Brave Bison
Brave Bison is a London-based media, marketing and technology group built around digital marketing, social media, commerce, fan engagement, training, consultancy and owned online media.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Brave Bison is a United Kingdom-based media, marketing and technology group serving brands, rights holders and other organisations through a collection of specialist businesses. Its activities span social-first creative work, influencer marketing, paid and organic performance marketing, digital commerce, sports and entertainment fan engagement, marketing education, media and technology consultancy, and the operation of an owned digital media network. The group is headquartered in London and has additional hubs in Manchester, New York, India, Australia and Egypt. The company began in 2011 under the name Rightster. Its original focus was YouTube-related content distribution, rights management and the operation of a multichannel network. The business later repositioned itself as a broader digital-media company and adopted the Brave Bison name in 2016. That rebranding marked a move away from a narrowly defined video-rights and platform-services identity toward a wider portfolio of media and marketing capabilities. Brave Bison's expansion accelerated through acquisitions. In 2021 it bought Greenlight Digital, a digital agency, and Greenlight Commerce, a commerce and web-experience business. These additions expanded its performance and e-commerce capabilities and brought relationships with clients such as New Balance, Currys, Gap and Furniture Village. In 2023, the group acquired SocialChain, a social-media agency originally founded by entrepreneur Steven Bartlett. SocialChain added social strategy, creative and influencer-marketing capabilities and had worked with clients including KFC, Arla Foods and Pernod Ricard. The group continued to broaden its offer in 2024 and 2025. Engage Digital Partners was acquired in December 2024, strengthening Brave Bison's position in sports media, rights management and fan engagement. The business has been associated with organisations and properties including Real Madrid, the All Blacks, Formula 1, the International Cricket Council and New Zealand Rugby. In March 2025, the acquisition of Builtvisible added independent SEO, content and digital public-relations expertise to the performance practice. In April 2025, Brave Bison acquired The Fifth, an influencer-marketing agency established by News UK in 2019; News Corp consequently became a minority shareholder and a top-ten shareholder in Brave Bison. In June 2025, the group bought MiniMBA, the marketing-training platform founded by Professor Mark Ritson, for £19 million. In September 2025, it acquired MTM, an insights and consultancy firm, for up to £12 million. The resulting business is organised around specialist divisions rather than a single consumer-facing product. SocialChain addresses social and influencer marketing; Brave Bison Performance covers paid media, search, SEO and related performance services; Brave Bison Commerce supports digital commerce and web experiences; Engage Digital Partners focuses on sports rights and fan relationships; MiniMBA provides online professional education; and MTM supplies media, technology and audience insight. The Brave Bison Media Network remains connected to the company's origins in digital content and comprises more than 650 channels with a reported following of approximately 158 million people. Brave Bison's client and project references include New Balance, Primark, TikTok, LinkedIn, Google, Pfizer, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, SharkNinja, the PGA Tour, the Australian Open and the US Open. Its business model combines recurring agency and consultancy relationships with acquired specialist capabilities and owned-media distribution. In October 2025, the company was reported to be considering a possible offer for AIM-listed marketing-communications group The Mission Group, illustrating its continuing acquisitive strategy. The company remains active and publicly traded on AIM, although no ticker or official website is specified in the supplied reference material.
History
Brave Bison originated in 2011 as Rightster, a company focused on YouTube multichannel-network services, digital content distribution and rights management. Its early business model was tied to the growth of online video and the need for creators, publishers and rights owners to manage, distribute and monetise content across digital platforms. Rather than beginning as a conventional consumer brand, the company developed as a business-to-business digital-media infrastructure and services provider. In 2016, Rightster adopted the Brave Bison name. The rebrand reflected a broader strategic direction as the company moved beyond its initial video-rights positioning and sought to combine digital media, marketing and technology services. Its owned and operated media activities continued to provide a foundation, while the group increasingly developed relationships with advertisers and brands through social, performance and content-led services. A further stage of development followed in January 2020, when Oli Green joined the board after an investment by Tangent, a technology business. Theo Green subsequently took an executive role associated with the company's expansion programme. In April of the same year, Brave Bison acquired the intellectual property and social-media channels of The Hook after that business entered administration. The assets were incorporated into Brave Bison's media network, extending its portfolio of owned digital properties. From 2021 onward, acquisition became a central growth mechanism. Brave Bison bought Greenlight Digital and Greenlight Commerce in 2021. The first strengthened digital marketing and performance services, while the second expanded the group's commerce, web-development and online customer-experience capabilities. The combined businesses brought client relationships involving New Balance, Currys, Gap and Furniture Village and helped establish a broader platform for serving retail and consumer brands. In 2023, Brave Bison acquired SocialChain, a social-media agency originally founded by entrepreneur Steven Bartlett. SocialChain added social-first creative, community and influencer-marketing expertise and brought experience with accounts including KFC, Arla Foods and Pernod Ricard. The deal significantly increased the group's presence in brand strategy and social communications, complementing its earlier media-network origins. The company then extended into sports and fan engagement. In December 2024 it acquired Engage Digital Partners for approximately £11 million. Engage brought sports-media, rights-management and digital fan-engagement capabilities, with referenced work connected to Real Madrid, the All Blacks, Formula 1, the International Cricket Council and New Zealand Rugby. This broadened Brave Bison's role from marketing services into the management and activation of relationships between sports organisations, rights holders and audiences. The acquisition programme continued in 2025. Builtvisible, an independent SEO, content and digital public-relations agency, was acquired in March and integrated into the performance practice. In April, Brave Bison acquired The Fifth, an influencer-marketing agency founded by News UK in 2019. The transaction also made News Corp, News UK's parent group, a top-ten shareholder in Brave Bison. In June, Brave Bison acquired MiniMBA, the online marketing-education platform founded by Professor Mark Ritson, for £19 million. MiniMBA added structured professional education in marketing, brand management and general management, with reported annual participation of more than 6,000 marketers and an alumni base of over 50,000. In September 2025, Brave Bison acquired MTM for up to £12 million. MTM's media, technology and audience-insight capabilities created a consultancy division serving organisations such as Google, Samsung, Figma, Spotify and the BBC. By this point, Brave Bison's operating model encompassed SocialChain, Brave Bison Performance, Brave Bison Commerce, Engage Digital Partners, MiniMBA, MTM and the Brave Bison Media Network. The group has therefore evolved from a YouTube-focused rights and distribution business into a diversified digital-services company. Its present activities combine agency work, technology-enabled commerce, sports engagement, education, strategic consultancy and owned media. The company remains headquartered in London, with international hubs in Manchester, New York, India, Australia and Egypt, and is listed on London's AIM market. In October 2025, it was reported to be considering a possible offer for The Mission Group, indicating that inorganic expansion remained part of its strategy. The supplied material does not confirm whether that potential transaction proceeded.
- 2025
Performance, influencer and education capabilities expand
[1]Builtvisible, The Fifth and MiniMBA are acquired during a sequence of strategic transactions.
- 2025
MTM creates a consultancy division
[1]The acquisition of MTM adds media, technology and audience-insight consulting.
- 2024
Engage Digital Partners is acquired
[1]Brave Bison enters a larger sports rights and fan-engagement role through an approximately £11 million acquisition.
- 2023
SocialChain is acquired
[1]The acquisition adds a major social-first creative and influencer-marketing operation.
- 2021
Greenlight businesses join the group
[1]Greenlight Digital and Greenlight Commerce are acquired, expanding performance marketing and digital commerce.
- 2020
Board and investment changes
[1]Oli Green joins the board following an investment by Tangent, and Theo Green later becomes involved in the expansion programme.
- 2020
The Hook assets are acquired
[1]Brave Bison acquires The Hook's intellectual property and social channels after its administration.
- 2016
Rightster becomes Brave Bison
[1]The company adopts the Brave Bison identity as it develops a broader digital-media and marketing strategy.
- 2011
Rightster is founded
[1]The business begins as a YouTube multichannel network and digital rights-management platform.
Products and positioning
An acquisition-led digital services group that combines agency execution, specialist marketing and technology capabilities, professional education, sports fan engagement, consultancy and owned digital media.
Social and influencer marketing · 2023
SocialChain
SocialChain is Brave Bison's social-first creative and influencer-marketing business. It develops social strategy, branded content, creator activity and campaigns intended to build audience participation around brands. The agency was originally founded by Steven Bartlett and has worked with brands and organisations including KFC, Arla Foods, Pernod Ricard, Primark, TikTok and LinkedIn.
Performance marketing
Brave Bison Performance
Brave Bison Performance provides paid-media, search, social and programmatic marketing services, alongside SEO, content and digital public relations. The practice was strengthened by the acquisitions of Greenlight Digital and Builtvisible. Referenced client relationships include New Balance, The Very Group, Icelandair and Specsavers.
Digital commerce · 2021
Brave Bison Commerce
Brave Bison Commerce delivers digital-commerce, web-experience and online operations services for retailers and other consumer-facing businesses. It helps clients improve the design, functionality and commercial performance of digital storefronts and customer journeys. The business was expanded through the acquisition of Greenlight Commerce and has been associated with clients including Caffè Nero and Worldline.
Sports media and fan engagement · 2024
Engage Digital Partners
Engage Digital Partners is a sports-media and fan-engagement specialist within Brave Bison. It works across digital rights, audience development, content and media activation for sports organisations and properties. Referenced relationships include Real Madrid, the International Cricket Council, Formula 1, the All Blacks and New Zealand Rugby.
Professional education · 2025
MiniMBA
MiniMBA is an online training platform founded by Professor Mark Ritson. Its programmes cover marketing, brand management and general management for working professionals. The platform reportedly educates more than 6,000 marketers each year and has an alumni base of more than 50,000 people associated with brands such as Red Bull, Salesforce, Google, American Express, Unilever and Nike.
Media and technology consultancy · 2025
MTM
MTM is an insights and consultancy business focused on media, technology and audience strategy. Within Brave Bison, it forms the basis of a consultancy division that provides research, analysis and strategic advice to organisations operating in changing media and technology markets. Referenced clients include Google, Samsung, Figma, Spotify and the BBC.
Owned digital media
Brave Bison Media Network
The Brave Bison Media Network is the group's portfolio of owned and operated digital media properties, including YouTube channels across entertainment, sport and lifestyle. The network contains more than 650 channels and has been described as reaching approximately 158 million followers and more than 150 million monthly views. It connects the company's original multichannel-network heritage with its current media and marketing operations.
Brand decisions
2025
Acquisitions of Builtvisible, The Fifth and MiniMBAM&ABackground
Brave Bison continued building a multi-disciplinary digital-services platform through acquisitions.
Action taken
It acquired Builtvisible for performance capabilities, The Fifth for influencer marketing and MiniMBA for professional marketing education.
Aftermath
The acquisitions extended the group across SEO, content, digital public relations, creator marketing and professional training. The MiniMBA transaction was reported at £19 million, while no consideration is specified for the other two transactions in the supplied material.
MiniMBA acquisition consideration. £19 million (June 2025)
2025
Acquisition of MTMM&ABackground
Brave Bison sought to add higher-value insight and strategic consultancy to its agency and technology operations.
Action taken
It acquired MTM for up to £12 million and created a consultancy division focused on media, technology and audience strategy.
Aftermath
The group gained research and advisory capabilities serving clients in media, technology and consumer sectors.
Acquisition consideration. Up to £12 million (September 2025)
2025
Possible offer for The Mission GroupM&ABackground
Brave Bison was pursuing continued scale in marketing communications through potential corporate transactions.
Action taken
The company was reported to be considering a possible £22 million offer for AIM-listed The Mission Group.
Aftermath
The supplied material does not confirm that a binding offer or completed acquisition followed.
Potential offer value. £22 million (October 2025)
2024
Acquisition of Engage Digital PartnersM&ABackground
The group was extending from general digital marketing into specialist sports media and audience engagement.
Action taken
Brave Bison acquired Engage Digital Partners for approximately £11 million.
Aftermath
The acquisition added sports rights, digital media and fan-engagement services.
Acquisition consideration. Approximately £11 million (December 2024)
2023
Acquisition of SocialChainM&ABackground
Social media, creator marketing and social-first brand work had become important parts of digital advertising.
Action taken
Brave Bison acquired SocialChain and incorporated its social and influencer-marketing capabilities into the group.
Aftermath
Brave Bison strengthened its position in social strategy, creative campaigns and influencer activity.
2021
Acquisition of Greenlight Digital and Greenlight CommerceM&ABackground
Brave Bison sought to broaden its digital-services platform beyond owned media and content distribution.
Action taken
It acquired Greenlight Digital and Greenlight Commerce, adding performance marketing, commerce and web-experience capabilities.
Aftermath
The transactions expanded the group's service range and client base in retail and consumer marketing.
2016
Rebrand from Rightster to Brave BisonStrategyBackground
The company had originated as a YouTube network and rights-management platform but was pursuing a broader digital-media and marketing identity.
Action taken
It replaced the Rightster name with Brave Bison and developed a wider portfolio of media, marketing and technology services.
Aftermath
The rebrand established the corporate identity used for the subsequent agency, commerce, sports, education and consultancy expansion.
Recent events
- 2025
Brave Bison acquires Builtvisible[1]
M&A
The purchase of the independent SEO, content and digital public-relations agency strengthened Brave Bison's performance-marketing practice.
- 2025
Brave Bison acquires The Fifth[1]
M&A
Brave Bison acquired the influencer-marketing agency founded by News UK. News Corp became a top-ten shareholder as part of the transaction.
- 2025
Brave Bison acquires MiniMBA[1]
M&A
Brave Bison bought the online marketing-training platform founded by Professor Mark Ritson for £19 million. The platform reportedly trains more than 6,000 marketers annually and has an alumni community exceeding 50,000 people.
- 2025
Brave Bison acquires MTM[1]
M&A
The acquisition, valued at up to £12 million, created a consultancy division focused on media, technology and audience strategy.
- 2025
Brave Bison considers a possible offer for The Mission Group[1]
M&A
The Times reported that Brave Bison was considering a possible £22 million offer for AIM-listed marketing-communications group The Mission Group. The supplied material does not establish that an offer was completed.
- 2024
Brave Bison acquires Engage Digital Partners[1]
M&A
The approximately £11 million acquisition broadened Brave Bison into sports rights, digital sports media and fan engagement, with referenced relationships including Real Madrid, the All Blacks and Formula 1.
- 2023
Brave Bison acquires SocialChain[1]
M&A
The acquisition added a social-first creative and influencer-marketing agency founded by Steven Bartlett, with work for clients such as KFC, Arla Foods and Pernod Ricard.
- 2021
Brave Bison acquires Greenlight Digital and Greenlight Commerce[1]
M&A
The two acquisitions expanded Brave Bison's digital performance, commerce and web-experience capabilities and added client relationships including New Balance, Currys, Gap and Furniture Village.
- 2020
Brave Bison acquires The Hook's intellectual property and social channels[1]
M&A
Following The Hook's administration, Brave Bison acquired its intellectual property and social-media channels and incorporated them into the Brave Bison Media Network.
- 2020
Brave Bison expands its board and investor base[1]
Leadership change
Oli Green joined the board after an investment by Tangent, while Theo Green later took an executive role connected with the group's expansion programme.
Sources2 sources
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