Black-Owned Media Conglomerates, Studios, & Production Companies
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A Hot Set lists the growing number of African Americans/Black entertainment industry professionals owning media conglomerates, studios and production companies to develop a diverse array of media projects for both big and small screens.
MEDIA CONGLOMERATES
Represents media conglomerates founded and entirely owned by African Americans/Blacks.
Allen Media Group: The Allen Media Group is a film and television media/entertainment conglomerate based in Los Angeles, California. The company was founded in 1993 and owned by Byron Allen. The company has numerous divisions including Allen Media Broadcasting (30 network affiliate stations), Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures (full-service film distribution), Entertainment Studios Networks (eight cable channels), Freestyle Digital Media (services for independent filmmakers), TheGiro (digital print news platform & streaming video news outlet), HBCUGo.TV (OnDemand & syndicated educational, news, and live sporting events for HBCUs), International TV (distribution of lifestyle television content internationally), The Syndication Group (syndicated lifestyle television programming), and The Weather Group (four weather-related media brands). The Allen Media Group also has a specialized partnership with Sinclair Broadcasting for Bally Sports, a group of regional sports networks.
Direct Digital Holdings: Direct Digital Holdings is a sell-side advertising conglomerate founded by Keith Smith and Mark Walker that operates three subsidiary companies Colossus SSP (advertising reach for general broad and multicultural media outlets), Huddled Masses (supply-side advertising services), and Orange 142 (digital advertising and marketing solutions).
Hartbeat: Hartbeat is the global, multi-platform media company founded by Kevin Hart that delivers comedy through its three divisions: Hartbeat Studios (which finances, develops, and produces creative content), Hartbeat Media (which connects with consumers around the world through events and the company’s expansive distribution network) and Pulse (the company’s branded entertainment studio that serves as a creative and cultural consultancy to brand).
MARCO: MARCO is a global media conglomerate founded by Charles D. King. The company has five divisions including Brand MARCO/Agency (full-service culture marketing agency), M88 (representation firm), MARCO Film Studios (film projects), MARCO TV Studios (television productions), and MaC Venture Capital (VC firm).
Urban One: Urban One is the largest distributor of urban content with media properties primarily targeting African Americans based in Silver Spring, Maryland. The company was founded in 1980 by Cathy Hughes. The company has eight subsidiary brands including Cleo TV (cable network), iOne Digital (creates and distributes premium content), One Solution (branding), One VIP (debit card), Radio One (58 radio stations), R1 Digital (digital marketing solutions), Reach Media (syndicated radio programs), and TV One (cable network).
PRODUCTION STUDIO
Represents a full-service production studio founded and entirely owned by an African American/Black.
G-Unit Studios: G-Unit Studios is a film and television production studio based in Shreveport, Lousiana a subsidiary of G-Unit Film and Television Inc. founded by entertainment mogul Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. The production studio has numerous amenities including soundstages, post-production facilities, music studios, and much more.
Tyler Perry Studios: Tyler Perry Studios (TPS) is a film and television production studio on a 330-acre lot located on the historic grounds of the former Fort McPherson Army base in Atlanta, Georgia founded by Tyler Perry. The production studio has numerous amenities including 12 soundstages, 15 permanent sets, and 220 acres of green space.
PRODUCTION companies
Represents production companies founded and entirely owned by African Americans/Blacks.
1500 Entertainment: 1500 Entertainment is a full-service production company founded by Ali Abdin III and Aaron that takes a project from the conception of an idea to the finished product.
35V: 35V is a multi-faceted sports, media, and production company founded by Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman that engages in investing and content creation.
40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks: 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks is a film production company founded by Spike Lee to produce films and television projects.
606 Films: 606 Films is a film and television production company founded by Halle Berry in partnership with Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas to produce film and television projects.
Al Roker Entertainment: Al Roker Entertainment is a digital and TV scripted/unscripted production company, that also creates branded content and provides other media production-related services founded by award-winning television personality, meteorologist, and journalist Al Roker.
Array: Array was founded in 2011 by filmmaker Ava DuVernay and is a multi-platform arts and social impact collective dedicated to narrative change. The organization catalyzes its work through a quartet of mission-driven entities: the film distribution arm Array Releasing, the content company Array Filmworks, the programming and production hub Array Creative Campus, and the non-profit group Array Alliance.
Artists For Artists: Artists For Artists is a full-service artist incubator for content creation, production, commerce, and management venture founded by Kenan Thompson. The company is designed to help talent create and produce their content and help stars/creatives build their content brands while partnering with distributors.
Alcon Entertainment: Alcon Entertainment is a film and TV production company founded by Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove to innovatively finance, produce, market, and distribute entertainment that challenges, inspires, & delights both its creators and its audience.
Bassett Vance Productions: Bassett Vance Productions is a multimedia production company founded by award-winning actress Angela Bassett and her husband Courtney B. Vance.
Bay Mills Productions: Bay Mills Productions was founded by brothers and actors Shamier Anderson and Stephan James to produce TV projects.
Black & Brown Film: Black & Brown Film is a film production company founded by Cassie Quarless that creates projects that center on people of color.
Blackmaled Productions: Blackmaled Productions is a film and television production company founded by Malcolm D. Lee dedicated to telling diverse stories that contribute to changing and amplifying the narratives of people of color and giving a voice to their stories.
BWA Studios: BWA Studios is a female animation studio founded by Taylor K. Shaw and is committed to transforming representation in animation by serving as a platform for authentic storytelling and providing space to create narratives and control stories.
Carl Jackson Entertainment: Carl Jackson Entertainment is a film and television production company founded by Carl Jackson.
CBA Studios: CBA Studios is a black-owned boutique animation studio founded by Chaz Bottoms to black and brown voices on-screen and behind the scenes.
Cinemation Studio: Cinemation Studio is a film and television studio founded by Andre Gaines.
Code Black: Code Black was launched in 2005, by entertainment industry veteran Jeff Clanagan to super-serve the global black community through the development of a diversified portfolio of entertainment media companies that create quality products and experiences that speak to, engage, and accurately represent the global Black experience.
Color Farm Media: Color Farm Media was co-founded by actress Erika Alexander and Ben Arnon to develop and produce premium-quality content for multiple platforms (motion pictures, television, streaming, podcast) that feature multicultural characters and storylines for global, multicultural audiences.
Crossfield House Productions: Crossfield House Productions is an award-winning Toronto production company founded by Troy Crossfield that brings to the world the stories of Black Canadians through the art of theater and film.
Day Zero Productions: Day Zero Productions is a film and TV production company founded by Trevor Noah.
Days Ferry Productions: Days Ferry Productions is a film and television production company founded by award-winning actress, producer, director, and New York Times best-selling author, Victoria Rowel Victoria Rowell.
De Passe Jones Entertainment: De Passe Jones Entertainment is a film and TV production company founded by the multihyphenated executive producer-television-producer-screenwriter-businesswoman Suzanne De Passe Jones to create multimedia projects across all platforms.
Dreadhead Films: Dreadhead Films is a film production company founded by brothers Justen and Julien Turner to create images and tell stories that entertain, inspire, and uplift.
Ejime Productions: Ejime Productions is a film and television production company founded by Adamma and Adanne Ebo to develop and produce feature & short film content, as well as content for television, and digital platforms.
Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures: Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures is a full-service, theatrical motion picture distribution company that specializes in representing independent companies, major studios, and mini-major studios to exhibit their films as first-class theatrical releases.
Esmerelda: Esmerelda is a production company focused on drama and comedy with an emphasis on under-represented voices founded by British actor Lenny Henry and backed by Banijay UK (a subsidiary of Banijay).
Flavor Unit Entertainment: Flavor United Entertainment was cofounded by Queen Latifah and Shakim Compere which produces films and TV projects.
G-Unit Film and Television Inc.: G-Unit Film and Television Inc. is a film and television production company founded by entertainment mogul Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson to produce feature films and television series.
Genius Entertainment: Genius Entertainment (also Genius Productions) was founded by actress Marsai Martin to create scripted and unscripted stories for television, feature films, and digital media.
Green Door Productions: Green Door Productions is a United Kingdom film and television production company founded by Idris Elba to enable a more direct route for talented film and TV series writers, actors, directors, and producers to bring the best of diverse storytelling to a global audience.
Harlem Films: Harlem Films is an integrated film and digital media studio founded by Cheryl Hill and Jamal Joseph to develop, acquire, produce, market, and distribute Black and Brown independent films for the global market.
Harpo Productions: Harpo Productions was founded by talk show host, TV producer, and actress Oprah Winfrey to produce a diverse array of film and TV projects.
Hidden Empires Film Group: The Hidden Empires Film Group is a multi-dimensional independent film company founded by Deon Taylor and Roxanne Avent Taylor, which has produced highly engaging films since its inception, including multiple franchises, which have been distributed both domestically and internationally.
Higher Ground: Higher Ground is a multimedia production company founded by former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama to tell powerful stories that entertain, inform, and inspire— while elevating new and diverse voices in the entertainment industry.
Hillman Grad Productions: Hillman Grad Productions is a full-service media and production company founded by writer, producer, and actor, Lena Waithe, and led by CEO Rishi Rajani. It has six divisions across TV/Film, Music, Books, Podcasts, Branded Content, and Mentorship–quickly rising to become one of the most prominent companies in entertainment.
Hoorae Media: Hoorae Media founded by actress and producer Issa Rae produces film, TV, and digital content.
House Eleven10: House Eleven10 was founded by Emmy award-winning actor Yahya Abdul Mateen II which has him starring in and producing future films for Netflix.
Immovable Studios: Immovable Studios is a television production company founded by Kingslee “Akala” Daley and Chanelle Newman.
Jesse Collins Entertainment: Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full-service television and film entertainment production company founded by Jesse Collins.
Juvee Productions: Juvee Productions was cofounded by husband-and-wife team actress Viola Davis and film, television/theatre producer, and actor Julius Tennon to develop and produce diverse stories for people of color.
Kingdom Reign Entertainment: Kingdom Reign Entertainment was founded by TV producer Carlos King and develops and produces reality TV projects from series, reunion specials, and events.
Lammas Park Productions: Academy Award-winning director Steve McQueen founded Lammas Park Productions to produce film/TV projects.
Laugh Out Loud Productions: Laugh Out Loud Productions was founded by Kevin Hart which produces, develops, and distributes digital, and audio comedic content.
Maverick Entertainment Group: Maverick Entertainment Group is a film production and distribution company founded by Doug Schwab that has released over 1,300 films in niche genres that major studios often overlook.
Miniature Géant: Miniature Géant is a production company founded by NBA MVP Joel Embiid in partnership with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Entertainment. It focuses on producing stories across multimedia channels including unscripted, scripted, audio, and branded material to highlight individuals who have pursued nontraditional avenues to success.
Monami Productions: Monami Productions was founded by TV producer Mona Scott-Young, who develops and produces reality TV series such as the Love and Hip Hop franchise.
Monkeypaw Productions: Monkeypaw Productions was founded by actor, director, and producer Jordan Peele to cultivate artistic, thought-provoking projects across film, TV, and digital platforms.
Overbrook Entertainment: Overbrook Entertainment is a subsidiary of Westbrook Inc. and is a film and television production company.
Parks Tower Studios: Parks Tower Studios is a scripted and unscripted film, television, and digital production company co-founded by Andrew Hawkins.
Point Road Productions: Point Road Productions was founded by NBA legend Grant Hill and Billy Raftery with a development fund whose focus is character-driven documentaries about social issues and movements outside of sports to raise awareness and impact lasting change.
Prophecy Pictures Entertainment: Actors Richard T. Jones, Jeremy Loethen, and Kristy Horiuchi founded Prophecy Pictures Entertainment to develop family and faith-based content across several streaming platforms.
Rock'n Robin Productions: Rock'n Robin Productions is a multimedia television production company founded by seasoned journalist Robin Roberts to produce a range of content from documentaries and news-driven specials to entertainment and sports programming. As well as short-form digital series, scripted dramas, and live special events.
Royal Ties Productions: Royal Ties Productions is a boutique production company founded by Regina and Reina that services all forms of media with quality content.
RuCo: RuCo. is a TV production company founded by RuPaul Charles to focus on queer, character-driven dramas, comedies, and animated shows that feature RuPaul’s brand of positivity, empowerment, humor, and music.
Shondaland: Shondaland was founded by Shonda Rhimes and creates content that fearlessly challenges and entertains audiences, It now has an exclusive partnership with Netflix and two drama series on ABC.
Simpson Street: Simpson Street is a television production company founded by award-winning actress Kerry Washington.
SMiZE Productions: SMiZE Productions is an independent TV production company founded by former model Tyra Banks. The company is designed to entertain broad audiences that span all ages from children to adults via various reality-based media projects.
SpringHill Entertainment: SpringHill Entertainment was founded by LeBron James to produce film and TV projects.
Sunny Hostin Productions: Sunny Hostin Productions seeks to tell diverse stories that champion black and brown excellence with a particular interest in women-driven narratives; male-centered stories where a woman has a central storyline that feels substantial; and stories exploring and highlighting the LGBTQ+ experience.
Story27 Productions: Story27 Productions is a legacy company founded by Mara Brock Akil that is the destination for storytellers and distributors dedicated to centering the marginalized and their humanity in every story.
TAC Studios: TAC Studios was founded by James Makawa as a division of The Africa Channel to develop, produce, and distribute premium lifestyle content reflecting Africa's global influence. They collaborate with producers from Africa and around the globe to bring contemporary stories, authentic voices, and high-quality productions to audiences worldwide.
Tatemen Entertainment: Tatemen Entertainment is a multi-media company founded by actor Larenz Tate and his brothers Lahmard and Laron Tate to produce quality content for film, TV, and digital platforms.
This Radicle ACT: This Radicle Act is a multimedia production company founded by actor Don Cheadle to produce television and digital programming.
Threesixteen Productions: Threesixteen Productions is a media production company founded by actress Letitia Wright to diversify storytelling in the film industry.
TwentyOne14 Media: TwentyOne14 Media is a content sales, production, and strategic advisory company for the media and entertainment industries founded by Quincy Newell.
UpperRoom Productions: UpperRoom Productions was founded by actor John Boyega to develop non-English language films focusing on culture in Western and Eastern Africa for Netflix.
Urban Books Media: Urban Books Media is the film and television production arm of the Black-owned book publishing company Urban Books founded by author Carl Weber.
W/Love: W/Love is a film and media production company founded by Wellington Love.
Wilmore Films: Wilmore Films is a film and television production company founded by Larry Wilmore.
Will Packer Productions: Will Packer Productions was founded by film and television producer Will Packer with a focus on developing and producing diverse African American stories.
Who Knows Best Productions: Who Knows Best Productions is a multimedia production company founded by W. Kamau Bell to foster a diverse creative community and tell revolutionary non-fiction stories.