 | |
Type of site | Video on demand |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Founded | May 23, 2019; 6 years ago (2019-05-23) |
| Headquarters | Denver, Colorado, United States |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Owners | Nebula Entertainment & Broadcasting LLC;Curiosity Stream has minority stake |
| Founder | Dave Wiskus |
| CEO | Dave Wiskus |
| Total equity | $50+ million |
| URL | nebula |
| Registration | Subscription required to access entire library. |
| Users | 680,000 (December 2023)[1] |
| Current status | Active |
Nebula is avideo-on-demandstreaming service provider. Launched by the Standard Broadcastcontent management agency in 2019 to complement its creators' other distribution channels (primarilyYouTube),[2][3] the platform has since accumulated over 680,000 subscribers,[1] making it the largest creator-owned internet streaming platform.[4]
Dave Wiskus and various creators established Standard Broadcast LLC[5][6] as a creator-owned alternative tomulti-channel networks, assisting its members in the content management and marketing aspects of thecreator economy.[2] Originating from Standard creator community discussions on means of diminishing reliance to dominant platforms such as YouTube, Nebula launched on 23 May 2019 with 75 creators.[3] The platform has since, as of late 2023, accumulated over 650,000 subscribers and 175 creators who collectively have over 120 millionYouTube subscribers.[4]
In September 2021,Curiosity Stream acquired a minority stake in Nebula, valuing the company at over $50 million. Nebula subsequently collaborated with Curiosity Stream to promote a bundle subscription for both streaming services.[4] In 2022, Nebula expanded its Nebula Originals catalog, launching Nebula Classes in May for paid online courses and Nebula First in October for early access to videos that are later released on other platforms.[7]
In 2024, Nebula announced the creation of Nebula Motion Pictures in a goal to increase premium programming on the platform.[8] Cinematographer Valentina Vee was hired as the company's director of motion pictures. This began steps the company made to "chart a streamlined path from digital creator (UGC) to filmmaker creating premium content." The company also launched a new division Nebula News, aimed at creating "fact-based news content."[9]
Some video essayists have published content on Nebula that may be censored or removed on YouTube, such as Maggie Mae Fish'sUnrated and Broey Deschanel'sTaboo on Screen, both of which cover sexuality in film.[10]
Nebula funded anOff West End play,The Prince (2022), byAbigail Thorn. It broke even through ticket sales before opening night. After performances at theSouthwark Playhouse in September and October 2022, a recording of the play was released in February 2023, with a remastered version following later in the year.[11][12] The play received awards fromThe Offies andBroadwayWorld.[13][14] In November 2023, Wiskus said Nebula is working towards becoming a Netflix competitor instead of a YouTube competitor, with Thorn's short filmDracula's Ex-Girlfriend set to be released exclusively on Nebula.[15]
A portion of the company's revenue is spent on its other subsidiary, Standard Studios, an in-house production company that assists creators with production, editing, and graphics for both Nebula Originals and cross-platform videos.[16] Creators can sell merchandise through the website.[17]
In 2025, Wiskus announced their upcoming first scripted original series in collaboration with Academy Award-and-Emmy-winning producerDan Jinks titled "Sub/liminal".[18][19]
Nebula received nominations for the "Best Influencer Campaign" in the10th and12thAnnual Streamy Awards as well as "Best Creator Product" in the11th Annual Streamy Awards.[20][21][22] In 2023,Sight and Sound's video essay poll received nine Nebula nominations across seven unique videos. Three of the videos were published simultaneously to YouTube, three were published later, and one had a shorter version published on YouTube.[10]
In a 2022 review forPCMag, Jordan Minor said its basic tier was better value thanYouTube Premium but its classes worse value thanMasterClass. Minor praised the interface, including accessibility features andVPN compatibility, though he critiqued the lack of age ratings or controls. Minor praised the creator-owned nature of Nebula, but said its limited exclusive content was a limitation.[17]
In March 2024,FastCompany named Nebula one of the most innovative companies in video.[23]
