Rooster Teeth
In April 2003, six University of Texas alumni launched a website called drunkgamers.com from their Austin office. Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum, Geoff Ramsey, Jason Saldaña, Gus Sorola, and Joel Heyman began by reviewing video games while intoxicated. The group needed to fund server costs for their growing audience. They created a program called Sponsorships that allowed fans to pay $5 per month for early access to content. This subscription model became the financial backbone of the company before it had any outside investors. The founders renamed the site Rooster Teeth Productions after realizing that no game developers would sponsor them with "drunk" in the title. They adopted the name as a euphemism for an insult found in their first trailer. By 2004, the company had moved into its own physical space on Congress Street in Austin. Production costs for a single episode ranged between fifteen thousand dollars and one hundred thousand dollars. The team maintained a strict policy of creating only content they personally wanted to watch. This genuine approach resonated with viewers who felt connected to the creators' authentic voice.
Red vs. Blue premiered in April 2003 as a parody of military life using the Halo engine. The series was originally planned to last six to eight episodes but quickly gained twenty thousand downloads in a single day. It became the third longest-running episodic web series in history. In July 2013, Monty Oum released the first episode of RWBY at RTX 2013. The anime-styled show took place in Remnant, a world filled with Creatures of Grimm. Oum died from a severe allergic reaction during a medical procedure on the 1st of February 2015, yet the series continued under Miles Luna and Kerry Shawcross. Camp Camp debuted on the 10th of June 2016, focusing on a boy named Max tormenting his counselor David. Jordan Cwierz created Rooster Teeth Animated Adventures starting in July 2010. Gen:LOCK premiered on the 26th of January 2019, featuring Michael B. Jordan as Julian Chase. The company also produced Lazer Team, their feature film debut released in theaters on the 27th of January 2016. Production for the sequel began in late spring 2017 and concluded that same year.
Fullscreen acquired Rooster Teeth in November 2014 for an undisclosed amount to provide resources against competitors like Netflix and HBO. Ezra Cooperstein became President of Rooster Teeth on the 26th of January 2018. Otter Media restructured Fullscreen in December 2018, consolidating Rooster Teeth under Ellation alongside Crunchyroll. Yvonne Secretan retired as COO on the 31st of January 2019. Matt Hullum stepped down as CEO in September 2019 after layoffs affected approximately fifty employees. Burnie Burns resigned from his executive role in June 2020 while maintaining a first-look deal with the studio. AT&T attempted to sell the company in April 2021 but no sale occurred before Warner Bros. Discovery formed in April 2022. Jordan Levin served as general manager until the 6th of March 2024 when he notified staff that the company would close. The shutdown was attributed to fundamental shifts in consumer behavior and monetization across platforms. Revenue had dropped nearly twenty million dollars in 2019 according to reports.
Rooster Teeth launched its own community website on the 4th of October 2004 to maintain direct contact with fans. The site hosted over two million registered users by 2021. One hundred thirty-five thousand members paid five dollars monthly for FIRST access. Gus Sorola stated in 2014 that they maintained their own platform since before YouTube existed. The company held RTX conventions starting in May 2011 at the Austin Convention Center. Attendance grew from five thousand people in 2012 to forty-five thousand in 2015. In 2017, RTX London took place on October 14 and 15. Burnie Burns estimated that at least one-third of the eighty-five-person company started as fan community members. Ben McSweeney designed the logo after being found on the forums in April 2003. Community members were used as extras for events like Immersion and Day 5. The company credited this loyalty as critical to spreading their brand globally without traditional advertising budgets.
Vic Mignogna was removed from the RWBY cast in February 2019 following allegations of inappropriate behavior. No criminal charges were filed against him but he pursued defamation lawsuits. Ryan Haywood and Adam Kovic faced scandals involving leaked nudes in October 2020. Haywood was fired after multiple allegations of grooming underage fans emerged. Glassdoor reviews exposed negative crunch culture in June 2019 regarding unpaid hours and poor management. Gray Haddock stepped down as Head of Animation two days later. Kdin Jenzen posted about her experiences working at the company in October 2022. She accused upper management of homophobic and transphobic abuse. Her nickname at the company was a slur according to her account. Geoff Ramsey apologized for prior behavior the same day. Rooster Teeth released statements addressing pay parity and replacing the Human Resources department. Michael Quinn, Vice President of Product Research, was arrested for assaulting his wife on the 20th of November 2019. He was fired three days after the incident.
Jordan Levin announced the closure of Rooster Teeth Productions on the 6th of March 2024. The website and apps shut down on the 15th of May 2024 with most employees leaving by May 10. Warner Bros. Discovery sought buyers for intellectual property including RWBY and Red vs. Blue. Viz Media purchased the RWBY franchise in July 2024. The Roost Podcast Network was sold to Night talent management company in April 2024. Burnie Burns acquired the Rooster Teeth brand through Box Canyon Productions in February 2025. The website relaunched in open beta on the 7th of August 2023 following announcements on Morning Somewhere. Some productions were set to return alongside a reimagining of The Schedule film. A new audio adventure titled Again was also planned. The original company operated from 2003 until its dissolution in 2024 under Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming & Interactive Entertainment.
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Common questions
When did Rooster Teeth Productions launch and who were the founders?
Rooster Teeth launched in April 2003 with six University of Texas alumni including Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum, Geoff Ramsey, Jason Saldaña, Gus Sorola, and Joel Heyman. The group initially operated from an Austin office under the name drunkgamers.com before renaming the site to Rooster Teeth Productions.
What was the original business model for Rooster Teeth before outside investors arrived?
The company created a program called Sponsorships that allowed fans to pay five dollars per month for early access to content. This subscription model became the financial backbone of the company before it had any outside investors or funding sources.
Who created RWBY and when did Monty Oum die during production?
Monty Oum released the first episode of RWBY at RTX 2013 on the 14th of July 2013 but died from a severe allergic reaction during a medical procedure on the 1st of February 2015. The series continued under Miles Luna and Kerry Shawcross after his death.
Why did Rooster Television close its operations in March 2024?
Jordan Levin notified staff that the company would close on the 6th of March 2024 due to fundamental shifts in consumer behavior and monetization across platforms. Revenue had dropped nearly twenty million dollars in 2019 according to reports prior to the shutdown announcement.
When did Rooster Teeth acquire its own community website and how many users joined by 2021?
Rooster Teeth launched its own community website on the 4th of October 2004 to maintain direct contact with fans. The site hosted over two million registered users by 2021 including one hundred thirty-five thousand members who paid five dollars monthly for FIRST access.