Participant Media acquires Rainn Wilson's social good video platform SoulPancake
LOS ANGELES -- SoulPancake, Rainn Wilson's social good video platform, is joining forces with Participant Media.
Wilson, known for his role as Dwight on The Office, started SoulPancake in 2009. Since then, it has gained recognition for video hits such as “Kid President” and “The Science of Happiness." More recently, its web docuseries My Last Days (from Jane the Virgin actor Justin Baldoni) debuted its second season on The CW in August.
The company focuses on inspiring people to be do-gooders and to recognize those doing good.
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Participant Media, launched by former EBay Inc. President Jeff Skoll, has a similar goal of creating entertainment that inspires and compels social change. The company is behind films such as An Inconvenient Truth and The Help.
“SoulPancake truly aligns with Participant’s model of creating inspiring entertainment that compels global awareness and action,” said Participant CEO David Linde. “Their team have thrived by creating immensely popular, shareable, and optimistic properties that connect with a large audience, and together we look forward to integrating and expanding their digital video content into a global platform that is thematically and mission aligned and thus stronger and more successful together.”
Wilson's video network reaches over 1.7 million subscribers, and has amassed over 300 million video views. Some of its content has been picked up by The CW, MTV, VH1, Freeform, OWN and Discovery Family.
"Our next chapter is about you," Wilson said in his video announcing the news. "You have made it rain good up in here...this got us thinking: How can we do even more to change the world? How can we keep telling stories that matter?"
With the acquisition, Wilson said the company will be able to "create even more unapologetically joyful, inspiring entertainment."
The deal was announced by Linde and SoulPancake CEO Shabnam Mogharabi, who will become General Manager of SoulPancake and report to Participant COO Sam Neswick.
Topics Social Good YouTube
Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
