2020 was a whirlwind of weird. From killer bees to the crippling pandemic, we have all had to adjust the way we live, work, communicate, and stay entertained. Luckily, Fearless was here in 2020 to drive forward a large number of new advancements. We’ve summed up the year and wrapped it with a bow. Here’s what happened this year on Fearless.
Series Dominated Viewership
In 2020, Fearless Members watched a LOT of content. Perhaps due to the pandemic, but likely also due to Fearless’ fast-growing market dominance in the independent film and inclusive film spaces. In particular, it was the episodic series that dominated views with Tony Babcock’s Extreme Actor, the Fearless Original Series So That Happened, and comedy gem Brennan & Victoria Make Rent earning record-setting views and defying all predictions. Extreme Actor was also the only series to boast a 20% re-watch rate – a figure we have yet to see with any other series proving that Babcock’s original programming is an entertaining and binge-able gem.
Creator Earnings Skyrocketed
We are excited to say that Creators earned more revenue in 2020 than any other year. On Fearless, Creators are paid based on how much their content is viewed with the top earning Creators seeing royalty increases of up to 210% in 2020. In addition, we raised our rates for many of our Creators in 2020 to help independent creators earn more revenue and be able to weather the storm of 2020. Our new rates will continue as we are committed to matching or beating royalty rates set by major players in the streaming space.
Fearless Expanded to New Countries
In April 2020, we expanded Fearless from the US & Canada only to the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. This expansion was planned for September 2020 but was fast-tracked for April 1st due to the pandemic and Members’ increased view times and new Member signups. The US & Canada continue to be Fearless’ largest market with South Africa seeing the largest growth of the five new countries added this year.
New Conversational Features
We know that an important part of cinema is the conversation that comes from watching and discussing films and series and the stories and messages they convey. This is why Fearless has begun to implement new conversation-based features into the Fearless app as well as though online mediums. From our new Fearless Faves’ series on YouTube to our new in-app Connect feature, Fearless is quickly expanding opportunities for Fearless members to share their thoughts, reviews and discuss the movies and shows on Fearless.
Friday Releases That Just Won’t Stop
Everyone knows that Fearless releases content on Fridays and only Fridays. This means that once a week, there’s a fresh set of content to discover and fall in love with. 2020 was no exception as Fearless added a diverse collection of new series, documentaries, thrillers, comedies and dramas. In addition, Fearless added a new category with the launch of Animation this fall providing even more viewing options for Members and content creation opportunities for Creators.
What’s To Come
2020 was a great year for Fearless and there’s no end in sight. In 2021, Fearless will continue to pave the way for inclusive independent films and series and ensure that LGBTQ, female, Black, Indigenous, Disabled and under-represented perspectives are seen and amplified. In addition, Fearless will continue to provide revenue and exposure opportunities for independent Creators and ensure that stories from all walks of life are given the chance to truly be noticed and appreciated.
If you aren’t yet a Fearless Member, you can start your free 2-week trial by downloading the Fearless app for iOS and Android.
If you’re a creator looking to get your films or series streaming on Fearless, you can learn more at https://fearless.li/forcreators.
If you’re a member of the press, you can request to be added to our press release email list by emailing press@fearless.li.