'Diary of a CEO' host Steven Bartlett and Authentic Brands launch OBSN with up to $400 million to back creators

Steven Bartlett, the host of the podcast The Diary of a CEO, and Authentic Brands Group announced a strategic venture called OBSN (Obsession). The partnership aims to fund and build creator-led businesses by providing capital, operational infrastructure, media, and brand services. The firms say they will deploy up to $400 million over the coming years.

OBSN is structured to combine two capabilities: Bartlett's experience growing creator-led media and Authentic's experience developing brands and managing intellectual property. Bartlett's side will operate a creator-economy media platform that includes news, analysis, and live experiences. Authentic will focus on brand-building, product, licensing, strategic partnerships, and global distribution.

The pitch is pragmatic: many creators work with multiple partners that each handle fragments of their business. OBSN aims to offer an integrated option so creators can access funding and a full suite of operational services under one partnership.

Bartlett said he will look for creators who operate in "evergreen" categories and who score highly on resilience, ambition, and the ability to respond to setbacks. He described creators as analogous to founders because they run multi-hyphenated businesses that span media, product, events, and IP.

Jamie Salter, Authentic's executive chairman, framed the company's role as more than an agent: Authentic intends to scale creator brands across product, licensing, and distribution the same way it has with legacy names and sports and entertainment IP. Authentic's portfolio includes brands and figures such as Reebok, Shaquille O'Neal, Sports Illustrated, and Elvis Presley.

Bartlett's first visible test case is the podcast Hot Smart Rich, hosted by Maggie Sellers Reum, in which Bartlett has invested seven figures through FlightStory. That deal illustrates the model OBSN plans to scale: invest capital, apply media and distribution know-how, and plug brand and product opportunities into Authentic's infrastructure.

The venture did not specify how many creators will receive investment or a firm timetable. Both parties said funds will be deployed "over the coming years." The $400 million figure represents the total potential capital available to back creator businesses and build the accompanying media and brand operations.

Implications for creators and the creator-economy ecosystem

OBSN offers creators an option that bundles funding with media reach and brand distribution—an alternative to working with multiple specialist partners. For creators who want to grow beyond ad and sponsorship revenue into product, licensing, and global distribution, the venture promises a single partner that claims both audience-growth expertise and brand-scaling infrastructure.

For the market, OBSN joins several funds and companies backing creator-led businesses, underscoring continued investor interest in turning creator audiences into diversified businesses.