its videos in different formats.

“Few companies have built the global audience of millennial females as quickly as AwesomenessTV,” said Steven R. Swartz, Hearst president and chief executive, in a statement. “For us, it’s very important to make a bet on the future of how content is created.”

AwesomenessTV and its teenybopper videos average 800 million monthly views through a viewer base of more than 114 million subscribers. DreamWorks acquired the MCN for $33 million in May 2013.

“We’re delighted with the opportunity to partner with Hearst, in part because it has outstanding global brands, a very valuable international presence and industry-leading technology,” said DreamWorks Animation Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg in a statement, “and also because of its demonstrated track record of successfully partnering with media companies and supporting their growth trajectories.”

AwesomenessTV founder Brian Robbins and President Brett Bouttier will continue to lead the company, which includes talent management arm Big Frame.

Staff reporter Melissah Yang can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @MelissahYang for the latest in L.A. tech news.

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