"We Answer To Nobody But You, The Audience" - Digital Foundry Is Now Fully Independent 1
Image: @digitalfoundry

Digital Foundry, a massively popular tech and gaming YouTube channel which we feature regularly on this site, has announced today that it is 100% independent.

Founded by industry veteran Richard Leadbetter – who has worked on magazines such as CVG, Mean Machines, Maximum and PlayStation World during a career which spans several decades – in 2004, Digital Foundry entered into a deal in 2015 with Gamer Network that would see the latter acquire a 50% shareholding in the business.

When Gamer Network was purchased by ReedPop in 2018, this shareholding was passed to the new owner – and likewise, when ReedPop sold Gamer Network to IGN parent company Ziff Davis last year, it inherited half of Digital Foundry (for full transparency, Ziff Davis also inherited a minor shareholding in Hookshot Media, the parent company of Nintendo Life, Push Square, Pure Xbox and Time Extension).

Leadbetter says that he has "amicably" bought out Ziff Davis with the assistance of former Gamer Network founder (and Hookshot Media chairman) Rupert Loman-West, giving Digital Foundry full control over its future.

What does that mean for the channel moving forward? Well, Digital Foundry's owners now have complete control over the channel's direction and the kind of content it covers. As senior staff writer John Linneman hinted, that will include more retro-focused videos.

Leadbetter has added that Digital Foundry will get a proper website for the first time, too, which will allow it to reach an even larger audience.

"Digital Foundry has parted ways with IGN and we've bought their shareholding in the business," says Leadbetter. "What this means is that from now on, all aspects of DF are decided upon by DF. We answer to nobody but you, the audience. We are fully independent, we’re proud of that, we think it’s the future of games media - but how far we push, how ambitious we want to be... well, that's where YOU come in. It's an exciting new chapter for Digital Foundry!"

Digital Foundry's staff roster also includes Alex Battaglia (video producer), Oliver Mackenzie (contributor) and Tom Morgan (senior staff writer).