Complex Networks
Complex Networks is an American media and entertainment company for youth culture, based in New York City.[10] It was founded as a bi-monthly magazine, Complex, by fashion designer Marc (Ecko) Milecofsky.[11][12][13] Complex Networks reports on popular and emerging trends in style, sneakers, food, music, sports and pop culture.[14] Complex Networks reached over 90 million unique users per month in 2013[15] across its owned and operated and partner sites, socials and YouTube channels.[16][17] The print magazine ceased publication with the December 2016/January 2017 issue.[18] Complex currently has 6.02 million subscribers and 1.8 billion total views on YouTube.[19] As of 2019, the company's yearly revenue was estimated to be US$200 million, 15% of which came from commerce.[20]
This article is about an American media and entertainment company. It is not to be confused with complex networks or Complexly.Formerly
Complex
- Media
- Entertainment
Complex (magazine) (last issue: December 2016/January 2017)
2002
Worldwide
- Rich Antoniello (CEO)[1]
- Christian Baesler (president)[2]
- Celine Perrot-Johnson (CFO)
- Edgar Hernandez (CRO)[3]
- Endi Piper (general counsel)[4]
- Jonathan Hunt (EVP marketing)[5]
- Justin Killion (EVP, development, production & business affairs)
- Chris Schonberger (GM First We Feast)[6]
- Joe LaPuma (SVP content strategy)
- Maurice Peebles (Editor-in-Chief) [7]
- Donnie Kwak (GM)[8]
- Aleksey Baksheyev (CTO, Head of Product)[9]
NTWRK
Complex Networks has been named by Business Insider as one of the Most Valuable Startups in New York,[21] and Most Valuable Private Companies in the World.[22] Complex Networks CEO Rich Antoniello was named among the Silicon Alley 100.[23] In 2012, the company launched Complex TV, an online broadcasting platform.
In 2016, it became a joint-venture of Verizon and Hearst.[24] Subsequently in 2021, BuzzFeed, Inc. announced the acquisition of the company.[25] In 2024, NTWRK acquired Complex Networks from BuzzFeed for $108 million.[26]
Covers[edit]
Complex became known early on for its double-sided covers and split format.[52] Complex covers often combined celebrities from across music, film and sports. For example, Mos Def and David Bowie appeared together on the cover of the August/September 2003 issue. Some of Complex's early covers included Nas (May 2002), Tony Hawk and Xzibit (June/July 2002), Ludacris and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (April/May 2003), and Mos Def and David Bowie (August/September 2003). In 2007, Complex gave Kim Kardashian her first-ever magazine shoot and cover.[53]
Complex has since expanded to interactive digital covers.[54] In September 2019, the American rapper Kid Cudi and the Japanese designer Nigo were interviewed by Complex and also appeared jointly on a digital cover and told the stories of their careers and rise in the entertainment and streetwear industries.[55][56]
Complex shows[edit]
Complex TV launched in 2012 as an online broadcaster of original content. Nathan Brown, a long-time video development and production executive, serves as general manager of Complex TV and Video.[57] In December 2013, a subsidiary of Complex TV, Complex News, was launched, focusing on day-to-day news.[15][58][59] In 2014, Pluto.tv added Complex Media as a content partner.[16] Complex Content Studio is supported by an 18-person editorial team.[60]
According to WNIP source, "by 2016, Complex Networks had shifted 80% of its content budget to video and was launching dozens of individual shows under Complex's YouTube channel and a number of spin-off properties".[61]
On November 10, 2017, a block of Complex TV series began airing on the U.S. cable network Fuse under the Complex x Fuse banner.[62][63]
Complex Networks has produced more than two dozen original shows,[64][65] which include Hot Ones and Desus vs. Mero.
Podcasts[edit]
Complex Networks launched three original podcasts at the end of 2019 in collaboration with a Swedish podcast firm Acast. Watch Less, covering such topics as movies and pop culture, hosted by Khris 'Khal' Davenport and Frazier Tharpe. The Complex Sports Podcast (formerly Load Management), hosted by Zach 'Chopz' Frydenlund, Zion Olojede, and Adam Caparell discusses sports and sports culture.[66] The Complex Sneakers Podcast covers the history and present day of sneaker culture and is hosted by Joe La Puma, Matthew Welty, and Brendan Dunne.[67]
ComplexCon[edit]
In Spring 2016, Complex Networks announced a new project, "ComplexCon", an annual festival in the form of thematics exhibitions, music concerts, discussion panels, streetwear culture, and content related to pop culture and mass audience entertainment. The first two-day event took place at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in Long Beach, CA in November 2016 and featured performances by Snoop Dogg, Skrillex, Kid Cudi, and more.[68][69][70] In 2019 the festival was held twice. The first event took place at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL in collaboration with a focus on local artists, designers, and musicians.[71] The second festival occurred in the traditional Long Beach, CA location and included appearances by Selena Gomez, LL Cool J, Lil Kim, Offset, Kid Cudi, Lil Yachty, Timothée Chalamet, Yara Shahidi and Tyga. These virtual and in-person events have drawn in large crowds of young adults who relate and connect with the growing streetwear and rising hip-hop artists.[72]
ComplexLand[edit]
In lieu of ComplexCon during the COVID-19 pandemic, Complex Networks launched a five-day virtual festival named "ComplexLand" in December 2020. The game took place in a video game format where users could visit virtual shops and order products that would be shipped to them in real life. Players could also access video content such as panels and performances. The event included virtual appearances by T-Pain, Fat Joe, Lil Yachty, Jack Harlow, and Donatella Versace. The interactive experience was accessible through web browser and was developed by Jam3 in WebGl.[73][74]
The Complex Shop[edit]
In December 2019, Complex Networks launched an online store called the Complex Shop. At launch, the store included items from 70 different clothing brands, including some exclusive collaborations.[75]
The store also carries merchandise from Complex's various brands and content.[76]
The Complex Shop has partnered with the Google News Initiative to measure audience engagement and consumer behavior.[76] They also partnered with Neighborhood Spot[77] and UNION x Dodgers to sell branded products.[78]
Brand partnerships[edit]
In 2013, Digiday stated Complex was one of the publishers that "acts like an agency" based on their branded content and brand partnerships.[79] In 2013 alone, Complex created an average of 47 pieces of content a month on behalf of major brands, including McDonald's, Gillette, Levi's, Toyota, Adidas and others.[79] It also partnered with PepsiCo to launch GreenLabel.com, a Mountain Dew-branded lifestyle site that's staffed by Complex's editorial employees. Green Label currently attracts over twice as much traffic as MountainDew.com.[79] Later in 2013, Complex worked with Dr. Pepper to a series of videos aimed at young males featuring producer/songwriter The-Dream.[80]
Controversies[edit]
Kim Kardashian photo[edit]
In 2009, AnimalNewYork.com reported that Complex had posted a digitally unenhanced version of April/May issue cover star Kim Kardashian. Complex swapped the enhanced image on their site, but not before the unenhanced version had gone viral. Kardashian responded to the incident on her blog, saying: "So what: I have a little cellulite. What curvy girl doesn't!?"[91] She went on to say that she was "proud" of her body, posting behind-the-scenes pictures of the shoot on her website.[92] The incident was covered by a variety of online publications including Huffington Post, NY Daily News, Business Insider, Gawker, and others.[92][93]
Wale threatens Complex staff[edit]
On December 11, 2013, Complex writer Insanul Ahmed received a call from rapper Wale complaining that his latest album, The Gifted, had not been included on Complex's "50 Best Albums of 2013" list.[94] A portion of the conversation was recorded and posted on the Complex website and on Complex TV on December 13. Wale could be heard threatening: "Get the security ready." According to Complex, Wale refused requests to meet, but he did post a humorous Instagram video that day which made light of the situation. Wale, later appearing on Hot97, said that his fall-out with Kid Cudi had something to do with the snub, and that he was not "begging Williamsburg hipsters" to like his music.[95][96][97][98][99] Wale was referring to the October/November 2010 issue of Complex in which Kid Cudi said: "We don't fuck with you musically." The quote quickly went viral.[100]