Moviepilot completed a new $16 million funding round to fuel the fan-centric media website’s expansion into gaming content and social video production, the company announced Tuesday.
The round is led by French publishing group Webedia, which operates several of the top entertainment websites outside the U.S., including the largest movie websites in France, Germany, Spain and Brazil.
Moviepilot’s current investors, led by T-Venture of America, also participated in the Series B round.
In addition to ramping up gaming coverage on the platform, Moviepilot will expand its branded video division and native Facebook video that already totals more than 40 million monthly video views.
Over the past two years, Venice, Calif.-based Moviepilot has built a significant millennial following, with 25 million unique monthly visitors and almost 30 million fans on Facebook and Instagram. More than 75 percent of Moviepilot users are aged 35 and under.
“This is a great opportunity for Moviepilot to build on what we do successfully in movies and television, but also expand into the gaming space,” Moviepilot co-founder and CEO Tobi Bauckhage said in a statement. “Our fans and users already love gaming. For us, this was the natural next step, and we’re excited to get started.”
“It’s remarkable how quickly Moviepilot has become the go-to destination for young entertainment fans in the U.S., even with stiff competition for millennial audiences from players like Buzzfeed, Vox Media, and Vice,” Webedia Chairman Véronique Morali said. “We’re thrilled to accelerate Moviepilot’s success story and help them win a massive American gaming audience.”