PETRA Group joins forces with YouTube, Crackle alums to unveil Creator+

KUALA LUMPUR & LOS ANGELES – PETRA Group along with Freestyle Capital are leading startup Creator+’s financing round with US$12 million (about RM49 million).

One of the fastest-growing global sectors in technology and entertainment today, the creator economy is undergoing a seismic explosion of digital video consumption-driven worldwide by Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

To address the surging demand for new content from a new generation of storytellers, Benjamin Grubbs, former global head of top creator partnerships at YouTube, and start-up veteran Jonathan Shambroom recently announced the launch of Creator+, a new film studio and streaming platform for digital-first storytellers and fans hungry to support them. 

Creators wield massive reach and engagement on YouTube and TikTok, exceeding 1 trillion hours of content streamed in Q1 2021 across Southeast Asia, according to data from Media Partners Asia. However, current streaming options for creators are limited to free, short-form, and ad-supported content, or a growing number of subscription-based platforms.

The stories creators can tell and the IP franchises they can build are constrained by existing platforms’ time limitations or economics or limit the creator’s ability to build communities and leverage their growing expertise in direct-to-consumer commerce.   

Creator+ seeks to spawn an ecosystem fuelling careers for young creatives in front of and behind the camera. The company’s studio looks beyond a creator’s influencing ability with a path for creators to be active in producing, directing, cinematography, editing, film scoring and soundtrack development, and other essential roles. 

“The creator economy has been largely driven by regions like India and Southeast Asia where consumers are showing an increasing appetite for both international and local content,” said Datuk (Dr) Vinod Sekhar, Chairman, and Chief Executive of the Malaysia-based PETRA Group.

He added: "We are firm believers in what Jonathan and Benjamin are building with Creator+ and embrace their vision to become a champion for underrepresented voices and talent in these high growth regions, and the world.”

“We believe the next generation of great storytellers are digital natives that don’t just want to tell stories in short-form bursts, but rather inspire and impact their audience with compelling feature-length films,” said Shambroom, who is also Chief Executive Officer of Creator+.

“We also believe the young viewers connecting to these creators prefer to watch movies at home with friends and family where community and e-commerce features are integrated into the movie viewing experience.”

PETRA Group's investment in Creator+ was led by their Hong Kong-based international film company PETRA Films, headed by media veteran Darren Shaw, who worked closely with the Creator+ founders on their initial business plan. 

PETRA's investment in Creator+ will play an integral part in augmenting its wider entertainment operations by aligning with a new group of digital-first content creators – many of whom are primarily targeting the important Gen Z and Gen Alpha audience.

"There will always be a place for traditional film-making and watching movies at the cinema. But there are great storytellers that have followed a digital-first route to produce content and engage with audiences on alternative distribution platforms. We want to be at the forefront of this market and Jonathan and Ben are perfect partners to lead us into this space," says Shaw.

In addition to producing theatrical feature films and scripted TV series, PETRA Films is already supporting top Southeast Asian creators through their Asian Future Filmmaker short film project, which goes live in a few months, and hopes that the region's best can eventually move to Creator+ as the global studio platform for the world's leading creators.

Films produced by Creator+ will premiere on the company’s proprietary platform across web, mobile, and connected TV in a premium video-on-demand (PVOD) offering with no subscriptions or ads. Creators partnering with the company have full alignment on transparent backend revenue participation and will receive audience insights and ownership uncommon on other major streaming platforms. 

“I have been fortunate to partner with many creators over the past decade on their IPs and long-form content development ambitions,” said Grubbs.

“I have also seen first-hand how important it is to have strong producing partners and the power of a distribution channel where you have access and ownership of the audience. I am delighted we are able to deliver on both aspects from the start with Creator+.”

The company is committed to greenlighting more than six feature films this year and bringing them to the market starting in early 2022. 

To join the Creator+ team, or to become a member of the Creator+ community, visit https://www.creatorplus.com – The Vibes, April 29, 2021