Nebula is a global independent

video-on-demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of ...

streaming service provider An over-the-top media service is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms, the companies that traditionally act as a controller or distributors of s ...

. Nebula was started by founder Dave Wiskus and the creators within the Standard creator community and is meant to complement creators' other distribution channels, namely

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

and

podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosin ...

platforms. It is owned as a joint venture between Standard and the creators with a minority holding by

Curiosity Stream Curiosity Stream also know as (Curiosity Channel) is an American media company and subscription video streaming service that offers documentary programming including films, series, and TV shows. It was launched in 2015 by the founder of the Disc ...

, and profit is divided 50/50 between the creators and Standard, with the creator pool paid out based on watch time.

History

The idea for Nebula was started and discussed as part of the Standard creator community discussions online and at

VidCon VidCon is an annual convention for fans, creators, executives, and online brands. The event primarily features prominent video stars from across the internet. In October 2020, VidCon Now relaunched as an ongoing, free digital offering. Vetera ...

, and Nebula launched on 23 May 2019, with about 75 creators. Nebula has grown substantially since starting, with over 140 creators who together have over 120 million collective

subscribers and reaching over 500,000 subscribers making it one of the most successful YouTube rival platforms. The service was nominated for best Influencer Campaign in the 10th Annual Streamy Awards. and Best Creator Product in the 11th Annual Streamy Awards. They have had a long-standing promotion with

to promote a bundle subscription for both services; it was announced in September 2021 that Curiosity Stream bought a minority share of Nebula, valuing the company at over $50 million. In May 2022, Nebula Classes began hosting content creators' paid online courses.

Programming

Nebula has over 160 creators and channels, with most of the content also on YouTube or podcast platforms, but there are also Nebula Originals that are made by one or more creators and only available on the platform. Most creators have some original content only on the platform, and most of the content on the platform is sponsorship free, unlike the same videos on YouTube, and there are no ads on the platform. Nebula's parent company Standard also launched an in-house production company Standard Studios to help its creators with production, editing, and graphics for both Nebula Originals and videos that are also hosted both on Nebula and elsewhere. The streaming service is mostly promoted through content creators promoting the site on their other platforms, as it does not pay to advertise elsewhere or have any publicists on staff. Nebula's video content library is categorized in these categories: Animation, Explainers, Film & TV, Gaming, History, Music, Originals, Science & Engineering, Technology, and Writing. Some of its notable creators include Jordan Harrod,

Hbomberguy Harris Michael Brewis (born 19 September 1992), better known as Hbomberguy, is a British YouTuber and Twitch streamer. Brewis produces video essays on a variety of topics such as film, television, and video games, often combining them with argu ...

Lindsay Ellis Lindsay Ellis (born 1984/1985) is an American author, film critic, video essayist, and former YouTuber. Her debut novel, '' Axiom's End'', published in July 2020, became a ''New York Times'' Best Seller. Education and career Ellis received he ...

, LegalEagle, MinuteEarth, Tom Scott, Extra Credits, Adam Neely,

Rene Ritchie Rene Ritchie (born 1972) is a Canadian independent blogger and YouTube content creator. Ritchie is known for his podcasts including Debug, Iterate, Vector, ZEN & TECH, Review, The TV Show, and as co-host of ''MacBreak Weekly'' on the TWiT Netwo ...

, RealLifeLore,

Brian James McManus Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word mea ...

and

Sam Denby Sam Denby (born March 17, 1998) is an American YouTuber, best known for creating the edutainment YouTube channels Wendover Productions, Half as Interesting, Extremities, and Jet Lag: The Game. Across all of Denby's channels, he has accumulated ...

. Many of these creators are also some of the top

Patreon Patreon (, ) is a membership platform that provides business tools for content creators to run a subscription service. It helps creators and artists earn a monthly income by providing rewards and perks to their subscribers. Patreon charges a com ...

earners, and have been called the "Smart Youtuber Mafia". Nebula also doubles as a

platform with various audio podcasts, mostly by the same creators as its video content. Nebula is accessible through multiple platforms, including computers, smartphones, tablets, or other smart devices via a modern

web browser A web browser is application software for accessing websites. When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the browser retrieves its files from a web server and then displays the page on the user's screen. Browsers are used o ...

, or their

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...

, Apple TV,

Roku Roku ( ) is a brand of hardware digital media players manufactured by American company Roku, Inc. They offer access to streaming media content from online services. The first Roku model, developed in collaboration with Netflix, was introduced ...

Fire TV Amazon Fire TV (stylized as amazon fireTV) is a line of digital media players and microconsoles developed by Amazon. The devices are small network appliances that deliver digital audio and video content streamed via the Internet to a connected ...

Android TV Android TV is a smart TV operating system based on Android (operating system), Android and developed by Google for television sets, digital media players, set-top boxes, and soundbars. A successor to Google TV (operating system), Google TV, it fe ...

and Android apps. Other device apps are being actively developed but not yet available.

References

External links

* {{VOD services Documentary film production companies Subscription video on demand services Streaming television Film production companies of the United States American companies established in 2019