Upworthy, the digital platform that became famous in the 2010s for positive, uplifting content, is launching an entertainment studio to expand beyond digital publishing. The new venture, Upworthy Studios, will develop original content and partnerships across new entertainment formats whilst remaining true to the brand's humanity-first storytelling approach. This marks a significant pivot under new CEO Amanda Farrand, who joined from Imagine Entertainment earlier this summer.

Sarah Yourgrau, a two-time Emmy-winning producer and founder of Common Ground Studios, will lead the studio's development of original content. The studio's distinctive approach centres on community collaboration rather than traditional top-down production, leveraging Upworthy's existing 17 million-strong audience for ideas and inspiration. Farrand highlighted the brand's rare advantage in having a dedicated community that already understands and wants to participate in its mission, noting that this community-first model successfully produced a New York Times bestselling book from Instagram comments.