RYOT
| Company type | Private (formerly) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Immersive media, documentary film production, virtual reality, augmented reality |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | Bryn Mooser, David Darg, Molly DeWolf Swenson, Martha Rogers |
| Fate | Acquired by HuffPost in April 2016; later purchased by Apollo Global Management in May 2021 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Documentary films, commercial content, virtual reality experiences, augmented reality experiences |
| Parent | HuffPost (2016–2021), Apollo Global Management (2021–present) |
RYOT (pronounced "riot") was an American company specializing in immersive media, established in 2012 by Bryn Mooser, David Darg, Molly DeWolf Swenson, and Martha Rogers, with its headquarters located in Los Angeles. The company focused on producing documentary films, commercial content, as well as virtual and augmented reality experiences.
In April 2016, RYOT became part of HuffPost through an acquisition. Later, in May 2021, Apollo Global Management purchased RYOT along with other Verizon Media assets for $5 billion. This deal was finalized on September 1, 2021.
Origins and initial development
Bryn Mooser and David Darg first crossed paths in Haiti following the devastating January 2010 earthquake while both were involved in humanitarian efforts—Mooser working with Artists for Peace and Justice on school construction, and Darg assisting Operation Blessing with water and sanitation initiatives. Together, they organized a baseball league for boys residing in the Tabarre area of Port-au-Prince.
After returning to the United States, Mooser and Darg brought on Molly DeWolf Swenson as COO and launched RYOT News, which positioned itself as “the first news platform connecting news to action.” Early financial backing came from Canadian investors Martha Rogers and Gareth Seltzer, along with contributions from Todd Wagner and Jason Calacanis.
RYOT gained early support from celebrity activists including Olivia Wilde, Ian Somerhalder, Ben Stiller, and Sophia Bush. Wilde and Elon Musk took on Executive Producer roles for several RYOT Films projects.
The founding directors besides Mooser and Darg included Stash Slionski and Stacey Leasca; initial reporting staff featured Benjamin Roffee, Vanessa Black, Stefan Todorovic, Tyson Sadler, and Christian Stephen.
Mooser and Darg captured their Haitian relief efforts in the Tribeca award-winning documentary Baseball in the Time of Cholera, which followed the Tabarre Tigers baseball team during a cholera epidemic. The film was showcased at various festivals and screened before members of Congress. In 2013, they debuted The Rider and The Storm, a short documentary focusing on a New York surfer affected by the Breezy Point fires amid Hurricane Sandy.
From 2015 onward: VR initiatives and subsequent productions
Executive producers Olivia Wilde and Paul Allen supported Body Team 12, which tells the story of a young Liberian health worker tasked with retrieving bodies during Monrovia’s 2014 Ebola crisis. The film premiered on HBO in February 2016. On Her Shoulders, chronicling Nadia Murad’s campaign against ISIS atrocities, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2018 and earned the Directing Award for U.S. Documentary.
The Painter of Jalouzi holds distinction as the first documentary filmed entirely using an iPhone 6S Plus.
Beginning in 2015, RYOT expanded into producing 360-degree/VR videos for media outlets, advertisers, and nonprofit organizations, collaborating with partners such as The New York Times, NPR, The Associated Press, Huffington Post, and Sierra Club.
RYOT is credited as the pioneer company to film 360-degree video in active conflict zones (Syria), disaster-stricken areas (Nepal), underwater environments alongside wild dolphins (Bahamas), as well as creating VR-based news and comedy series for a major streaming platform (Hulu).
Divisions
RYOT Studio operates as Verizon Media’s internal branded content agency.
RYOT Films develops projects across film, television, digital platforms, and virtual reality formats for clients.
RYOT Lab functions as Verizon Media’s center for technology innovation focused on emerging tech developments, collaborating closely with Verizon Lab.
Awards and nominations
In January 2016, RYOT Films earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) with Body Team 12. Additionally, this documentary received accolades at several festivals, including the Tribeca Film Festival, Mountainfilm Festival, Palm Springs International Film Festival, and Austin Film Festival, where it was honored as Best Documentary Short.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Director | Premiere Date | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Sun City Picture House | David Darg | October 15, 2011 | Production |
| 2012 | Baseball in the Time of Cholera | David Darg, Bryn Mooser | April 21, 2012 | Production |
| 2013 | The Rider and the Storm | David Darg, Bryn Mooser | 2013 | Production |
| 2014 | Meet the Hitlers | Matthew Ogens | October 18, 2014 | Co-Production (Showtime) |
| 2014 | Mitimetallica | David Darg, Bryn Mooser | December 5, 2014 | Production |
| 2014 | Positive | Linus Ignatius | 2014 | Production (in association) |
| 2015 | Gardeners of Eden | Austin Peck, Anneliese Vandenberg | April 24, 2015 | Co-Production (Netflix) |
| 2015 | Body Team 12 | David Darg | April 19, 2015 | Co-Production (HBO) |
| 2015 | Sailing a Sinking Sea | Olivia Wyatt | March 14, 2015 | Production |
| 2015 | Sweet Micky For President | Ben Patterson | January 24, 2015 | Co-Production (Showtime) |
| 2015 | The Painter of Jalouzi | Bryn Mooser | September 25, 2015 | Production |
| 2015 | Salam Neighbor | Zach Ingrasci, Chris Temple | June 20, 2015 | Production |
| 2016 | El Púgil | Angel Manuel Soto | 2016 | Production |
| 2016 | Watani: My Homeland | Marcel Mettelsiefen | April 12, 2016 | Production (in association) |
| 2016 | Wasfia | Sean Kusanagi | May 2016 | Production (National Geographic) |
| 2018 | "On Her Shoulders" | Alexandria Bombach | January 2018 | Production |
| 2019 | Earth | Nigel Tierney, Federico Heller | April 2019 | Music video production |
| 2021 | Flee | Jonas Poher Rasmussen | December 2021 | Production |
Virtual reality filmography
| Year | Title | Director | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Growing Up Girl | David Darg | Production |
| 2015 | The Crossing | Tyson Sadler | Production |
| 2016 | Big Picture: News in Virtual Reality | - | Production |
| 2016 | Virtually Mike and Nora | Nora Kirkpatrick | Production |
| 2016 | Bashir's Dream | Angel Manuel Soto | Production |
| 2018 | Take Every Wave: Laird in VR | Tarik Benbrahim | Production |
| 2018 | Dinner Party | Angel Manuel Soto | Production |
| 2019 | Tales From The Edge | Tarik Benbrahim | Production |