Zealot Acquires Digital Marketing Agency Threshold Interactive

Just last month, former Maker Studios CEO Danny Zappin told The Hollywood Reporter his entrepreneur- and startup-focused company Zealot wanted to acquire more brand agencies. Now the “multi-company network” has made good on its word. Zealot has added digital marketing agency Threshold Interactive to its roster of companies.

Threshold brings plenty of marketing experience to Zealot, including a successful ten-year relationship with food and beverage company Nestlé. The digital marketing agency has also partnered with various YouTube stars on various brand campaigns, such as the Hot Pockets “Sandwich Showdown” involving Smosh and Taryn Southern. Zealot, which was recently valued at over $100 million thanks to an investment from UK-based TV network ITV, hopes to use Threshold’s assets to further expand the network’s marketing and digital media initiatives.

“Threshold Interactive complements our existing portfolio of companies not only by bringing extensive experience in creating rich and deep content for multiple digital platforms but also their proven ability to deeply engage that vital consumer audience – millennials,” said Zappin, president and CEO of Zealot Networks, in a release. “Threshold amplifies our integrated brand marketing and original content creation expertise as we look to create unique synergies throughout our portfolio of companies.”

“We’re tremendously excited to join the Zealot family – this partnership enables us to be part of a very robust and powerful network of brand builders, content creators and highly effective distribution vehicles,” added John Montgomery, CEO of Threshold Interactive. “Our experience navigating this space for our clients, paired with Zealot’s tools and talent, will greatly amplify the impact we’ll have on our clients’ businesses. Since the time we launched YouTube’s very first brand-channel, we’ve always been proud to be at the forefront of branded storytelling, and now as part of Zealot, this propels us even further ahead of the pack.”

With a 100% acquisition for an undisclosed amount, Threshold joins Zealot’s other recently-acquired companies. The network added management firm Converge Media Group to its portfolio in February 2015. And back in December 2014, Zealot purchased a majority stake in AudioMicro, parent company of YouTube monetization platform AdRev.

Tristan Snyder and Jonathan Zucker of investment banking firm Intrepid negotiated Zealot’s acquisition of Threshold, which will continue to do business under its current name.