Ankler Media
 | |
| Company type | Private, limited liability company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mass media |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founder |
|
Key people | Janice Min (CEO) |
Ankler Media is an American digital media company owned by the Ankler Media Group. In 2021, its Hollywood newsletter, The Ankler, was listed as one of the top three business publications on Substack and has been nominated for two Webby Awards.
History
In February 2017, Richard Rushfield founded The Ankler, a Hollywood newsletter about the entertainment industry, which he then moved to the Substack platform two years later.[1]
In January 2022, Janice Min, former co-president of Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter, joined the company to form Ankler Media.[2] Min joined as co-owner and CEO, with Richard Rushfield taking the role of editorial director.[3][4][5] In June 2022, the company raised $1.5 million at a $20 million valuation through Y Combinator.[6][7][8] In 2024, "The Ankler" signed a radio deal with NPR's LAist 89.3.[7]
In 2024, Min expanded Ankler Media's live events including the "Documentary Spotlight with Raoul Peck" at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) as well as "The Ankler x Pure Nonfiction’s Documentary Spotlight" which featured panelists and keynote speakers, Andrew Jarecki, James Carville, and Matt Tyrnauer, among others, in Los Angeles.[9][10][11] The Ankler has three podcasts; "The Ankler", breaking down Hollywood's business headlines, "Prestige Junkie", which interviews filmmakers and actors and has included guests Maya Rudolph and Noah Hawley, and "Martini Shot", hosted by writer and TV producer, Rob Long, covering Hollywood and working within the business.[12][13][14][15]
The Ankler was nominated for a Webby Award for "Best Independent Publisher" for "Websites and Mobile Sites" in 2023 and 2024. Subscribers have included David Zaslav, Patrick Whitesell, Kathleen Kennedy, Donna Langley, and Maureen Dowd.[1]
The New York Times stated, "A focus of Ankler Media’s coverage will be the clashes between the tech executives now making big decisions in Hollywood and the ones who have been around since moviegoers waited in line to buy tickets."[16]
References
- ^ a b "How Richard Rushfield's The Ankler Took on Hollywood". Vanity Fair. February 22, 2023.
- ^ "Entertainment Trade 'The Ankler' Teams With Janice Min On Expansion Plans". www.mediapost.com.
- ^ Hopkins, Kathryn (February 19, 2022). "Five New Media Launches".
- ^ "The Ankler, a Hit Hollywood Newsletter, Charts an Expansion". adweek.it. 15 December 2021.
- ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (December 17, 2021). "Janice Min Loses First Hire at Ankler Newsletter to Rolling Stone (EXCLUSIVE)".
- ^ "The Ankler: Subscription entertainment news". Y Combinator.
- ^ a b Fischer, Sara (June 21, 2022). "Exclusive: The Ankler raises $1.5M seed at $20M valuation". Axios.
- ^ Dickey, Josh (June 21, 2022). "The Ankler Raises $1.5 Million at $20 Million Valuation".
- ^ "Documentary Spotlight: Raoul Peck Presented by Pure Nonfiction and The Ankler". TIFF. September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ "Ankler Media expands team amid explosive growth, further expansion into live events". Editor and Publisher. September 4, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ "The Ankler x Pure Nonfiction's Documentary Spotlight (TV edition)". Documentary Spotlight. June 9, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ "A Cannes Miracle Run, Plus a Conversation with Maya Rudolph". Apple Podcasts. May 28, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ "Special Edition: Prestige Junkie Live With Noah Hawley, Juno Temple and Lamorne Morris". Apple Podcasts. August 17, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ "Martini Shot". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ "The Ankler Podcast". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ Robertson, Katie (December 14, 2021). "The Ankler, a hit Hollywood newsletter, charts an expansion". The New York Times.