Cheezburger

About Cheezburger

Cheezburger, Inc. represents a pivotal player in the early monetization of internet culture, having been established in 2007. The company's genesis is rooted in the acquisition of the blog "I Can Has Cheezburger?" by Ben Huh for a reported $2 million. The original blog was created earlier in 2007 by Eric Nakagawa and Kari Unebasami, who posted a captioned image of a cat that quickly became a viral phenomenon.

Ben Huh, a former journalist turned entrepreneur, along with his wife Emily Huh, who served as editor-in-chief, scaled the initial blog into a network of humor-based websites. Ben Huh's prior experience with a startup provided him with key insights for navigating the growth of Cheezburger. The company's core mission was to provide its audience with "five minutes of fun every day." This strategy involved expanding its portfolio by acquiring or developing other meme-related sites, including FAIL Blog and Know Your Meme, creating a network that attracted millions of unique monthly visitors. At its zenith, the Cheezburger Network consisted of over 50 websites, generating substantial page views and establishing itself as a significant force in online entertainment.

The business model primarily relied on advertising revenue generated from the high traffic across its network of sites. The content was largely user-generated, with the community submitting images and videos that the editorial team would curate and publish. This model allowed for a constant stream of fresh, humorous content catering to a market seeking lighthearted entertainment. The company also diversified its revenue streams through merchandise and book publishing, with two of their books becoming New York Times best-sellers. A reality TV series on Bravo called LOLwork further chronicled the office life and content creation process. In 2011, Cheezburger secured a significant $30 million venture capital investment to fuel its expansion. However, the company later faced challenges, leading to layoffs in 2013 as the online media landscape evolved. Ben and Emily Huh stepped down from the company in 2015. In 2016, Cheezburger was acquired by Literally Media, an ad and data tech-driven media company, as part of a strategy to build a powerhouse targeting Millennial and Gen Z audiences. Literally Media's portfolio includes other legacy internet brands like eBaum's World and Cracked, utilizing proprietary technology to identify trends and optimize content distribution.