WME Signs Car Culture-Focused Online Video Startup Donut Media

Leading talent agency WME has signed Donut Media, an automotive-centric and millennial-focused digital media publisher that seeks to combine car culture and pop culture. The signing arrives on the heels of an $800,000 seed round by Donut in May and the launch of its branded content agency, Donut Brand Studio.

“We’ve had a lot of success creating short- and medium-form content around cars and motorsports, but we never intended to stop there,” said Donut co-founder Nick Moceri in a statement. “We’ve had our eye on TV and longer form for a while, and have been looking for a partner who can help us translate our content creation abilities for other mediums.” Moceri added that WME will aid Donut’s foray into unscripted programming and live events, as well as broaden its relationships with brands and talent.

Two-year-old Donut Media, which is based in Los Angeles, creates data-driven content for young car enthusiasts across Facebook

(517,000 followers), YouTube (102,000 subscribers), and Instagram (50,000 followers), where, all told, it clocks millions of monthly views, according to the company. Other founding execs include digital media veterans from AwesomenessTV, GoPro, Fullscreen, and more.

The company’s most popular YouTube video thus far (below), sees two grandmothers given the keys to a Lamborghini, whereupon they run some errands around town.

Participants in Donut’s seed round included 3311 Ventures, pocket.watch CEO Chris Williams, Fontinalis Partners, professional drifting driver Ryan Tuerck, and Techstars Ventures. The company will reportedly use the funds to launch Donut Originals, a long-form programming division that will develop premium content for TV and top streaming services.