 | |
| Formerly | TrillerNet Triller Hold Co |
|---|---|
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | |
| Founded | July 23, 2015; 9 years ago (2015-07-23) inLos Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | 2121 Avenue of the Stars,, U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
| Products | Triller Triller TV |
| Subsidiaries | Flipps Media Thuzio BKFC |
| Website | trillerinc |
Triller, Inc[1] is an American company specializing inonline video,social media, andcombat sports. It is named after and is the owner of the social networking serviceTriller, which was launched in 2015 by co-founders David Leiberman and Sammy Rubin.
TheTriller app was launched in 2015. In April 2020, amid theCOVID-19 pandemic, Triller organized a three-day streamingmusic festival known as "Trillerfest" in support ofNo Kid Hungry and theMusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. The event was headlined byDon Diablo,Marshmello,Migos,Pitbull,Snoop Dogg, andWyclef Jean.[2]
On March 9, 2021, Triller acquiredVerzuz.[3]
In June 2021, Triller partnered withBig3 to serve as a digital media partner for the league. This will include 30 hours of live games streaming within the Triller app (including exclusive coverage of the Big3 All-Star Game), coverage of the Big3 draft, social media presences, and courtside advertising.[4]
On April 14, 2021, Triller acquiredvideo streaming serviceFITE TV, and customer engagement service Amplify.at.[5]
On November 22, 2021, Triller acquired influencer event firmThuzio.[6]
On December 22, 2021, Triller announced its intention to merge withSeaChange International and go public. Under the terms of the deal, Triller shareholders would own at least 97.7% of the combined company. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022.[7] It was later announced that the combined entity would be renamedTrillerVerz Company upon the merger's closure.[8] On June 14, 2022, it was reported that Triller would back out of the merger with SeaChange in order to pursue anIPO without a merger[9]
On February 24, 2022, Triller acquired a majority stake in theBare Knuckle Fighting Championship.[10]
In July 2020, Triller announced that it had partnered withMike Tyson'sLegends Only League to become the media partner for its boxing events, with its inaugural event being anexhibition fight between Tyson andRoy Jones Jr. on November 28, 2020, distributed viapay-per-view. Triller would handle distribution of the fight to pay-per-view platforms and services such asFite TV, and also carry a documentary miniseries leading into the fight.[11][12] The PPV would not be carried within the Triller app itself due to its focus on short-form video, and a goal for wider distribution via traditional PPV outlets.[12] Following the event, it was reported that the PPV had at least 1.6 million buys, surpassingUFC 251 as the most-bought combat sports PPV of 2020.[13][14]
Ryan Kavanaugh, CEO of parent company Proxima Media, described the fight as being the launch of Triller's "high-end live events business",[12] and explained that they aimed to reach audiences beyond core boxing fans by leveraging the present "culturalzeitgeist"; the PPV included a co-main event betweeninternet celebrity and boxerJake Paul and formerNBA playerNate Robinson, music performances by acts such asWiz Khalifa, and featured Snoop Dogg as a commentator.[12][15] Kavanaugh later referred to this practice as a "four-quadrant" entertainment event, supplementing boxing with internet, music, and sports personalities.[16][17]
In December 2020, Triller announced a partnership with Snoop Dogg to formTriller Fight Club—a "boxing league" that would be produced and hosted by Snoop Dogg, and consist of a series of annual PPV cards with "four-quadrant" elements carried over from the Tyson/Jones event.[18][17]The first event under the banner was held on April 17, 2021, with a main event betweenJake Paul andBen Askren, and performances byThe Black Keys,Diplo,Doja Cat,Justin Bieber,Major Lazer,Saweetie, andMt. Westmore —asupergroup featuring Snoop,Ice Cube,Too Short andE-40. The event was heldbehind closed doors atMercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with Triller intentionally limiting attendance to 100 spectators chosen via promotional contests on the Triller app; Kavanaugh described this as a "golden ticket" model supporting its goal to give home viewers a "front row" experience.[19][16]
In February 2021, it was reported that Triller Fight Club had won apurse bid to promote thefight between Teófimo López and George Kambosos to defend López's unified lightweight titles, beating outMatchroom andTop Rank with a bid reported to be $6 million. Kavanaugh stated that the match would likely be a co-main event on a future card.[20][17] In March 2021,Oscar De La Hoya announced a comeback fight during a planned card on July 3.[21] In May 2021, Triller signed long-timeHBO boxing personalityJim Lampley as its lead commentator;[22] his role was expected to begin with Teófimo López vs. George Kambosos Jr. on June 19. However, after the López vs. Kambosos fight was postponed on multiple occasions, theInternational Boxing Federation ruled that Triller was in breach of their contractual obligation to stage the fight, subsequently awarding the rights to Matchroom as the second highest bidders.[23]
In November 2021, Triller owner Ryan Kavanaugh publicized Triller Fight Club's new Triller Triad Combat with an open invitation toUFC presidentDana White. The invitation, wreathed in a floral border, personally invited White to the event and offered an arranged tour and personalized autograph.[24] Kavanaugh's targeted appeal to Dana White may have been connected with White's comments on Triller in May 2021 when he dismissed questions about Triller saying, "You think I care what Triller thinks? I don't even take their calls. This idiot calls me every day. He calls me every day: 'Please answer my call. Please talk to me. Why won't you talk to me?' Because I don't give a f*ck about you."[25]
Triller has filed lawsuits against several websites and a 19-year-old allegingillegal distribution ofJake Paul vs. Ben Askren, seeking $100 million and $150,000 respectively in damages.[26][27] Following the dismissal of the $100 million suit as amisjoinder, Triller's subsidiary Triller Fight Club filed an amended complaint against theH3 Podcast, a video podcast native toYouTube, seeking $50 million in damages. The podcast's hostEthan Klein claims his inclusion of a 45-second clip of the event in one of his broadcasts constitutesfair use and alleges that Ryan Kavanaugh, a major stakeholder, has instigated the lawsuit "out of spite".[28]
In November 2021, Triller was sued for infringing a design patent and registered copyright and trademark in the marketing of Triller Fight Club's Triad Combat.[29]
On 16 August 2022,Swizz Beatz andTimbaland sued Triller, alleging that they are owed over $28 million related to the purchase of thewebcast seriesVerzuz. Triller had bought Verzuz in January 2021 for an undisclosed sum.[30] In September, Swizz and Timbaland reached an amicable agreement with Triller and the case was settled.[31] By June 2024, Swizz and Timbaland would reacquire Verzuz and begin a partnership withTwitter.[32]
A further list of brands and properties owned by Triller, Inc.[33]
Current
Former