Written by Jackson West
Posted Monday, January 29, 2007 at 6:06 PM PT

 

Ask a Ninja Makes $300K

Update: John Battelle, chairman of Federated Media, emailed to deny that any payments have been made to Ask a Ninja. Our sources maintain that a portion of the ad revenue guaranteed by Federated Media is to be ‘floated’ up front to the Ask a Ninja team so that they can focus on creating new episodes. The deal is worth at least $300,000 a year if Ask Ninja maintains and grows its current level of popularity and viewership.

Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine, the dynamic duo behind the web’s most deadly source of advice, Ask a Ninja, have struck gold with a Federated Media payday, which includes a $300,000 upfront payment along with 60 percent of ad revenue(see clarification above), according to our sources. In a phone conversation today, Nichols declined comment on the monetary terms of the deal beyond confirming what’s already been reported by Heather Green at BusinessWeek.

A $300,000 payment alone makes Ask a Ninja (which we profiled in December) the best-paid online video show in the business, topping the $250K Andrew Michael Baron says Rocketboom made last year.

Nichols was happy to disclose that he and Sarine relied on the “business expertise” of United Talent Agency, which negotiated the deal. If the numbers are correct, and assuming that UTA gets the standard “ten points” (10%), it’s also a $30,000 payday for Brent Weinstein’s team. It’s a promising sign that emerging internet talent will reap rewards for their hard work.

In Nichols’ words, business folks are finally realizing that web video sites “can be profit centers.”

Federated Media also provides advertising for NewTeeVee.

 

Sphere
Topic: Online Video, The Stars
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Comments & Trackbacks

  1. […] While they don’t mention numbers, others are reporting the deal to be worth $300k upfront, plus 60% of revenue. […]

    Podcasting News » Ask A Ninja How To Make $300K on January 30th, 2007 at 6:24 am - Permalink

  2. 300.000$ di pubblicità per un videoblog (Ask a Ninja)…

    La prossima volta che vi raccontano che in Internet non si guadagna e che i soldi sono lontani dal mondo dei video online, fategli vedere Ask a Ninja.E no, non è vero che non succederà anche in Italia. Link: NewTeeVee…

    SKY TG24 "Reporter Diffuso" on January 30th, 2007 at 7:04 am - Permalink

  3. A huge congrats and well deserved!

    C.C. Chapman on January 30th, 2007 at 7:46 am - Permalink

  4. […] Ask a Ninja is now the most profitable video podcast.  Federated Media is giving them a $300.000 upfront payment and 60 percent of ads revenue. […]

    The Wealthy Ninja | The Last Podcast on January 30th, 2007 at 7:48 am - Permalink

  5. You can buy a lot of nunchaku with that money…

    Ask A Ninja reaps $300,000 payday.
    This internet video thing.. it just might catch on.
    News via NewTeeVee 
    …

    Marketing Begins At Home on January 30th, 2007 at 7:59 am - Permalink

  6. […] The Ninja Kills In Podcast Advertising Deals Too!Posted on 8:07 am by Paul Colligan The Ninja inked a $300K up front plus 60% of ad revenue deal with Federated Media reads NewTeeVee.com. Talk about making a killing. O.k., Ninja jokes stop here. […]

    The Ninja Kills In Podcast Advertising Deals Too! | Paul Colligan’s Profitable Podcasting on January 30th, 2007 at 8:11 am - Permalink

  7. […] Now That Ninja Got Big Bucks - Will We See WMV Versions?Posted on 11:16 am by Paul Colligan Hat’s off to Ninja for inking a “killer” deal with Federated Media. $300k down ain’t bad at all. Read more about it at NewTeeVee.com. […]

    Now That Ninja Got Big Bucks - Will We See WMV Versions? | Year Of Living Digitally on January 30th, 2007 at 8:18 am - Permalink

  8. […] So you don’t have hundreds of thousands of viewers per episode. If you can’t get a Ninja-level deal, there are a growing number of alternatives. For starters, if you’re willing to do a little shilling, you might be able to bring in a cool $25,000. […]

    NewTeeVee » Another Place to Find Your Video Payday on January 30th, 2007 at 10:28 am - Permalink

  9. […] Links: NewTeeVee BusinessWeek  Posted in Web, TV, podcasts | […]

    Ask a Ninja to make at least $300,000 this year at Ryan Esaki - Commentary on things of Interest on January 30th, 2007 at 10:40 am - Permalink

  10. […] One such area that demonstrates the potential, as used by Scoble to make the point, is a deal signed by Ask A Ninja and Federated Media. […]

    scouta blog » Blog Archive » “Videoblogging is about to really take off.” on January 30th, 2007 at 4:39 pm - Permalink

  11. […] Ask a Ninja Makes $300K Plus Ad Share Maybe we need to ask him how the hell he makes that kind of money. (tags: online video revenue) […]

    links for 2007-01-31 at Baron VC on January 30th, 2007 at 4:47 pm - Permalink

  12. […] Recent news that Ask a Ninja has sold advertising rights would be a great case study because it shows advertisers (or at least agencies selling advertising) are taking podcasting seriously. A post about the latest episode of Ask a Ninja would not. A post about the New York Times article on the history teacher with 140,000 listeners would also be a contender. I’ll certainly be bringing up the Ask a Ninja deal and 12 Byzantine Rulers when talking to clients. […]

    Social Media in Australia » Blog Archive » Tagging the podcast case study on January 30th, 2007 at 10:06 pm - Permalink

  13. Hodge Podge…

    I have meetings today, followed by training on how to make pages like this and this, followed by drinks on the boss’ tab, so pardon today’s hodge podge of links as I compete with my own schedule…

    Clicked on January 31st, 2007 at 8:34 am - Permalink

  14. […] NewTeeVee is reporting that Ask a Ninja has just received a huge payday from Federated Media, a well-respected advertising network. Apparently, the Ask A Ninja crew has been guaranteed at least $300,000 a year if they maintain their current growth. The backing of Federated Media is further proof that web shows are a promising market. […]

    Ask a Ninja Heading to the Bank « Tropist on January 31st, 2007 at 2:07 pm - Permalink

  15. […] Black joins a group of online video stars that are succeeding on mostly their own terms. Amanda Congdon is also working on a show for HBO Online. Ask a Ninja just signed a deal to monetize its website in a deal worth at least $300K rather than having to take its creativity elsewhere. Former Congdon collaborator Andrew Michael Baron says his Rocketboom made nearly $250K this year. Topic: Online Video, The Stars, Money Power Tags: Goodnight Burbank, Hayden Black, HBO Online, Abigail’s X-Rated Teen Vlog […]

    NewTeeVee » G’night Burbank Scores HBO Online Pilot on January 31st, 2007 at 6:26 pm - Permalink

  16. […] Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine, the dynamic duo behind the web??s most deadly source of advice, Ask a Ninja, have struck gold with a Federated Media payday, … Source http://newteevee.com/2007/01/29/ask-a-ninja/ […]

    ninja » Blog Archive » Ask a Ninja Makes $300K Plus Ad Share - NewTeeVee on January 31st, 2007 at 6:57 pm - Permalink

  17. […] ConvinceMe lets members talk about anything and ranks them based on how many “convince” points they get from user voting for their argument. Private debates are issued as public challenges from one member to another and end when one site has gained the agreed number of votes for their side. For public debates, each side’s arguments are ordered by the number of votes the arguments have. “King of the Hill” is a twist on the challenge debate, with each member only able to submit one argument for their position. The first argument with 100 votes wins. The final type, public debates are ongoing, with the votes for one side or the other marking the overall opinion of the community on the subject. Apparently pirates are better than ninjas right now. However, it wasn’t “Ask a Pirate” that allegedly pulled in over 300K last year. […]

    ConvinceMe: Three Ways to Argue Online on January 31st, 2007 at 7:27 pm - Permalink

  18. […] ConvinceMe lets members talk about anything and ranks them based on how many “convince” points they get from user voting for their argument. Private debates are issued as public challenges from one member to another and end when one site has gained the agreed number of votes for their side. For public debates, each side’s arguments are ordered by the number of votes the arguments have. “King of the Hill” is a twist on the challenge debate, with each member only able to submit one argument for their position. The first argument with 100 votes wins. The final type, public debates are ongoing, with the votes for one side or the other marking the overall opinion of the community on the subject. Apparently pirates are better than ninjas right now. However, it wasn’t “Ask a Pirate” that allegedly pulled in over 300K last year. […]

    Innovatorz.org Home (Test) » Blog Archive » ConvinceMe: Three Ways to Argue Online on January 31st, 2007 at 8:28 pm - Permalink

  19. […] When Ask a Ninja reported a deal with Federated Media to sell advertising in the video podcast, it was quickly reported by NewTeeVee that the deal was worth “$300,000 upfront along with 60 percent of ad revenue”. […]

    Pickle’s Podcast News » Ask a Ninja advertising deal over-reported? on January 31st, 2007 at 8:34 pm - Permalink

  20. […] ConvinceMe lets members talk about anything and ranks them based on how many “convince” points they get from user voting for their argument. Private debates are issued as public challenges from one member to another and end when one site has gained the agreed number of votes for their side. For public debates, each side’s arguments are ordered by the number of votes the arguments have. “King of the Hill” is a twist on the challenge debate, with each member only able to submit one argument for their position. The first argument with 100 votes wins. The final type, public debates are ongoing, with the votes for one side or the other marking the overall opinion of the community on the subject. Apparently pirates are better than ninjas right now. However, it wasn’t “Ask a Pirate” that allegedly pulled in over 300K last year. […]

    Multimedias.mobi » ConvinceMe: Three Ways to Argue Online on January 31st, 2007 at 9:02 pm - Permalink

  21. […] たとえば、現在のところ、海賊はニンジャより強い というのが大勢のようだ。といってもこれは 30万ドルを集めたといわれるAsk a Ninja(*2)の海賊版というわけではない！TechCrunch Forumsで紹介されているIntenseDebate.com も現在開発中のディベートサイトだ。 […]

    TechCrunch Japanese アーカイブ » ConvinceMe、オンラインでディベートする３つの方法 on January 31st, 2007 at 11:16 pm - Permalink

  22. […] MediaShiftKent Nichols and Douglas Sarine, the dynamic duo behind the web??s most deadly source of advice, Ask a Ninja, have struck gold with a Federated Media payday, … Source http://newteevee.com/2007/01/29/ask-a-ninja/ […]

    ninja » Blog Archive » Ask a Ninja Makes $300K Plus Ad Share - NewTeeVee on February 1st, 2007 at 2:58 am - Permalink

  23. […] ConvinceMe lets members talk about anything and ranks them based on how many “convince” points they get from user voting for their argument. Private debates are issued as public challenges from one member to another and end when one site has gained the agreed number of votes for their side. For public debates, each side’s arguments are ordered by the number of votes the arguments have. “King of the Hill” is a twist on the challenge debate, with each member only able to submit one argument for their position. The first argument with 100 votes wins. The final type, public debates are ongoing, with the votes for one side or the other marking the overall opinion of the community on the subject. Apparently pirates are better than ninjas right now. However, it wasn’t “Ask a Pirate” that allegedly pulled in over 300K last year. […]

    ::lemonup:: - News, Technology, sports, cars, movie, video, blog, travel, mp3, picture, computer, notebook » ConvinceMe: Three Ways to Argue Online on February 1st, 2007 at 12:11 pm - Permalink

  24. […] Once again, the future seems to hold a convergence of old media and new media. Julie said that on their visit to NATPE it was apparent that broadband was the topic of the day; as LisaNova’s move to MADtv and UTA brokering the rich deal for Ask a Ninja demonstrates, Hollywood is beginning to step onto web video’s turf. […]

    NewTeeVee » Lunching in LA: Almost There, JETSET on February 1st, 2007 at 3:43 pm - Permalink

  25. […] Ninjas may spend too much time enjoying deadly rounds of niniature golf but they still make time to sell ads. Heather Green at Blogspotting reported last week that the Ask a Ninja video blog had cut an advertising deal with the Federated Media ad network that “guarantees them a contract for sales in the low seven figures this year.” Federated Media also represent sites like Boing Boing, Dooce and Digg. NewTeeVee is now reporting that the deal was for a $300,000 upfront payment plus 60 percent of ad revenue. Not bad at all for a vlog. It’s good to see that some content providers are getting deals that include upfront payments. That’s much better than the more typical “we will sell ads for you and split the money” ad network arrangements. Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine, the dynamic duo behind the web’s most deadly source of advice, Ask a Ninja, have struck gold with a Federated Media payday, which includes a $300,000 upfront payment along with 60 percent of ad revenue, according to our sources. In a phone conversation today, Nichols declined comment on the monetary terms of the deal beyond confirming what’s already been reported by Heather Green at BusinessWeek. A $300,000 payment alone makes Ask a Ninja (which we profiled in December) the best-paid online video show in the business, topping the $250K Andrew Michael Baron says Rocketboom made last year. Heater Green’s post said each Ask a Ninja episode is downloaded about 300,000 and 500,000 times. There’s money in vlogging if you can just build a huge audience. Unfortunately, neither building a huge audience or selling ads is an easy thing to do. […]

    » Blog Archive » Ask a Ninja Cuts Ad Deal With Federated Media on February 1st, 2007 at 10:39 pm - Permalink

  26. Cool stuff happening for online comedy talent…

    There is so much going on in the world of online content these days that it’s hard to keep up. That said, it’s all good news to folks like us who are focusing our energy heavily in that direction. Here…

    Westside Eclectic Blog on February 2nd, 2007 at 2:31 pm - Permalink

  27. […] Lost Remote was in the first handful of sites to sign with Federated Media about a year ago, and now dozens and dozens of sites have joined the blog ad network. FM announced this last week that Rocketboom and Ask a Ninja are among the new members, and it has signed a long term extension with Digg. (There’s been plenty of discussion about the Ask a Ninja deal and whether FM guaranteed the authors $300,000 in revenue this year.) FM says it has grown to 365 million monthly pageviews with advertisers like Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, Nissan and Nike. So why it such a big success? In part because FM is focusing on quality advertisers and quality blogs, and its contract is reasonably easy to swallow (no ownership). PaidContent, though, has not signed with FM and continues to be very successful doing its own direct selling with more niche technology clients (with likely higher returns). Whatever the model, it’s clear that there’s money in blogging, at least for those that have built an audience. […]

    Federated Media signs Rocketboom, others - Lost Remote TV Blog on February 3rd, 2007 at 10:16 am - Permalink

  28. Don’t Quit Your Day Job, But Web Video Pays…

    Scott Kirshner at The New York Times has this piece today about how user-generated videos are starting to pay off — in cash. One fellow profiled, an amateur magician, earned $13,000 so far from 30 short clips he posted to…

    IP Democracy on February 15th, 2007 at 4:52 am - Permalink

  29. [...] New Media Producer As reported on New Tee Vee last month Ask a Ninja, a popular comedy video blog (or vlog), signed a six figure advertising deal. Ask a [...]

    Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive 5 Web Based Entrepreneurship Experiments « on March 1st, 2007 at 8:07 am - Permalink

  30. [...] New Media Producer As reported on New Tee Vee last month Ask a Ninja, a popular comedy video blog (or vlog), signed a six figure advertising deal. Ask a [...]

    The Way The Internet Should Be! » Blog Archive » 5 New Jobs of The Web2.0 Generation. on March 2nd, 2007 at 3:02 am - Permalink

  31. [...] producer. Another of interest to us in ATEC and EMAC is that of publisher. 1. New Media Producer
As reported on New Tee Vee last month Ask a Ninja, a popular comedy video blog (or vlog), signed a six figure advertising deal. Ask a [...]

    Mar 6, 2007 Untitled : Yesternow on March 5th, 2007 at 10:49 pm - Permalink

  32. [...] [NewTeeVee] ask a ninja , askaninja.com , federated media , podcast advertising , rocketboom , vidcast , video podcast , video podcasting , zune pictures [...]

    Ask a Ninja Makes $300K in Ad Sales on April 9th, 2007 at 8:01 am - Permalink

  33. [...] NewTeeVee » Ask a Ninja Makes $300K (tags: newteevee ask.a.ninja new.media videos social.media vlogging vloggers) [...]

    Nomadishere : Seeker of Truth » Blog Archive » links for 2007-04-18 on April 18th, 2007 at 4:28 pm - Permalink

  34. [...] the show has evolved from viral video to mainstream media phenomenon. The Ninja creators recently signed a lucrative advertising deal with Federated Media, released the Ask A Ninja DVD, and signed a book deal with Random House. On top of that Ninja was [...]

    What Would Ninja Do? | Medialoper on May 4th, 2007 at 7:20 am - Permalink

  35. [...] on multiple sources of income such as DVD sales and has been promised by Federated Media that they will make at least $300K this year if they continue to grow at their same [...]

    Emerging TV » Blog Archive » Robert Scoble earning PodTech at least 400K a year on May 17th, 2007 at 9:24 am - Permalink

  36. [...] The company, incubated by United Talent Agency and web ad firm Spot Runner, has raised $3.5 million in funding from investors including Tudor Investment Corporation and Robert Pittman’s the Pilot Group. Its CEO is Brent Weinstein, who formerly headed up digital projects and secured deals for web stars such as Ask a Ninja. [...]

    NewTeeVee 60Frames Gives Pros a Ticket to Web Video « on July 11th, 2007 at 10:55 am - Permalink

  37. [...] Ninja” began with about 40 subscribers but since then has turned into a branding juggernaut, reportedly earning the duo up to $300K a [...]

    Video of the week: “Ask A Ninja” | last100 on July 27th, 2007 at 9:08 am - Permalink

  38. This just shows the power of the internet. No longer does one need to get precious space on the TV networks in order to get viewed…and one can translate it into effective income. Keep up the good work!
    Chris

    Chris on August 11th, 2007 at 11:10 am - Permalink

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