Craftsy

Craftsy

Company type	Private
Industry	Video on demand, E-commerce, Education
Founded	2011 (2011)
Founder	John Levisay, Josh Scott, Andrew Rogers, Todd Tobin, Bret Hanna
Headquarters	Denver , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	John Levisay (Founder and CEO)
Products	Online instructional videos, craft materials, project kits
Owner	TN Marketing

Craftsy, previously operating under the name Bluprint, is a U.S.-based subscription video-on-demand platform managed by TN Marketing. The service delivers online instructional content centered on crafts, hobbies, and lifestyle subjects, complemented by an e-commerce store offering craft materials and project kits that correspond with its educational videos.

Established in 2011, Craftsy began by providing digital courses related to crafting and selling corresponding supplies. Within its first year, the platform saw enrollments exceed 500,000. In 2017, NBCUniversal Direct-to-Consumer and Digital Enterprises acquired the company. The next year, Craftsy evolved into Bluprint, a streaming service with a broader lifestyle focus that integrated with NBCUniversal’s media assets. The full transition of Craftsy into Bluprint was completed in January 2019. TN Marketing purchased Bluprint’s assets in July 2020 and subsequently revived the brand under the name Craftsy.

History

Sympoz Inc., launched in April 2010 by former executives from eBay—John Levisay and Josh Scott—alongside Yahoo’s Andrew Rogers, Todd Tobin, and Bret Hanna, secured $15 million in angel investments from firms including Access Venture Partners, Foundry Group, Harrison Metal, and Tiger Global Management prior to its website debut just over a year later. By September 2012, daily new user registrations averaged around 1,600.

In November 2014, the company completed its fourth funding round, raising $50 million and bringing total capital raised near $100 million. NBCUniversal acquired a controlling interest in May 2017. Later that year, Catherine Balsam-Schwaber joined as general manager after her tenure as chief creative officer at Mattel Creations.

In July 2018, the platform rebranded its subscription offering to Bluprint, expanding its content portfolio to encompass a wider range of hobbies and lifestyle themes aimed at fostering creative self-expression. The lineup featured notable figures such as Marcy Harriell (Re:Fashion), dancer Stephen "tWitch" Boss (Hip-Hop Grooves With tWitch), Al Roker (Ready, Set, Grill), and Padma Lakshmi (Spark). Bluprint capitalized on NBCUniversal’s corporate connections by integrating its brand within shows like Making It, Million Dollar Listing, and Today. Dave Howe, NBCUniversal’s president of strategy and commercial growth, described Bluprint as a "Netflix" tailored for hobbyists and lifestyle education. Craftsy remained operational until it was fully consolidated into Bluprint in January 2019.

Acquisition

On May 22, 2020, Bluprint announced it would cease operations permanently and planned workforce reductions impacting 137 employees by August. Founder and CEO John Levisay expressed regret over the closure but attributed it to decisions made by NBCUniversal.

In July 2020, TN Marketing acquired Bluprint’s assets with a commitment to honor prior customer purchases. The service was subsequently rebranded and relaunched as Craftsy in September 2020.

Demographics

By 2012, quilting emerged as the most popular course category on Craftsy, while cake decorating experienced swift growth. The company utilized social media channels such as Facebook and YouTube to grow its customer base. Its audience is predominantly female, with approximately 80% being over the age of 40.