Content Partners, an independent owner of studio-distributed film and television assets, and media executive Ed Simpson, formerly Chief Strategy Officer at Wheelhouse, have launched Wonderloom Media, a new company that will acquire and scale YouTube-native and creator-led content businesses. Simpson will serve as CEO.

Wonderloom’s first acquisition is “Dr. Insanity,” one of YouTube’s largest true crime channels, with more than five million subscribers and over 1.3 billion total views. The channel is known for documentary-style storytelling.

Simpson framed the deal as a bet on YouTube’s maturity as a media platform. “YouTube is no longer the disruptor. It has become the incumbent,” he said. “The Creator Economy has matured into one of the most important sectors in media, and Wonderloom is built with the creative and operational experience to deliver on the needs of creators as they expand into diversified media businesses. ‘Dr. Insanity’ is the perfect first acquisition: a leading true crime channel with a strong editorial voice, a loyal audience, proven storytelling and meaningful room to expand.”

Content Partners Executive Vice Presidents Scott Hemming and Alphonse Lordo said the venture extends the firm’s existing content-investment expertise into direct creator partnerships. “Our experience investing in content gives us a unique vantage point, and we’re applying that expertise to build this new venture,” they said. “By evolving our content libraries into active creator partnerships, we will drive creator ascension, delivering hands-on support to help top creators build and scale high-quality, original programming at a pivotal moment for the industry.”

Wonderloom targets YouTube and other creator-led properties with established communities and long-term growth potential, supporting them through professionalized operations, expanded distribution, and monetization strategies across multiple channels.

Simpson departed Wheelhouse last month after 15 years at the company, where he was part of the founding leadership team and helped shape its acquisitions and capital-raising efforts. He previously launched Wheelhouse DNA in 2021, an influencer-focused content division that produced original programming for digital-native talent, including work with creator Nikita Dragun. Earlier in his career, Simpson was the showrunner on ABC’s “Wife Swap” before joining Leftfield Pictures, where he worked on the company’s acquisition by ITV in 2014.

Wonderloom is the second creator-focused venture this month with ties to Wheelhouse. Wheelhouse itself launched Zigazoo Studios with kids’ platform Zigazoo earlier in July, a joint venture built to develop content and long-term brands around Gen Alpha creators. Wonderloom, formed independently by Simpson after his exit, points to the same underlying pattern: media investment firms and executives are increasingly structuring formal vehicles to acquire and professionalize creator-led businesses rather than simply funding individual campaigns.

Content Partners, founded in 2006 by Steven Blume and Steven Kram, has acquired interests in more than 800 studio-release films and over 3,000 hours of television.

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