Media Company HardScope Launches With Studio Built Around Creator-Led IP, Sets Digital Series Slate (EXCLUSIVE)

A new player has entered the creator economy.

HardScope, founded by Matt Kalish, is a media company with an in-house studio built around creator-led IP. The brand is launching its YouTube channel on Sept. 30 with a slate of digital series.

The company’s goal is to create original franchises that can be developed into something larger — brand partnerships, live experiences, licensing and distribution beyond HardScope’s own channels. As an incentive to grow the franchises, creators participate as equity partners in the IP they help build. The studio team includes creative executives that helped push FaZe Clan to become a global force in online gaming culture.

“We’re here to bring ambitious projects to life,” said Kalish, who also serves as CEO of HardScope. “We believe that working hand-in-hand with creators as business partners is how the future of media and IP will be made, grown and scaled.”

HardScope’s first batch of series are set to debut between September and November, backed by nearly $4 million in production and development investment. The shows include “R3born With N3on,” which will take viewers inside the streamer’s fitness transformation, and “Unpacked With Matcrackz,” a collectibles-themed project which will see celebrity guests hunt down their most-wanted piece of memorabilia. Plus, there’s “Love & Justice With Zach Justice,” in which the host will hear both sides of a relationship issue and deliver a verdict, and “Small World With Bloody Osiris,” a global travel show that explores “what happens when a New York fashion icon goes on the hunt for the perfect outfit and location for a fit-pic.”

“Creators have given the world more great content to watch than ever before, and somehow we’re choosing less of what we actually watch,” said Lars Bengston, chief content officer of HardScope. “As algorithm fatigue sets in, taste and curation start to matter a lot more. We’re building HardScope to give audiences a brand they can identify themselves in, and creators a place to build beyond what they’re already known for.”