Digital Entertainment World (DEW) starts today in LA -- and tomorrow I moderate a panel from 12:40-1:20 pm titled "MCNs: Monetizing the YouTube Economy" that features a "who's who" list of MCN CEOs as panelists. Joining me are:Roy Burstin -- Co-Founder & CEO of MiTu -- the leading Latino creator-focused MCN that just recently announced a $15 million round of financing;
Amanda Taylor -- Founder & CEO of DanceOn -- the leading multi-platform dance-focused company that counts Nigel Lythgoe (founder of American Idol & Dancing with the Stars) and Madonna, as well as major media company AMC Entertainment;
Allen DeBevoise -- Co-Founder & Chairman of Machinima -- the leading young male focused MCN; Allen serves on the boards of several A-list MCNs, including StyleHaul, DanceOn, MiTu, and IndMusic;
Sanjay Sharma -- President & COO of All Def Digital -- which is urban-focused, backed by Russell Simmons and closed a $5 million Series A round last year;
Reza Izad -- Co-Founder & CEO of Collective Digital Studio -- a major MCN that received a major strategic investment from European mega-media company ProSieben last year and counts billions of views per month.
Marvin Scott Jarrett -- Co-Founder & CEO of Popular -- a new young female-focused MCN that launches March 15; he previously created iconic mega-creative and visual media brands Nylon and Raygun;
Of course, I will ask the panel how both they and video creators make money. But, I will also ask each of them started, why they chose their particular focus, how they amassed their initial critical mass of content, and what was their particular tipping point. I will also ask them to justify the mega-price-tags fetched by other leading MCNs last year (e.g., Disney buying Maker Studios for a deal that could value the company up to nearly $1 billion) and how they see MCNs evolving in 2015 and beyond.
Should be a good one. Tomorrow, Wednesday, 12:40 - 1:20 pm. See you there.