The Hollywood Reporter
Fixated, a content creator management company launched last year that represents Zach Justice and Sketch, announced Wednesday that Eldridge Industries had invested $10 million.
Fixated co-founders Zach Katz and Jason Wilhelm said Eldridge Industries has a “vast minority” in Fixated but would not provide a number. Fixated raised $12.8 million with $10 million and $2.8 million from other investors. Eldridge Industries CEO Todd Boehly invests in A24, the Dodgers, and The Hollywood Reporter through a joint venture with Penske Media Corporation.
Katz, a music industry veteran who was president of FaZe Clan from 2022 to 2023, co-founded Fixated a year and a half ago with TalentX co-founder Jason Wilhelm. Fixated's roster includes chess players Andrea and Alexandra Botez and contortionist Sofie Dossi, who rose to fame on America's Got Talent and has 12.4 million TikTok followers. Justice founded his own independent production label in December.
The duo told THR that they founded the company to fill a “massive hole” in the content creation market, where there aren't enough agents to assist creators grow their businesses.
From podcasting to livestreaming video games to TikTok shortform video, many content providers want to expand. Katz and Wilhelm noted that most content managers focus on brand deals rather than custom content generation.
I entered this sector from a ‘cousin industry’ with the music industry, where artists had the same support. Managers are artists' rock, strongest advocate, and commercial partner, helping them define and realize goals. Digital entertainment lacked this.”
His clients “have to wake up every single day and make a ‘hit song,’ so to speak.” Unlike musicians, they must release their work frequently.
For some agents, the mentality is, ‘We’re going to do what we know what we know works, and that’s brand deals,’ but most of the money creators make comes from content, says Wilhelm. We assist with Snap, Facebook, YouTube, and streaming content. All these platforms are different, therefore mastering them is hard.”
Katz further links the lack of funding to content creators being seen as influencers rather than traditional entertainers. He believes many of his clients' priorities have altered since the creative economy became mainstream in recent years. He no longer believes a large TikTok or Twitch following is a ticket to Hollywood.
“If Hollywood was the major leagues, this digital entertainment industry was the minor leagues,” Katz added. I think the great aim has evolved from having a program on Netflix or Hulu to, ‘How do I truly establish a business that takes the gazillion eyes out there, and how do I become a celebrity on all those platforms?’ Some of our clientele demand that—Zach Justice loves movies. However, creators are focusing on their mastery of settings and viewing Hollywood as "If it makes sense."
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