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The Dodo (website)

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The Dodo
Available inEnglish
Created byKerry Lauerman, Izzie Lerer
ParentVox Media
URLwww.thedodo.com Edit this at Wikidata
LaunchedJanuary 2014; 12 years ago (2014-01)
Current statusActive

The Dodo is an American online publisher focused on animals. The website was launched in 2014 by Izzie Lerer, the daughter of media executive Kenneth Lerer, and journalist Kerry Lauerman. The Dodo quickly became one of the most popular viral media publishers, thanks to its heavy focus on social media. It is headquartered in New York, New York.

The company—named after the first recorded species of animals that humans drove to extinction—was founded by Lerer out of "a personal passion for the subject manner". Lerer has a PhD in animal studies with a focus on animal ethics and human relationships from Columbia University, launching the website after noticing the viral success of animal videos online but seeing no one "really owned the space."[1]

History

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The Dodo was launched in January 2014 by Izzie Lerer, the daughter of media executive Kenneth Lerer. Former Salon editor-in-chief Kerry Lauerman briefly served as CEO.[2] Early investors included Discovery, Softbank, SBNY, Berggruen Holdings, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Greycroft Partners and David Stern. Arianna Huffington was also listed as an advisor.[3]

By November 2015, it had 30 employees, 15 million monthly unique visitors, and nearly 100 million monthly video views across social platforms, including Facebook and YouTube.[3]

In October 2016, The Dodo, along with Thrillist, NowThis Media, and Seeker, combined to create a holding company called Group Nine Media. Lerer remained in charge of The Dodo, while her brother Ben, the founder of Thrillist, was named CEO of the combined company.[4] In November, the brand garnered 1 billion monthly video views on social media.[5] In December, it launched on Snapchat Discover.[6]

In 2017, The Dodo's "Comeback Kids: Animal Edition" show amassed 130 million views on Facebook Watch, making it the most watched series on the platform.[7]

The Dodo's editorial and video production staff unionized with the Writers Guild of America, East in April 2018.[8] In June, the brand partnered with Animal Planet to develop a show for linear TV. "Dodo Heroes" focuses on rescue animals and the humans who care for them.[9][10]

In 2019, The Dodo launched its "You Know Me...Now Meet My Pet" series for IGTV[11] as well as the Dodo Kids vertical and YouTube channel to focus on children's programming.[12] In 2020, The Dodo released All the Feels for Quibi[13] and Izzy's Koala World for Netflix.[14][15]

In December 2021, it was announced that Vox Media would acquire Group Nine, including The Dodo.[16] The deal was completed in February 2022.[17]

In June 2026, it was announced that The Dodo, along with the remaining brands of Vox Media not sold to James Murdoch, would be sold to Penske Media Corporation.[18]

Other endeavors

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The Dodo has branched out beyond social video programming over the years.

In 2019, The Dodo began working with Airbnb to create animal-based travel experiences based on the media brand's shows.[19][20]

It expanded into pet insurance in the 2020s after Group Nine took a minority stake in Petplan. The company changed its name to Fetch by The Dodo to reflect its connection to the brand.[21][22]

References

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  1. ↑ Castillo, Michelle (2017-09-27). "Animal videos rule the internet, and are getting tons of views on Facebook". CNBC. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  2. ↑ Perez, Sarah (July 15, 2013). "BuzzFeed Chairman Ken Lerer Backs New Animal-Themed Site The Dodo Led By Daughter Isabel, Former Salon EIC Kerry Lauerman". TechCrunch. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  3. 1 2 Shontell, Alyson (November 9, 2015). "How an animal lover turned her passion into The Dodo, a booming ~$40 million startup, in 2 years". Business Insider. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  4. ↑ Ha, Anthony (2016-10-13). "Thrillist, NowThis, The Dodo and Seeker form a new, Discovery-backed holding company". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
  5. ↑ Ha, Anthony (December 23, 2016). "The Dodo is alive and well with 1 billion monthly video views". TechCrunch. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  6. ↑ Shields, Mike (2016-12-01). "The Dodo Launches on Snapchat Discover". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  7. ↑ Dua, Tanya. "A show about rescued dogs and neglected ponies has 130 million views on Facebook, and it could be coming to a TV near you". Business Insider. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  8. ↑ "The Dodo Unionizes With Writers Guild of America East". Variety. 2018-04-30. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  9. ↑ Sami, Main (2017-12-19). "Animal Planet Is Teaming Up With The Dodo for a Heartwarming New TV Show". AdWeek. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  10. ↑ "The Dodo's First TV Series 'Dodo Heroes' Premieres This Saturday". Thrillist. 2018-06-08. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  11. ↑ Lopez, Matt (2019-07-13). "Loren Gray, Lauren Riihimaki to Star in IGTV Series From The Dodo 'You Know Me...Now Meet My Pet' (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  12. ↑ Dodo, The (2019-08-19). "Introducing: Dodo Kids!". The Dodo. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  13. ↑ Burch, Sean (2020-03-26). "Quibi's 'All the Feels' Aims to Give Animal Lovers Their Daily Fix of Heartwarming Content (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  14. ↑ Guaglione, Sara (July 26, 2019). "'The Dodo' Lands Unscripted Series For Netflix Kids". www.mediapost.com. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  15. ↑ Jacobs, Meredith (2020-08-31). "Get to Know Izzy Bee & Her Koalas From Netflix's 'Izzy's Koala World' (VIDEO)". TV Insider. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  16. ↑ Sharma, Amol; Mullin, Benjamin (2021-12-13). "Vox Media Agrees to Buy Group Nine Media, Creating Big Digital Publisher". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  17. ↑ "Vox Media Completes Acquisition of Group Nine". Vox Media. February 22, 2022. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  18. ↑ Mullin, Benjamin (2026-06-18). "Penske Media Is Buying What's Left of Vox Media". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  19. ↑ Fuller, Melynda (October 29, 2019). "'The Dodo,' Airbnb Team For Animal Tourism". www.mediapost.com. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  20. ↑ Christe, Dianna (October 30, 2019). "Airbnb teams with The Dodo on animal-related travel experiences". Marketing Dive. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  21. ↑ Guaglione, Sara (October 19, 2020). "'The Dodo' Invests In Pet Insurer". www.mediapost.com. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  22. ↑ Dodo, The (2022-02-03). "Introducing Fetch By The Dodo". The Dodo. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
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