Who is Zeus owned by?
As a long-time gamer and entertainment industry analyst, I‘ve been following Zeus Network‘s meteoric rise with great excitement. Zeus, the brainchild of several social media stars and TV producer Lemuel Plummer, has swiftly changed the face of digital content in just a few short years.
So who exactly is behind this burgeoning media empire, and what plans do they have for the future? Let‘s take a closer look.
Zeus Leadership and Ownership Structure
Zeus Network was founded in 2016 by DeStorm Power, Amanda Cerny, King Bach, and Lemuel Plummer, who serves as Zeus CEO and the driving innovative force behind the company.
As president and CEO, Lemuel Plummer has been instrumental in building Zeus into a digital content powerhouse. Hailing from a family of media owners himself in Detroit, Lemuel is considered a visionary when it comes to identifying social media talent and transforming internet stardom into television success.
| Founders | Title | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Lemuel Plummer | President & CEO | Produced unscripted shows for BET, Oxygen; parents owned 3 TV stations in Detroit |
| DeStorm Power | Co-Founder | YouTube star, rapper, comedian; 14M+ social media followers |
| Amanda Cerny | Co-Founder | Actress, fitness influencer; 30M+ Instagram followers |
| King Bach | Co-Founder | Actor, comedian; pioneered short form video content on Vine |
As a black-owned media company with leadership hailing straight from social media, Zeus has had an eye for spotting talent that traditional Hollywood overlooked but mass audiences can‘t get enough of.
Blazing Trails with Black Digital Programming
In its first year in 2017, Zeus rolled out a slate of 17 shows aimed at the 18-34 demographic, focused primarily on urban comedy and drama. Within months, Zeus amassed over 6 million subscribers consuming over 400,000 hours of content per month.
Fast forward to 2023, and Zeus now touts:
- 2,300+ hours of original programming
- 25M viewers worldwide
- Johnny Carson Breakthrough Podcast Award nomination
- Projects in development with stars like Cardi B and Mack Wilds
Zeus has quickly outshone competitors with its keen eye for boundary-breaking Black digital programming. The Ringer even dubbed Zeus the "Netflix for Black people.”
According to CEO Lemuel Plummer in a Forbes interview, Zeus is shooting to build “the next MTV or HBO” with edgy content made for streaming audiences. Judging by their meteoric rise, they are well on their way.
Zeus By the Numbers
| Year | Subscribers | Valuation | Owned Content Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 6 million | – | 400,000+ |
| 2020 | 14 million | $80 million | 800,000+ |
| 2023 | 25+ million | $100-$500 million (estimated) | 2,300+ |
Monetizing Influence and Streaming Trends
Leaning on social media influencer expertise has proven lucrative for Zeus‘ top and bottom lines. Zeus has mastered monetizing celebrities‘ existing follower bases by translating video views and likes into paid subscribers.
Like any streamer, Zeus‘ core business model relies on recurring subscription revenue. At just $3.99 per month, even fractional conversion of an influencer‘s follower count to paying subscribers results in massive recurring revenue.
Expanding beyond subscriptions, Zeus also inks lucrative brand partnership deals with companies aiming to organically embed in culturally relevant streaming content.
As cord-cutting accelerates across younger demographics in particular, I foresee subscription and partnership revenues continuing to balloon for disruptive streaming platforms like Zeus.
Comparing Streaming Heavyweights
| Platform | Avg. Monthly Rev. Per User | Est. 2024 Revenue | Key Demographic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix | $11.75 | $33 billion | Mass market, skews older |
| Zeus Network | $4 | $500 million+ | 18-34, Black & urban audiences |
| Disney+ | $4.70 (US) | $13 billion+ | Families, mass market |
| Amazon Prime Video | $1.68 | $30 billion+ | Mass market |
While still much smaller than Netflix and the media giants, Zeus punches above its weight given an almost exclusively Black core audience. IPO rumors have been swirling and more VC investment seems imminent given the massive market potential.
Investing in the Black Streaming Revolution
Zeus‘ parent company Culture Genesis was reported in 2020 to be raising a Series A funding round, likely from VC heavyweights looking for access to multicultural markets.
Additional funding could value Zeus as high as $500 million in the near future. For context on Zeus‘ worth, black media mogul Byron Allen‘s Allen Media Group just secured $10 billion valuation thanks to backing from high profile Black investors like Will Smith.
As racial justice and representation conversations move front and center in entertainment, there is no better time to invest in visionary black-owned media brands on the cutting edge of streaming. For venture capitalists and impact investors alike searching for the next Byron Allen-esque success story, Zeus checks all the right boxes.
For everyday consumers without access to private funding rounds, the best way to directly support Zeus Network‘s world-class programming right now is through a $3.99/month subscription.
Zeus has already proven skeptics wrong by building a scalable, high-growth streaming business in just a few short years. With more financial fuel to expand content offerings, consumer products, and global distribution, the future remains bright for this black-owned disruptor. Stay tuned as Zeus continues to transform digital media one socially-fueled entertainment empire at a time!
