MRC II Distribution Company, L.P.

Trade name	MRC
Formerly	Media Rights Capital (2004–2013)
Company type	Limited partnership
Industry	Film Television
Founded	2002; 24 years ago (2002)
Founders	Modi Wiczyk Asif Satchu
Headquarters	750 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, California 90069 , U.S.
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Modi Wiczyk (co-chairman) Asif Satchu (co-chairman) Scott Tenley (CEO)
Website	www.mrcentertainment.com
Footnotes / references [1]

MRC II Distribution Company, L.P.,^[2]doing business asMRC (formerlyMedia Rights Capital), is an Americanfilm andtelevision studio founded by Modi Wiczyk and Asif Satchu in 2004. Based in West Hollywood, California, MRC develops, finances, and produces film and television in partnership with the industry's leading creative artists.^[3]

The original business plan, calledAnother New Ballgame, was written in 1999^[4] as part of a class assignment while the two attended Harvard Business School.^[5] The plan quickly gained notoriety throughout Hollywood and was deemed controversial for predicting the decline of the traditional "Hollywood system" alongside the emergence of a new order driven by internet-based distribution and independent studios fueled by talent agencies.

MRC is famous for many firsts in Hollywood. It was the first studio to establish a deeply-integrated partnership with major talent agency,Endeavor Talent Agency, which would become a model for future alliances between agencies and studios.^[6] Their deals for Alejandro González Iñárritu'sBabel andSacha Baron Cohen'sBrüno,^[5] the follow-up toBorat, were early examples of artists owning copyrights, selling films for significantly more than their cost, and having true control over production and marketing.^[7]

The company was an early innovator in the creator economy. It producedSeth MacFarlane'sCavalcade of Cartoon Comedy (2008) for YouTube, the platform's earliest Hollywood-backed scripted series.^[8] The show became Youtube's second-most-subscribed-to sponsor channel during its run and was notable for being the first show distributed exclusively online through Google's AdSense network, syndicating content across thousands of partner sites.^[9] The success ofCavalcade positioned MRC as one of the first studios to merge storytelling with tech-driven distribution.

MRC's Television division developed, produced, and financedHouse of Cards (2013), the first original series ordered directly by Netflix, launching the streaming era of prestige television.^[10] The series was the first streaming-exclusive drama to receive Emmy nominations and introduced the "binge" model of releasing all episode simultaneously.^[11]

Since then, MRC has developed a reputation for financing and producing critically acclaimed films and series while maintaining a philosophy centered on supporting artists and filmmakers.^[12] The company's continued success^[13] has been attributed to its ability to challenge traditional Hollywood conventions,^[5] to embrace emerging technologies and business models, and to maintain close partnerships^[14] with creative visionaries.^[15]

Film productions by MRC includeTed,Baby Driver,Knives Out,American Fiction, andSaltburn. Representative co-financed films include22 Jump Street,Furious 7, theHotel Transylvania film series, andThe SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run.^[16] MRC's television credits includeHouse of Cards,Ozark,The Great,The Terminal List,Poker Face, andTED TV. Upcoming productions includeWuthering Heights, Ted: The Animated Series, and M.I.A.

MRC has collaborated with numerous prominent filmmakers, includingJason Bateman,Chloe Domont,Emerald Fennell,David Fincher,Ricky Gervais,Alejandro González Iñárritu,Rian Johnson, Seth MacFarlane,Walter Salles, andEdgar Wright.

To date, MRC's productions have been nominated for 120 Emmy Awards, 38 Golden Globe Awards, 17 Academy Awards, and 5 GRAMMY Awards. Its films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide at the box office.^[3]

MRC was founded by Modi Wiczyk and Asif Satchu in 2006,^[17] and its early investors includedGuggenheim Partners,AT&T,WPP Group,Goldman Sachs and ABRY Partners.^[18][19] The company was established as a financer-producer,packaging film projects for sale to film studios, and holding ownership stakes in the production.^[20][21]

In 2007, it funded filmmakers such asRobert Rodriguez,Ricky Gervais,Walter Salles,Ryan Murphy,Richard Kelly,Bennett Miller andTodd Field.^[22] The same year, it entered into an agreement withWarner Bros. Pictures to allow Warner to distribute three of the eight pictures over a $250 million feature production funding.^[23] MRC launched a television division of the studio in early 2008.^[24]

In 2008,The CW leased its Sunday-night schedule to MRC beginning in the 2008–09 television season. MRC scheduled the reality showIn Harm's Way and the dramasValentine andEasy Money.^[25] In November 2008, after all four shows drew poor viewership, The CW announced that it would withdraw from the agreement.^[26] The network returned the Sunday timeslots to its affiliates in the 2009–10 season.^[27]

In March 2010, it was reported that MRC had made an offer to acquireFocus Features fromUniversal Pictures, but that the deal had fallen through.^[28] In April of that year, MRC sold the upcomingSeth MacFarlane filmTed to Universal.^[29] Later in December, MRC would reach a distribution agreement with Universal, under which it would provide distribution and marketing services for up to 20 MRC films over the next five years. The agreement would give the option for Universal to invest in the films, but was not afirst-look deal, and also gave MRC the option to pre-sell distribution rights in specific territories.^[30][21]

After acquiring rights to produce aU.S. remake of the BBC miniseriesHouse of Cards, MRC would sell the series to the streaming serviceNetflix in 2011.^[31][32][33]

On February 1, 2018,Eldridge Industries, a holding company owned by former Guggenheim Partners presidentTodd Boehly, announced that it would contribute its media assets — includingThe Hollywood Reporter,Dick Clark Productions, andBillboard, and merge them with MRC into a new company known asValence Media.^[34] In October 2018, MRC formed a joint venture withUnited Talent Agency known as Civic Center Media, which seeks to back projects involving its members via MRC.^[35][36]

In December 2019, Valence Media acquiredNielsen Holdings'music data business, with the division being rebranded as MRC Data.^[37]

In 2020, Valence Media rebranded as MRC.^[38]

On September 23, 2020, it was announced thatPenske Media Corporation, owner ofThe Hollywood Reporter's main competitorVariety, would assume operations of the MRC Media & Info publications under a joint venture with MRC known as PMRC. In turn, MRC would form a second joint venture to develop content tied to PMRC publications.^[39]

In September 2021, formerE! president Adam Stotsky became the new president of MRC Live & Alternative, replacing the outgoing Amy Thurlow. At this time, Dick Clark Productions was folded into MRC Live & Alternative and discontinued as a brand.^[40]

In August 2022, Eldridge agreed with Wiczyk and Satchu to divide MRC's assets, effectively undoing the 2018 Valence Media merger. Eldridge re-acquired the company's live and alternative division (which reinstated the Dick Clark Productions banner), as well as MRC's share of the PMRC joint venture,Luminate (the former MRC Data), and investments in studios includingA24 andFulwell 73. The remaining MRC entity, in which Eldridge will retain a minority stake, will retain its scripted film and TV production entity as well as investments in Civic Center Media andT-Street Productions.^[41] Wiczyk and Satchu became chairmen of the company in 2023.^[42]

SpinMedia (formerly BuzzMedia) was an American digital publisher that owned a number ofpop culture websites, includingSpin,Stereogum,Vibe, andThe Frisky.^[43] It was founded in 1999 by Anthony Batt, Marc Brown, Kevin Woolery, and Steve Haldane under the name Buzznet,^[44] and by 2006, Buzznet had a total of nine employees in theLos Angeles,California, area.^[44] The BuzzMedia name was created as the company started to acquire more pop-culture and music blogs.

The company acquired Spin Media, publisher ofSpin magazine, in July 2012.^[45] After shutting down the print version of the magazine, reducing its staff to about 200, and focusing on advertising, it rebranded itself as SpinMedia in March 2013.^[46] At that time, Steve Hansen became its chief executive.^[46] In April 2013, it acquiredVibe magazine.^[47][48]

In 2014,M/C Partners became the primary owner of SpinMedia after anassignment for benefit of creditors.^[49] That year, BuzzMedia had also acquired music sites Property of Zack,AbsolutePunk.net, Under The Gun Review, and Punknews.org.^[50]

In September 2016, SpinMedia soldBuzznet, Idolator, andPureVolume to startup corporation Hive Media.^[51] In December of that year,Eldridge Industries acquiredSpin,Vibe,Stereogum, andDeath and Taxes via the Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group for an undisclosed amount, making Billboard the world's largest music brand in terms of digital traffic and audience share.^[52][53]Celebuzz,The Frisky, andThe Superficial were sold toCPX Interactive.^{[54][better source needed]} In January 2020,Spin andStereogum were sold to Next Management Partners and the site's management, respectively, as part of a larger focus onVibe and a music data business.^[55]

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