Candle Media
Candle Media is a media company that develops creator-driven brands, franchises, and content, operating through subsidiaries such as ATTN: and producing premium video, unscripted programming, and related commerce and experiences.www.candlemedia.com
26
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Search complete. 26 mentions across 10 episodes found for "Candle Media".
Oct 19, 2026
Jack Crivici-KramerHOST
That'd be an incredible deal.
Jack Crivici-KramerHOST
Now, it is understandable why Candle Media, this PE firm, acquired Hello Sunshine five years ago.
Jack Crivici-KramerHOST
I mean, Hello
Nick MartellHOST
Sunshine was living its best life, man.
Raul BurielHOST
I would say that the...
Raul BurielHOST
The Candle Media story is probably on its face.
Raul BurielHOST
It seems to be the smaller of the two stories, but maybe not.
Raul BurielHOST
And so as a quick recap, Candle Media is a small studio that is backed by Blackstone and is operated by Kevin Meyer and David Tomstags.
David MumpowerHOST
Yeah, Thomas Ostags, who previously won a bake-off at Disney to become CEO and then got fired less than a year later, went off and started his own thing, and it's just been mess after mess after mess.
David MumpowerHOST
We were previously high on Candle, but then they started splashing around money, and, Raul, it's just been a disaster, hasn't it?
Raul BurielHOST
I mean, I would be one of the first to say that it was high on them because I thought that they were doing the right things right at the beginning of what we would consider the streaming era, right around the time that we started this podcast.
Raul BurielHOST
They started snapping up properties.
Matt BelloniHOST
the big private equity firm.
Matt BelloniHOST
They invested in a bunch of creator-driven production companies through Candle Media, Hello Sunshine, the Fauda guys, um, ATTN, a bunch of these, you know, Will Smith's company.
Matt BelloniHOST
And those are the kinds of companies that, in the previous generation, would have been the value creators.
Rich ShuterGUEST
Yeah.
Karan DangHOST
I mean, day one, $26 billion, you know, in valuation.
Karan DangHOST
Then you started Candle Media, you know, that-
Tom StaggsGUEST
Right
Karan DangHOST
... owns the biggest or top three, you know, uh, YouTube channels.
Monisha IswaranHOST
[whoosh] Reese Witherspoon is buying back Hello Sunshine, the production company she founded in 2016.
Monisha IswaranHOST
She's buying it back from Candle Media in partnership with French studio Mediawan.
Monisha IswaranHOST
Candle Media bought a controlling stake in the company back in 2021, and it's being reported that the buyback figure is in the low to mid eight figures, which is just a fraction of the nine hundred and million dollar valuation attached to the company back in 2021.
Monisha IswaranHOST
But none of the parties involved have publicly confirmed a sale price.
Monisha IswaranHOST
Hello Sunshine co-founder Seth Rodsky will join the board alongside Reese and Mediawan representatives.
MelHOST
Reese Witherspoon is buying back her production company, Hello Sunshine.
MelHOST
She originally sold a controlling stake into Candle Media in 2021 in a deal valued at approximately $900 million.
MelHOST
The new transaction is reportedly worth a fraction of that amount.
MelHOST
Witherspoon will remain involved in the company, which is known for producing Big Little Lies, The Morning Show, and Little Fires Everywhere.
Seena GhaznaviHOST
Small fish was the Kokomelo, J.G. Young, and then medium-sized fish, Moonbug, and then an even bigger fish.
Seena GhaznaviHOST
Candle Media comes and buys Moonbug for what has been reported $3 billion.
Seena GhaznaviHOST
Oh, my God.
Seena GhaznaviHOST
And Moonbug is not just Cocomelon.
Seena GhaznaviHOST
It's got Blippi.
Seena GhaznaviHOST
It's got all these other shows as well that a lot of parents would be familiar with.
Seena GhaznaviHOST
And that company, Candle Media, also run by a former Disney executive, Kevin Mayer and Tom Sags.
Seena GhaznaviHOST
And this is not backed by Goldman.
KneonHOST
I saw several of my colleagues, people who held leadership positions in the company, try a little too aggressively to set themselves up as heir apparent to the throne.
KneonHOST
That would be Staggs and the Candle Media guys, I'm sure.
KneonHOST
only to see bob have them escorted from the castle he writes he didn't
Geeky SparklesHOST
want to threat to himself right
KneonHOST
I saw several of my colleagues, people who held leadership positions in the company, try a little too aggressively to set themselves up as heir apparent to the throne.
KneonHOST
That would be Staggs and the Candle Media guys, I'm sure.
KneonHOST
only to see bob have them escorted from the castle he writes he didn't
Geeky SparklesHOST
want to threat to himself right