Brat (digital network)
Brat (also known as Brat TV) is a digital media network, which was launched in 2017 and is available on YouTube. The network features original shows and is intended for teenagers. The original script features popular teenage social media celebrities in videos ranging from six to twenty-five minutes long. Brat's flagship web series, Chicken Girls, featured many social media influencers. A subsequent movie, based on Chicken Girls, was released later titled as Chicken Girls: The Movie. Brat has also produced shows starring numerous teenage TV and movie stars from Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, such as Anna Cooke, Anna Cathcart, Addison Riecke, Francesca Capaldi, and Emily Skinner.
Type of site | OTT digital media network |
---|---|
Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, United States |
Founder(s) | Rob Fishman Darren Lachtman |
URL | www |
Registration | Available on YouTube |
Launched | March 1, 2017 |
Current status | Active |
History
Brat was launched in 2017 by television writer Rob Fishman and Darren Lachtman as an online network featuring scripted content, streaming for free on YouTube.[1][2] The company originally received $2.5 million in seed funding from a range of investors.[1] Fishman saw a gap in the online market for high-quality teenage shows available for free on digital platforms.[3] The content produced by Brat is structured as several short web series starring popular teenage internet celebrities. Fishman noted how the selected social media celebrities all brought their own established audiences to Brat's shows, describing them as "under-leveraged media property".[3][1] The name of the network was inspired by the "Brat Pack" movies of the 1980s.[3]
On September 5th 2017, Brat premiered Chicken Girls, which continues to be Brat’s most successful show and to this day brings in millions of views.
The most viewed episode (not including movies, music videos, trailers, sneak peeks, behind the scenes content, or bonus content) on Brat of all time is season 1 episode 9 of Mani, which is called “I’m The Captian Now”. It stands at over 17 million views as of May 28, 2020. The episode originally premiered on December 6, 2017.
In addition to teenage internet celebrities, Brat’s content would (this started in April 2018 with Total Eclipse) also star people who have worked with Disney Channel and Nickelodeon (Brat mainly works with internet celebrities though).
In 2018, Brat premiered 3 shows that were different than its usual single-camera shows: Brat Chat which was a talk show hosted by Indiana Massara and Darius Marcell that premiered in June, The Talent Show[4] which was a competition series to find Brat’s next star (it was hosted by Casey Simpson. The usual set of judges consisted of Sofie Dossi, Bryce Xavier, and Jordyn Jones) that was released in August, and Hotel Du Loone which was a multi-cam sitcom that (like Brat Chat) was released in June.[5] A film based on Chicken Girls was released in 2018 as part of a deal with Studio L, a digital content division of Lionsgate[2][6] Before the film's release, Brat and Lionsgate amicably canceled their partnership.[7] The film was designed to provide an alternative to what had been covered in the series and premiered in June.[2]
Chicken Girls: The Movie was released in June 2018, and ended up becoming Brat’s most popular video/show/movie/episode of all time, as it has more than 28 million views (as of June 6, 2020).
In December 2018, Brat premiered the Brat Holiday Spectacular starring Mackenzie Ziegler, Annie LeBlanc, Indiana Massara, Sofie Dossi, Aliyah Moulden, Kelsey Cook, Jay Ulloa, Bryce Xavier, Emily Skinner, Darius Marcell, Billy LeBlanc, Paul Arnold, and Tristan Tales.[8]
In March 2019, Brat premiered Spring Breakaway starring Annie LeBlanc, Lilia Buckingham, Anna Cathcart, Kianna Naomi, William Franklyn-Miller, Jay Ulloa, Chase Keith, Paul Toweh, and Alex Guzman.[9]
In August 2019, Brat premiered Intern-in-Chief which featured Annie LeBlanc, Kianna Naomi, Kennedy Walsh, Brooke Butler, Riley Lewis, Giorgo Antoniazzi, William Franklyn-Miller, Bryce Xavier, Indiana Massara, Hayley LeBlanc, Matt Sato, Rush Holland, Mads Lewis, and Aliyah Moulden.
Shows
Current shows
Title | Premiere date | Current season | Source(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Single-camera series | |||
Chicken Girls | September 5, 2017 | 6 | [10] |
Total Eclipse | April 5, 2018 | 5 | [11] |
Zoe Valentine | January 16, 2019 | 2 | [12][13] |
Crown Lake | June 20, 2019 | 2 | [14] |
Sunnyside Up | December 3, 2019 | 1 | Brat (September 14, 2019), Sunnyside Up| |
Crazy Fast | December 4, 2019 | 1 | Brat (September 13, 2019), Crazy Fast | |
Stage Fright | March 26, 2020 | 1 | Brat (February 9, 2020), Stage Frightt | |
Attaway General | May 20, 2020 | 1 | |
Films
Title | Premiere date | Source(s) |
---|---|---|
Chicken Girls: The Movie | June 29, 2018 | [15] |
Brat Holiday Spectacular | December 21, 2018 | [16] |
Spring Breakaway | March 15, 2019 | [17] |
Intern-in-Chief | August 23, 2019 |
Former programming
Denotes series is no longer available to view online |
Title | Premiere date | Finale date | Seasons | Source(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Single-camera series | ||||
Misshaps | June 12, 2017 | August 7, 2017 | 1 | [18] |
Cody & Lexy | July 27, 2017 | August 17, 2017 | 1 | [19] |
Keys | July 29, 2017 | February 16, 2018 | 1 | [20] |
Mani | August 30, 2017 | April 8, 2020 | 5 | [21] |
Spot The Dog | August 31, 2017 | September 23, 2017 | 1 | [22] |
Flunky's Upset | September 27, 2017 | November 2, 2017 | 1 | [23] |
Attaway Appeal | September 28, 2017 | November 10, 2017 | 1 | [24] |
Afterschooled | January 11, 2018 | February 8, 2018 | 1 | [25] |
Overnights | March 2, 2018 | March 30, 2018 | 1 | [26] |
Brobot | April 16, 2018 | May 14, 2018 | 1 | [27] |
Dirt | May 4, 2018 | March 1, 2019 | 2 | [28] |
Baby Doll Records | June 4, 2018 | July 16, 2018 | 1 | [29] |
Boss Cheer | June 21, 2018 | February 21, 2019 | 2 | [30] |
A Girl Named Jo | July 3, 2018 | August 6, 2019 | 3 | [31] |
On The Ropes | February 25, 2019 | April 15, 2019 | 1 | [32] |
Stuck | March 27, 2019 | May 15, 2019 | 1 | [33] |
Red Ruby | April 29, 2019 | June 10, 2019 | 1 | [34] |
Talk show | ||||
Brat Chat | June 3, 2018 | December 16, 2018 | 1 | [35] |
Sketch comedies | ||||
My Not So Sweet 16 | July 7, 2017 | July 7, 2017 | 1 | [36] |
Too Cool For School | July 8, 2017 | July 22, 2017 | 1 | [37] |
Multi-camera series | ||||
Hotel Du Loone | June 27, 2018 | August 22, 2018 | 1 | [38] |
Reality series | ||||
The Pain of Painting | July 19, 2017 | August 9, 2017 | 1 | [39] |
Sheltered | July 21, 2017 | August 11, 2017 | 1 | [40] |
Competition series | ||||
The Talent Show | August 27, 2018 | October 11, 2018 | 1 | [41] |
Brat had also filmed shows called Turnt and Theater Kids[42], but those most likely didn’t air since no one has heard anything about them after the days where they were being filmed.
Other media
B-Sides
In February 2020, Brat launched a YouTube channel called B-Sides where some of Brat’s stars sing original songs, as well as covers of existing songs.
Books
In March 2019, Brat partnered with Sky Pony Press to release a junior novel based on the Chicken Girls series, entitled "Rhyme and the Runaway Twins".[43]
IGTV
- Attaway Looks
- Brat Asks
- Brat Radio
- Fast Friends
- Fly So High
- Past Your Bedtime
- Trivia Night
- True or Nah
- Wednesday Wisdom
Podcast
In August 2019, Brat partnered with Art19 to produce a set of podcasts, the first of which will serve as a spin-off of Attaway Appeal.[44]
Yearbook
In February 2020, Brat launched a YouTube channel called Yearbook that features Brat’s stars in different series of videos:
- Best Day Ever
- Chemistry
- Dear Diary
- Honor Roll
- @me
- Meet My Pet
- Portrait Mode
- Sip or Spill
- Study Hall
- Tuesday Tea
Some of Yearbook’s videos had been posted on Brat’s IGTV.
References
- Kafka, Peter (July 24, 2017). "Rob Fishman used to connect young stars with advertisers. Now, he's making videos with them at his new startup, Brat". Recode. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
- McAlone, Nathan (May 2, 2018). "A founder who sold his last startup for ~$50 million is using book and movie deals to boost his new YouTube-centric media company". Business Insider. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
- McAlone, Nathan (October 28, 2017). "A founder who sold his last startup for ~$50 million wants to make iconic TV for teens in the YouTube era". Business Insider. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
- "Brat Unveils Fall Slate Featuring More 'Chicken Girls,' Competition Series 'Talent Show' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
- Chuba, Kirsten (May 30, 2018). "Brat Sets First Multicam Sitcom with 'Hotel Du Loone' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
- "Lionsgate announces first film slate for newly branded 'Studio L' digital content studio". Cision. PR Newswire. February 22, 2018. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
- Faughnder, Ryan."'Chicken Girls' maker Brat raises $30 million to produce online shows for teens", Los Angeles Times, July 18, 2018.
- McAlone, Nathan. "The 'two biggest female Gen Z stars' are about to be in a holiday YouTube movie together", Business Insider, December 12, 2018
- Spring Breakaway, retrieved April 7, 2019
- "CHICKEN GIRLS – Season 2 – Annie & Hayden – YouTube" – via YouTube.
- Holloway, Daniel (March 12, 2018). "Digital Network Brat Orders Series 'Total Eclipse' With Mackenzie Ziegler, Lauren Orlando (EXCLUSIVE)".
- "'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' Actress Anna Cathcart to Star in Brat Series 'Zoe Valentine'".
- Brat (January 16, 2019), ZOE VALENTINE | Season 1 | Ep. 1: "Disappearing Act", retrieved March 9, 2019
- Brat (May 3, 2019), Crown Lake | Deadline Hollywood, retrieved May 3, 2019
- Brat (June 29, 2018). "CHICKEN GIRLS: THE MOVIE" – via YouTube.
- Brat (December 21, 2018), BRAT HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR, retrieved March 9, 2019
- Brat (March 15, 2019). "Spring Breakaway" – via YouTube.
- "MISSHAPS with Kristen – YouTube" – via YouTube.
- "CODY & LEXY – YouTube" – via YouTube.
- "KEYS with Dylan & Hayden – YouTube" – via YouTube.
- "Brat on Twitter". Twitter.
- "SPOT THE DOG with Tanner & Ken – YouTube" – via YouTube.
- "FLUNKY'S UPSET with Meghan, Raegan & Denzel – YouTube" – via YouTube.
- "ATTAWAY APPEAL with MaeMae, Motoki and Dru – YouTube" – via YouTube.
- "AFTERSCHOOLED with Summer & Dylan – YouTube" – via YouTube.
- "OVERNIGHTS – Season 1 – Jordyn & Daniel – YouTube" – via YouTube.
- "BROBOT – Season 1 – Brent & Lexi – YouTube" – via YouTube.
- DIRT | Season 2 | Ep. 7: "Distractions", retrieved January 10, 2020
- "BABY DOLL RECORDS – Season 1 – Baby Ariel – YouTube" – via YouTube.
- BOSS CHEER | Season 2 | Ep. 8: "The Boss is Back", retrieved January 10, 2020
- A GIRL NAMED JO | Season 3 | Ep. 8: "Allen's Arcade", retrieved January 10, 2020
- Brat (February 25, 2019), ON THE ROPES | Season 1 | Ep. 1: "Fresh Start", retrieved March 9, 2019
- Brat (March 13, 2019), STUCK | First Look, retrieved March 14, 2019
- Brat (March 22, 2019), Red Ruby | Deadline Hollywood, retrieved March 22, 2019
- Brat (June 3, 2018). "BRAT CHAT – Indiana & Darius – 6.3.18" – via YouTube.
- Brat (July 7, 2017). "MY NOT SO SWEET 16 – Jason Nash in "Entrance"" – via YouTube.
- Brat (July 8, 2017). "TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL – Siena Mirabella in "First Day" – Ep. 1" – via YouTube.
- Chuba, Kirsten (May 30, 2018). "Brat Sets First Multicam Sitcom with 'Hotel Du Loone' (EXCLUSIVE)".
- Brat (July 19, 2017). "THE PAIN OF PAINTING – Jason Nash & David Dobrik – Ep. 1" – via YouTube.
- Brat (July 21, 2017). "SHELTERED – Nazanin Kavari in "Unboxing" – Ep. 1" – via YouTube.
- Brat (August 27, 2018). "THE TALENT SHOW – "Meet the Judges" – Ep.1" – via YouTube.
- McNary, Dave (August 22, 2017). "Digital Creator Brat Unveils Fall Slate of High School-Set Shows". Variety.
- Brat (March 5, 2019). Chicken Girls: Rhyme and the Runaway Twins. ISBN 978-1510742185.
- "Brat Partners with Art19 To Launch Teen-Targeted Podcasts". Inside Radio. August 23, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2019.