New Rockstars
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Media, Entertainment |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Benny Luo |
| Headquarters | United States |
Key people | Benny Luo (founder), Danny Zappin (former owner), Rory Haines (former CEO), Filup Molina (operator since 2014), Erik Voss (host), Jessica Clemons (host) |
| Products | YouTube videos analyzing films and television series |
New Rockstars is a United States-based YouTube channel dedicated to the critique and examination of film and television. It began as NewMediaRockstars (NMR), an online publication launched in December 2011 that featured coverage of YouTube creators, entrepreneurs, and artists through video content and interviews until it ceased operations in 2013. The brand was later revamped for YouTube in 2014.
Content
Original concept
Established by Benny Luo in late 2011, NewMediaRockstars focused on new media, especially content on YouTube. The publication discontinued in August 2013 after losing financial backing. Shortly afterward, Luo transferred ownership to Danny Zappin, who planned to broaden the scope of the magazine’s new media coverage.
Zappin's vision was to establish NMR as the premier source for new media and online video news, much like how Entertainment Weekly shaped coverage of film, television, and literature during the 1990s. In 2014, screenwriter and producer Rory Haines was appointed CEO with the goal of expanding NMR's production of video content.
Rebranding phase
Following its 2013 shutdown due to funding shortages, NewMediaRockstars was acquired by Danny Zappin, former CEO of Maker Studios, who intended to transform it into a weekly online entertainment magazine. In 2014, operational control was assumed by Filup Molina, who rebranded the entity and shifted its emphasis toward the YouTube channel as the main platform for publication.
Present day
Currently hosted by Erik Voss and Jessica Clemons, New Rockstars focuses on creating YouTube videos that analyze films and television series. Its content includes detailed breakdowns, behind-the-scenes insights, reaction videos, as well as comprehensive discussions exploring themes and speculations about upcoming projects.