Skybound Entertainment, the multiplatform studio behind global franchises like Invincible, The Walking Dead, Impact Winter, Stillwater, and hundreds of additional IP, is proud to announce the acquisition of Nine Four Entertainment. Nine Four is a leading digital talent representation firm representing some of the largest creators on the internet.
The Nine Four Entertainment team, led by President Parker Oks, will continue to provide industry leading representation and business development to its creators. Nine Four will serve as the digital creator and influencer representation arm of Skybound, providing amplified opportunities for creators with investment from Skybound.
In addition to Nine Four’s current efforts, Skybound and Nine Four will partner to launch a new incubator focused on developing and financing creator-led brands. This offering allows creators the opportunity to launch and build their businesses beyond content, into brands that they own, giving them further control of their future.
Nine Four's robust roster of digital creators include talent like Jacksfilms (5M+ followers), I'm Dontai (3M), Jennelle Eliana (2.3M), Eamon & Bec (1.3M), and many others. Since its inception in 2022, Nine Four has secured some of the largest partnerships in the industry, driving tens of millions in revenue for clients annually. The company has also supported its talent in co-founding creator-led brands, including Eamon & Bec's Tea Company Habit, Jacksfilms' newsletter Credit the Creators, and Markiplier's clothing brand Cloak, which they previously helped launch.
This acquisition strengthens Skybound’s ability to build global franchises by pairing its creator-first “Wheel of Awesome” business model, which unlocks the unique opportunity to cultivate all aspects of a franchise from development through distribution, including TV, film, comics, merchandise, animated shorts, and video games, with Nine Four’s ability to build and grow creator-driven brands.
With this acquisition, Skybound expands its relationship with creators, and gains an additional medium to spotlight Skybound creators, content and IP. Skybound can also leverage Nine Four’s resources and relationships in the digital space to highlight forthcoming games, linear content, and comics to a new set of niche creators and their communities.
“Skybound is first and foremost a creator-driven business and bringing Nine Four into the Skybound universe swings open a door to an entirely new medium for our creative talent,” said Rick Jacobs, Managing Partner and Head of Skybound Linear Content. “Our acquisition will allow us to work closely with Parker and his team to forge relationships in the digital creator space and connect directly with their audiences. Together, we’re looking forward to launching exciting new brands and products for creators, by creators.”
"Since founding Nine Four, I’ve had a vision for how to build in the creator economy, and I’m so grateful and excited to partner with a company as forward thinking as Skybound to execute on this vision,” said Parker Oks. "This partnership will enhance our ability to provide world-class representation to creators, and through our new incubator, we'll be able to facilitate unique opportunities for creators to build real companies around their channels.”
This acquisition comes on the heels of Skybound’s recent acquisition of Maple Media, a leader in mobile app publishing with a diverse portfolio of “Top 10” apps across productivity, entertainment, and lifestyle categories, with over 600 million lifetime downloads. Both recent acquisitions bolster Skybound’s digital presence and expand the opportunities for Skybound to connect directly to audiences like never before, in a period of notable global expansion and executive talent acquisition for the company.