Freedom! (YouTube network)

Type

YouTube multi-channel network (as of 2014-06-14)^[11]

Founded

December 2013 (as of 2026-09-06)^[4]

Founder

George Vanous (as of 2014-06-14)^[11]

Gaming sub-network

MGN (headed by Dave Fracchia) (as of 2026-09-06)^[4]

Affiliate publisher

Freedom Games (per Freedom! (tips.h.ki)) (as of 2025-03-28)^[5]

Creator platform

Heartbeat (per Chrome Web Store) (as of 2026-06-23)^[9]

Reported channels (Oct 2016)

Over 177,000 (as of 2016-10-13)^[2][3]

Reported subscribers (Oct 2016)

211 million (as of 2016-10-13)^[2][3]

AID Partners stake (2016)

50.01% of any.TV for US$60 million (as of 2016-10-13)^[2][3]

Founding and operations

According to Freedom!, the network operates directly with YouTube as a technology partner for content creators.^[11]

Freedom! was launched in December 2013 as a YouTube multi-channel network focused on community engagement, transparency, and gaming.^[4]

George Vanous, the founder, is the network's chief executive; his own page covers his biography in more detail.^[11]

The gaming-focused sub-network MGN is headed by Dave Fracchia.^[4]

According to the Centre for Digital Media, MGN offers partners up to 95% of revenue.^[4]

Freedom! says it pays partners on a weekly cycle and uses an in-house Content ID system called Aegis to flag partner content.^[5]

Freedom! is listed as an industry partner of the Centre for Digital Media in Vancouver under the name "Freedom! / MGN Studios".^[4]

0:00 Freedom! introduces its founder The network's own 2014 video introducing its chief executive, published shortly after launch.

Reach (2014-2016)

As of October 2016, Freedom! stated that the network ran over 177,000 channel partners, 211 million subscribers and 45 billion total views worldwide.^[2]

In October 2016, Variety reported that the network asserted it had more than 177,000 channel partners, 211 million subscribers and 46 billion total views across the world.^[3]

South China Morning Post reported that, in October 2016, 16% of Freedom!'s views came from the United States and 47% of partner revenue was generated there, while Chinese-language markets accounted for 2.2% of viewership.^[2]

According to AID Partners, viewership grew 50.2% in the 12 months to June 2016 and estimated partner revenue was up 43.6% year-to-date.^[2]

AID Partners investment

On 13 October 2016, the South China Morning Post and Variety stated that AID Partners Technology Holdings would pay US$60 million (HK$468 million) to acquire a 50.01% controlling interest in any.TV, Freedom!'s parent company.^[2][3]

AID Partners said the acquisition was motivated by a perceived shift in advertising toward video platforms in the Asia-Pacific region.^[2]

AID Partners chief executive Gilbert Ho Chi-hang said the firm hoped to provide larger resources to Freedom! to facilitate its growth.^[2]

Freedom! planned to use the funding to broaden its content mix beyond gaming into music, beauty and youth-oriented programming.^[2]

According to South China Morning Post, George Vanous publicly welcomed the AID Partners investment, saying it would fuel the network's growth.^[2]

Freedom Games

According to Freedom! (tips.h.ki), Freedom Games was founded in 2020.^[5]

An 80.lv report on the November 2022 funding round quoted Ben Robinson as chief operating officer and co-founder of Freedom Games.^[6]

Freedom Games announced a US$10 million funding round in November 2022, led by Play Ventures with participation from Nashville Capital Network and GFR Fund.^[6]

Freedom Games said in 2022 that it had sold "hundreds of thousands of copies" of its published indie titles.^[6]

Before November 2022, Freedom Games had released the indie games Coromon, Dreamscaper, Dark Deity, Cat Cafe Manager and Symphony of War.^[6]

Freedom Games said the November 2022 funding would be used to expand staff, develop its community platform wiki.gg, and grow its catalogue of indie games.^[6]

Heartbeat platform

According to Chrome Web Store, Heartbeat is a multi-format publishing platform built by Freedom! that pays creators for content even when it receives no views.^[9]

According to Chrome Web Store, the Heartbeat Chrome extension lets users press the H key while watching a YouTube video to save selected moments to their Heartbeat channel.^[9]

The Chrome extension's developer is listed as Freedom! Family Limited, and the extension was at version 2.108.0 as of 23 June 2026.^[9]

Freedom! claims a 110% revenue share, equal to 10% more than YouTube's standard share, on videos about games it publishes, even for channels not in the YouTube Partner Program.^[5]

According to Freedom! (tips.h.ki), Freedom!'s Heartbeat Moments product lets creators convert YouTube videos into monetised blogs under a programme called OVOB, standing for "one video, one blog".^[5]

Freedom! states that it helps reinstate hacked, terminated, YouTube Partner Program-suspended or demonetised YouTube channels, usually within a few days, where the issue was caused by YouTube's automated systems or human review.^[5]

0:00 Heartbeat Moments explained Chapter of the network's own video introducing Heartbeat Moments.

8:48 Heartbeat Photos Chapter of the network's own video covering Heartbeat Photos.

9:24 Heartbeat Viki Chapter of the network's own video covering Heartbeat Viki.

10:34 BHAG: Big Hairy Audacious Goal Chapter of the network's own video in which the team outlines its long-term goal.

1. 2013-12-01 According to Centre for Digital Media, Vancouver, Freedom! is launched as a YouTube multi-channel network.^[4][4]
2. 2014-06-01 According to Freedom!, Freedom! publishes a video introducing founder and chief executive George Vanous.^[11][11]
3. 2016-10-13 AID Partners Technology Holdings agrees to acquire a 50.01% controlling stake in any.TV for US$60 million.^[2][3][2][3]
4. 2020-01-01 According to Freedom! (tips.h.ki), Freedom Games is founded.^[5][5]
5. 2022-11-07 Freedom Games announces a US$10 million funding round led by Play Ventures.^[6][6]