When Ryan Kavanaugh became the majority shareholder of the video-sharing social media app Triller in 2019, the company had a value of $130 million. Today, the valuation for Triller stands at $1.25 billion. Triller Fight Club and Triller TV have both been instrumental in the company’s overall success.
Triller Fight Club
Kavanaugh launched Triller Fight Club in the fall of 2020 by bringing 54-year-old and 51-year-old boxers back in the ring for the first time in many years. Those two boxers were Mike Tyson and Roy Jones, Jr. He did so with the intention of resurrecting the sport of boxing, and the venture was wildly successful. More than 30 million people from across the globe tuned in after paying a $49.99 fee to watch the fight.
While the Tyson-Jones, Jr. fight was the highlight of the November 2020 broadcast by Triller Fight Club, the event also featured several other boxing matches and live entertainment by well-known singers like Snoop Dog and Justin Bieber. So many people watched the live broadcast that it was the biggest pay per view event of the entire year. Kavanaugh scheduled a second boxing broadcast for April 2021, this time between Jake Paul and Ken Asken. The views and revenue far surpassed that of Triller’s first boxing broadcast.
Getting people interested in boxing again has been rewarding for Ryan Kavanaugh, and he intends for Triller Fight Club to broadcast six shows each year. Each live production will feature one major fight, several smaller fights, celebrity appearances, and live entertainment.
Triller TV
Kavanaugh anticipates the introduction of Triller TV by the end of February 2022. The entertainment channel will feature 30-minute segments with influencers and talent like the following:
- 2 Chainz
- DJ Khaled
- Fat Joe
- Perez Hilton
- Jennifer Lopez
Triller has already successfully courted other big names in the entertainment industry, including Cardi B, Alicia Keyes, and Eminem.
Triller’s Popularity Skyrocketed After President Trump Threatened to Ban TikTok in the US
After having to close a previous media company, Ryan Kavanaugh felt determined to make Triller into a household name. He achieved this goal with some help from high places, which included the former president of the United States, Donald Trump. Citing distrust of the Chinese media company TikTok and what it would do with the private information of its 800 million users, Trump stated he wanted to make the app unavailable in the United States.
TikTok users immediately flocked to Triller after Trump made this announcement to reporters in July 2020. Influencers and advertisers also checked out the second most popular video-sharing social media app for the first time. Triller built on the momentum of its new talent and users and even lured some top names away from TikTok. Despite this, people quickly learn that the two platforms have little in common.
Kavanaugh appreciates the opportunity Triller has provided him to bounce back from previous business fallouts. He plans to continue working hard to retain the users and clients Trump inadvertently sent his way even though the threat to ban TikTok never materialized.
