Steven Bartlett and Authentic launch OBSN with $400 million to scale creator-led businesses

Entrepreneur and The Diary Of A CEO host Steven Bartlett has teamed up with global brand and entertainment platform Authentic to launch OBSN, a new strategic venture aimed at helping creators turn large audiences into enduring media companies and consumer brands.

OBSN, short for “Obsession”, will combine Bartlett’s Steven.com creator and audience-growth expertise with Authentic's global capabilities in brand building, licensing, product development, strategic partnerships and distribution, Authentic said in a statement on Monday.

The venture is designed to provide creators with the infrastructure and expertise needed to expand their businesses beyond content creation.

At the centre of OBSN will be a creator-economy platform offering news, analysis and live experiences. The platform is already live and has more than one million Instagram followers. It is expected to expand into additional content formats, channels and live experiences, including festivals and official awards.

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The venture also plans to invest directly in promising creator-led businesses. Bartlett said OBSN aims to deploy up to $400 million into creator businesses over the coming years.

“The next generation of global media companies and consumer brands will be built around creators. But a global audience of millions is not yet a company, and it certainly should not be the ceiling of a creator’s potential,” the company said.

Bartlett said the partnership brings together the strengths of both organisations, with Steven.com focused on media, technology, data and audience growth, while Authentic contributes expertise in building and scaling brands globally.

Authentic President and CEO Matt Maddox said creators are increasingly becoming influential forces in media and entertainment, with the potential to develop into long-term global brands.

“Creators are redefining media and shaping the future of entertainment, with many poised to become multigenerational brands in their own right.”

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Maddox said OBSN would seek to identify, invest in and scale creator-led intellectual property, describing the opportunity as a major shift in the creator economy.

Every OBSN partnership will be tailored to individual creators, potentially covering media expansion, consumer products, licensing, strategic partnerships, investment and international growth.

Authentic currently owns more than 50 brands and operates across more than 150 countries through a network of over 1,700 licensees and strategic partners. The company says its portfolio generates more than $38 billion in annual systemwide retail sales.