Angel Studios Raises $5 Million for Streaming App, Founder Says Supporters Can Now 'Participate in Culture'

The faith-based streaming platform that exclusively distributes the hit series "The Chosen" raised up to $5 million in just one week to enhance its entertainment services.

The family-friendly, faith-based streaming platform called Angel Studios has met its $5 million fundraising goal in just one week. The milestone was set to raise funds to enhance its streaming app. Earlier this year, the company pledged to raise $5 million and achieved this goal on March 24.

CBN News reported that Angel Studios is the exclusive distributor of the most streamed, most successful crowdfunded shows of all time called "The Chosen." It is also the distributor of massively successful shows such as "Dry Bar Comedy" and "The Wingfeather Saga."

Also Read: Studio Behind Phenomenal Series 'The Chosen' Receives $47M Investment To Remake Entertainment Industry

Angel Studios Wants Audiences to 'Participate in Culture'

Unlike other studios behind most American entertainment today, Angel Studios allows their viewers to decide what content they are most interested in watching. In fact, the studio engages with viewers by creating communities around every project.

"People get to participate in culture. They get to have an impact on culture, and it's not just a bunch of Hollywood executives that make these decisions," Angel Studios co-founder Neal Harmon explained, as reported by the Christian Headlines. "It is the smartest executives of all time - it's the audience."

With this setup, creators pitch project ideas for the Angel Studios platform, while "Angel Investors" choose which projects that they want to see produced and distributed by funding them with donations. In 2021, Angel Studios earned $47 million in revenue on original content alone.

Christians Can 'Participate in Culture' By Funding the Shows They Want to Watch

"Generational Sins" movie director Spencer Folmar remarked that Christian audiences are more likely to be better served by Angel Studios than other mainstream Hollywood studios. He shared, "I see Christians doing more independent work, and it's better received, better quality."

But Folmar mused that despite having achieved its $5 million goal, Angel Studios will need more funds to cover the costs of making a motion picture. While he believes it is a "great raise," the amount is "not even a marketing budget on a studio picture." He admitted, "Money will always be an issue."

For Matt Edwards, who produced and directed the documentary film "Can We Take a Joke?", he believes that the crowdfunding aspect of Angel Studios that enables supporters to "participate in culture" actually plays a major factor in their success and future. He said that they would not fail as long as they "deliver on the product they promised."

Tech Buzz announced in May that during an annual live streaming event for Angel Studios investors called "Illuminate '22," the faith-based studio announced that it will create more than $100 million in new original content. In it, Harmon introduced the company's "torch" concept, which refers to submissions that content creators can bring to the studio, which enables them to "participate in culture." The co-founder said that Angel Studios has been receiving about eight "torches" every week and that more than 50,000 people have already invested in the faith-based studio.