Channel Awesome
Encyclopedia
Channel Awesome is an online media production company based in Naperville, Illinois
. The company was created in 2008 by Mike Michaud (Chief executive officer
), Mike Ellis (former Chief operating officer
) and Bhargav Dronamraju (Chief executive producer
). Channel Awesome currently operates the That Guy with the Glasses
website, joined by Bar Fiesta in November 2009, and Blistered Thumbs in November 2010. All of Channel Awesome's content is hosted by Blip.tv
. The company is believed to have earned $150,000 in 2009, the majority of which came from advertising through their site and web series. Robert Walker, brother of Douglas Walker (That Guy with the Glasses), is the company's Creative Content Officer in charge of recruiting talent for the website.
The company's first website is That Guy with the Glasses
based on the characters created by Douglas Walker. Walker had previously hosted these through YouTube
, but they were repeatedly removed under suspicion of copyright infringement. The site was launched in April 2008. The site was also featured in Entrepreneur magazine on December 2009 where the history of the site was discussed as well as the plans for the future. The site later expanded to feature content from various other contributors.
Douglas Walker's The Nostalgia Critic show averages about 600,000 viewers per week and the That Guy with the Glasses site as a whole receives 18.5 million page views per month. This is expected to increase following content-provider Blip.tv's deal with YouTube in July 2009.
The site earns more than $10,000 per month in advertising revenue and has received over $11,000 in online donations from viewers. The company expects to earn $150,000 by the end of the year. In the third quarter of the 2009 Fiscal year, Walker's shows earned $53,000. This revenue was generated by run of network
from Puma and Starburst
. As of June 2011, the company employs seven full time staff. The production costs of Channel Awesome's web series are minimal, requiring just a camera, software and the stars of the shows themselves. According to Walker, "these people are cheap to get because we are happy to see any amount of money." Channel Awesome's ability to attract a significant audience with such low expenditure is having an effect on video entertainment production.
On December 5, 2009, the company held a donation drive for the Ronald McDonald House charity. The donation drive lasted on the upwards of seven hours and raised $26,400. During the event, calls were taken, prizes were awarded to people who donated large sums of money and videos featuring the talent on the site were aired. The donation drive was extended a few more days making the grand total $32,200. The drive itself was also archived on ThatGuyWithTheGlasses for all to see.
Channel Awesome has plans to build on the success of That Guy with the Glasses with a network of new websites including Bar Fiesta (covering Chicago entertainment and nightlife) and Inked Reality for anime and comic books. Blistered Thumbs (a spin off incorporating the current site's videogame content) was launched November 4, 2010 as the beginning of the new Channel Awesome network. Mike Michaud told the Chicago Sun-Times
that he has 300 new show ideas in the works, intends to discover more performers like Walker, and has plans to increase revenue through sponsorship and merchandising. As of 2011 Michaud is looking for warehouse space in suburban Chicago.
In 2011, Michaud told the The New York Times
, "My company has a lot of growing up to do, but I believe that sometime in the next one to two years someone will create that one series that gets everyone talking... [and attract audiences] to the endless options of online video."
Naperville, Illinois
Naperville is a city in DuPage and Will Counties in Illinois in the United States, voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 141,853. It is the fifth largest city in the state, behind Chicago,...
. The company was created in 2008 by Mike Michaud (Chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
), Mike Ellis (former Chief operating officer
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
) and Bhargav Dronamraju (Chief executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
). Channel Awesome currently operates the That Guy with the Glasses
That Guy with the Glasses
That Guy with the Glasses is a website that mostly showcases satirical reviews of movies and video games. It primarily stars Chicago native Douglas Darien "Doug" Walker as "That Guy with the Glasses". The founder and administrator of the site is Michael Michaud, CEO of the parent company Channel...
website, joined by Bar Fiesta in November 2009, and Blistered Thumbs in November 2010. All of Channel Awesome's content is hosted by Blip.tv
Blip.tv
The website Blip.tv is a platform for web series. The company offers a for the "best in original web series" and also offers a dashboard for producers of original web series to distribute and monetize their productions....
. The company is believed to have earned $150,000 in 2009, the majority of which came from advertising through their site and web series. Robert Walker, brother of Douglas Walker (That Guy with the Glasses), is the company's Creative Content Officer in charge of recruiting talent for the website.
History
Mike Michaud created Channel Awesome with two others after they were laid off from Circuit City in 2007. The three discussed the idea of such a company while still employed, but their dismissal was the impetus to put their plans into action. Michaud has stated that "If we didn't lose our jobs, [the business] wouldn't have happened anytime soon."The company's first website is That Guy with the Glasses
That Guy with the Glasses
That Guy with the Glasses is a website that mostly showcases satirical reviews of movies and video games. It primarily stars Chicago native Douglas Darien "Doug" Walker as "That Guy with the Glasses". The founder and administrator of the site is Michael Michaud, CEO of the parent company Channel...
based on the characters created by Douglas Walker. Walker had previously hosted these through YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, but they were repeatedly removed under suspicion of copyright infringement. The site was launched in April 2008. The site was also featured in Entrepreneur magazine on December 2009 where the history of the site was discussed as well as the plans for the future. The site later expanded to feature content from various other contributors.
Douglas Walker's The Nostalgia Critic show averages about 600,000 viewers per week and the That Guy with the Glasses site as a whole receives 18.5 million page views per month. This is expected to increase following content-provider Blip.tv's deal with YouTube in July 2009.
The site earns more than $10,000 per month in advertising revenue and has received over $11,000 in online donations from viewers. The company expects to earn $150,000 by the end of the year. In the third quarter of the 2009 Fiscal year, Walker's shows earned $53,000. This revenue was generated by run of network
Run of network
Run of Network advertising is a form of marketing which lets an advertiser post an online advertisement on a wide collection of websites without the ability to choose specific sites. Networks represent the banner advertising on many sites and might be focused only on one type of site such as Games...
from Puma and Starburst
Starburst (confectionery)
Starburst is the brand name of a cuboid-shaped, fruit-flavoured soft taffy candy manufactured by The Wrigley Company, a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated...
. As of June 2011, the company employs seven full time staff. The production costs of Channel Awesome's web series are minimal, requiring just a camera, software and the stars of the shows themselves. According to Walker, "these people are cheap to get because we are happy to see any amount of money." Channel Awesome's ability to attract a significant audience with such low expenditure is having an effect on video entertainment production.
On December 5, 2009, the company held a donation drive for the Ronald McDonald House charity. The donation drive lasted on the upwards of seven hours and raised $26,400. During the event, calls were taken, prizes were awarded to people who donated large sums of money and videos featuring the talent on the site were aired. The donation drive was extended a few more days making the grand total $32,200. The drive itself was also archived on ThatGuyWithTheGlasses for all to see.
Channel Awesome has plans to build on the success of That Guy with the Glasses with a network of new websites including Bar Fiesta (covering Chicago entertainment and nightlife) and Inked Reality for anime and comic books. Blistered Thumbs (a spin off incorporating the current site's videogame content) was launched November 4, 2010 as the beginning of the new Channel Awesome network. Mike Michaud told the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
that he has 300 new show ideas in the works, intends to discover more performers like Walker, and has plans to increase revenue through sponsorship and merchandising. As of 2011 Michaud is looking for warehouse space in suburban Chicago.
In 2011, Michaud told the The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, "My company has a lot of growing up to do, but I believe that sometime in the next one to two years someone will create that one series that gets everyone talking... [and attract audiences] to the endless options of online video."