{"id":46520,"date":"2025-08-05T22:16:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T22:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/46520\/"},"modified":"2025-08-05T22:16:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T22:16:10","slug":"media-and-entertainment-ventures-raise-500-million-in-july","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/46520\/","title":{"rendered":"Media and Entertainment Ventures Raise $500 Million in July"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"139\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Funding-File-strap-02.png\" alt=\"Funding File\" class=\"wp-image-7811394\" style=\"width:468px;height:auto\"  \/><\/p>\n<p> This report is a partnership between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/members-hub\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">WrapPRO<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/get.pitchbook.com\/pitchbook-data\/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=Brand-US&amp;adgroup=Brand-Exact&amp;utm_term=pitchbook&amp;device=c&amp;utm_content=&amp;_bk=pitchbook&amp;_bt=533930678330&amp;_bm=e&amp;_bn=g&amp;_bg=68167525578&amp;kwdaud=kwd-334479000139&amp;sfid=rFC8fCnu-dc_pcrid_533930678330_pkw_pitchbook_pmt_e_slid__productid__pgrid_68167525578_ptaid_kwd-334479000139&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=1012986696&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADrJo1YANjOaZEKqYF-9Kh8oNFUqi&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwtMHEBhC-ARIsABua5iTOwVxfAGox95AITrP91kZoOPefMt4ZVCOOVGEdTezM1KtIGol3l20aAnIsEALw_wcB\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">PitchBook<\/a>, the go-to financial data and software platform that provides detailed information on private and public capital markets.<\/p>\n<p>Welcome to The Funding File, an exciting new monthly column we are launching today in partnership with <a href=\"https:\/\/pitchbook.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">deals data provider PitchBook<\/a>. This is just another premium we offer to our WrapPRO subscribers.<\/p>\n<p>So what is The Funding File? Each month we will document the startups and young companies across entertainment, media, publishing, entertainment software and information services that are raising venture capital. This unique collection of data is critical because these startups are more often than not a bellwether of innovation and future trends for any industry. And where investors are placing their bets (financing, from seed to late stage) is essential to understanding fully where media and entertainment is heading. <\/p>\n<p>We also intend to track investments that turn out to be duds. Again, crucial information for what\u2019s not working.<\/p>\n<p>So far this year, media and entertainment companies have raised nearly $6.6 billion, almost <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/technology\/infinite-reality-valued-1225-billion-after-latest-fundraise-2025-01-08\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">half of that came from a $3 billion raise in early January by Infinite Reality <\/a>from investors that it did not disclose, according to PitchBook data. Infinite Reality, which has bought the brand name of the former Napster file sharing company, said it uses immersive technologies to offer a suite of services to brands and creators to increase audience engagement.<\/p>\n<p>Financings overall have not kept pace with 2024 activity, consistent with an overall slump in deal activity for M&amp;A and IPOs since President Donald Trump took office, whose bombastic claims and inconsistent messaging has created market jitters and economic uncertainties.<\/p>\n<p>Another big financing deal in 2025 was for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.moviepass.com\/?cookie_consent=false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">MoviePass\u2019<\/a> Mogul box office fantasy game <a href=\"https:\/\/uk.finance.yahoo.com\/news\/moviepass-secures-100-million-capital-170500532.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAC7Jq7ZAf-A9xlKuGGuwdvb8fc6aqzZ2ZG9krkYLSSbOam0-A-t4gKQIhtGNosanUxlkGnVe7l_1Xh-HVwHuxQyOPLoyrRpgX-FeNX_-1HOymf63bspAMgEcUUNO5UTauuuB_ubJtBfzPs7D9BjKO-4TeCpGtxByMm9cUUgeVZvi\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">that raised $100 million in May<\/a> from Global Emerging Markets\u2019 Token Fund.<\/p>\n<p>As for July, during which media and entertainment companies closed investments of nearly $500 million, here are a few highlighted companies \u2014 with a full chart of the top 15 financings below.<\/p>\n<p>1. Base Boy Entertainment \u2014 $110 Million<\/p>\n<p>Base Boy Entertainment Network, which offers services in talent development and management to support and guide artists, actors, models, filmmakers and music producers, raised $110 million from investors it did not disclose, according to PitchBook. This follows <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/base-boy-entertainment-network-inc-recently-closed-a-successful-funding-round_692816.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">an earlier round of $7.5 million in 2024 <\/a>led by the Black Unicorn Factory. The Santa Monica, California-based company was founded in 2017 by Juavona Gallien. The company did not respond to TheWrap\u2019s request for comment on the latest raise.<\/p>\n<p>2. Substack \u2014 $100 Million <\/p>\n<p>Substack, the popular platform for creators and publishers, raised $100 million in July from a group of investors that included BOND and The Chernin Group (TCG), as well as Andreessen Horowitz. Founded in 2017, San Francisco-based Substack has surpassed five million paid subscribers on its platform. <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/07\/17\/substack-raises-100m-from-chernin-group-andreessen-horowitz-skims-ceo-and-more\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Media reports said<\/a> the latest investment raises Substack\u2019s valuation to $1.1 billion. Hamish McKenzie, co-founder of Substack, told TheWrap: \u201cThis raise propels Substack\u2019s mission to create a new economic engine for culture. It allows us to double down on our commitment to writer and creator success by investing in better tools, expanding our reach and providing enhanced support.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur purpose is to empower creators to build sustainable businesses and communities at scale, with the freedom and ownership they deserve,\u201d he added. \u201cThere has never been a better time to start a new media business. Substack provides the ideal \u2018land\u2019 to build on \u2014 modern publishing tools, a network that powers growth and a business model that works \u2014 while preserving ownership for the publishers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\t\t<a class=\"the-wrap-read-more__image\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/terry-moran-launches-substack-a-day-after-abc-firing-over-trump-comment\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Terry-Moran-Substack.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Terry Moran\"   data-portal-copyright=\"TheWrap\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"1\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>12. The College Sports Company \u2014 $5 Million<\/p>\n<p>Boston-based <a href=\"https:\/\/www.collegesportsco.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The College Sports Company <\/a>raised another $5 million in July from GreenWave Ventures, adding the more than $50 million the company raised so far. College Sports Company collaborates with big universities like Penn State, Oklahoma and Louisville to launch athlete-driven media networks that enhance both school and athlete visibility.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/events\/7344382773362655232\/about\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Creator-Power-970x250-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7804557\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"931\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/080125-Top-15-US-entertainment-publishing-and-media-and-information-deals-by-size-6_28-7_28-1-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7812218\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>How the year is looking<\/p>\n<p>To put July in perspective, it\u2019s important to look at 2025\u2019s previous months for dollar amounts raised and deal counts. Clearly there was been significant slowing from January, which was helped by the Infinite Reality funding. <\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"910\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/073125-VC-Deal-Activity-in-US-Entertainment-Software-Publishing-and-Media-and-Information-Companies-.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7810511\"  \/><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"910\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/073125-VC-Deal-Activity-in-US-Media-Companies-by-Month.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7810512\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>If this kind of data is useful to you, go here to <a href=\"https:\/\/pitchbook.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">PitchBook for more information<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t<a class=\"the-wrap-read-more__image\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/veteran-vc-eric-hippeau-on-what-hes-looking-for-in-ai-and-creator-startups\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/063025-Office-with-a-View-Artwork.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\"   data-portal-copyright=\"TheWrap\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"1\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This report is a partnership between WrapPRO and PitchBook, the go-to financial data and software platform that provides&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46521,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[84,4203,26210,2453,1208,56,54,55,4213,26211],"class_list":{"0":"post-46520","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entrepreneurship","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-entrepreneurship","10":"tag-funding-file","11":"tag-innovation","12":"tag-startups","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom","15":"tag-unitedkingdom","16":"tag-venture-capital","17":"tag-wrappro"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46520","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46520"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46520\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}