Customer Spotlight

How Dropout is taking control of its content with Vimeo OTT

Dropout is an independent, comedy-focused subscription streaming service. Relying on Vimeo OTT since 2020, Dropout has thrived as a hub for uncensored, ad-free, and original comedy content, with shows like “Game Changer” leading the charge. Its mission? To create an ecosystem where creativity can thrive without the constraints of advertisers or algorithms.

0 hrs

needed for platform development

10M+

views per month

100+

series to stream

Challenge

Dropout’s journey wasn’t always a laugh riot. The decision to go independent arose from the frustrations of being tied to platforms like YouTube and Facebook, where it was at the mercy of ever-changing algorithms and unpredictable ad revenue. As Andrew Bridgman, Chief Digital Officer at Dropout, says, “Your followers aren’t your followers… these platforms are incentivized in a way that’s very misaligned with creators.”

In an attempt to successfully carve out a niche that plays by its own rules, Dropout built its own tech infrastructure — a decision that turned out to be more of a punchline than a breakthrough.

“Running your own fully custom solution… is expensive to build and maintain. Just the browser aspect would have been far beyond what we could afford. But then you need individual engineers and developers for every single app. And these apps will require constant maintenance, constant updates… We are a content business [but] we forced ourselves to become a tech company.”

Solution

Realizing that building and maintaining their own platform was unsustainable, Dropout decided to partner with Vimeo OTT, the over-the-top platform that lets you launch a subscription service with all the tools and tech you need to grow a sustainable business.

Andrew is candid in his advice to other businesses considering building their own VOD platforms: Don’t do it. Vimeo OTT has everything you need to stream your content — and it will be a higher video quality than on platforms like YouTube.

"Do not build your own app. Vimeo's right here. I don’t have to worry about customer service. I don't have to worry about legal compliance... Our budget can go to what actually matters to us and what we’re actually good at, which is content."

Andrew BridgmanChief Digital Officer at Dropout

Dropout also found that the pressure to churn out content at a breakneck pace was alleviated, allowing editors to take more time to polish their videos. “With revenue being driven by subscriptions, you’re permitted to take your time and deliver a more quality product… That would’ve been unthinkable if we were living in the YouTube world,” Andrew explains.

Outcome

Since making the switch, Dropout has seen a significant improvement in both creative freedom and financial stability, with unscripted hit shows like “Game Changer” and “Dimension 20” continuing to thrive. Dropout’s commitment to independence goes beyond platform choice, with decision-makers who genuinely understand its vision at the helm.

Andrew elaborates, “Many of us come from media companies where the decisions were driven by people who were a little disconnected from the actual art of the brand, and there were sort of inherent bits of dissonance and friction present. But our CEO now, Sam Reich, is also the head creative of our biggest hit show ‘Game Changer.’ So there’s very little separation between the understanding of the business of Dropout and the understanding of the art of what we’re making. And that is a big relief. And being on subscription and not beholden to advertisers has really made that process a lot simpler.”

Andrew continues, “Vimeo’s most exciting features to us are honestly the simplest ones. It is extremely reliable. There’s virtually no downtime. Uploads are speedy and precise, and the apps are stable and consistent.”

Using Vimeo OTT has allowed Dropout to reclaim control over its content and business model, freeing up much needed room for the company to do what it does best: create comedy.

“The highest compliment I can give pretty much any tech company we work with is I don’t have to think about it most of the time because it just works.”