Sister Group takes majority share in After Party Studios
April 21, 2026
By Nik Roseveare
Sister Group, the independent global studio founded by Elisabeth Murdoch and Jane Featherstone, has made a majority investment in pioneering digital-first creative production company After Party Studios.
Founded in 2016 and operating at the intersection between digital and mainstream, After Party Studios was set up by YouTuber Callum McGinley (Callux), film director Ben Doyle (RvbberDuck), CEO Joshua Barnett (ex YMU, ITV), and Base79 founder Richard Mansell. The partnership with Sister Group fuels the company’s ambitions to supercharge its original IP, branded entertainment and digital-first slate and sees them join complementary founder-led, best-in-class partner companies within the Sister Group spanning TV and Film (Sister Pictures, Dorothy St Pictures, Yes Yes Media, Locksmith Animation, South of the River, Unanimous Media), Podcasting (Campside Media), Publishing (Zando, AWA) and Music and Live Experiences (KOKO).
After Party Studios’ series and formats include Sky Sports docuseries Scenes Channel 4.0 hits Don’t Get Catfished, Find The… and Hear Me Out, the annual Sidemen Charity Match at Wembley Stadium; and digital content supporting Netflix’s House of Guinness (pictured), Stranger Things and Being Gordon Ramsay. This alongside wider campaigns for the likes of Red Bull, Just Eat and their work for O2 x Red Roses with Chabuddy G and revamped League of 72 platform powered by Sky Bet.
Upcoming projects include In Search of Peace with Jordan Stephens for MTV UK; Race To The Top, the docuseries following KSI’s takeover of Dagenham & Redbridge FC; and the ongoing social rollout of SNL UK’s digital series Five To Live for Sky One.
Lucinda Hicks, CEO, Sister Group, commented “The After Party Studios team occupy a unique space – a digital-native creative company driven by creator instincts and built on deep relationships with talent, brands and platforms and first-class execution. Our partnership enables them to continue to do what they do so brilliantly, originating groundbreaking IP, deepening direct relationships with audiences and shaping the next era of digital storytelling.”
Callum McGinley and Ben Doyle, co-founders of After Party Studios, said: “Over the last decade, we’ve built After Party Studios alongside some of the best talent in front of and behind the camera, making work that is creatively ambitious and always striving to push internet culture forward. We’ve always cared deeply about storytelling, craft and originality in a space that has historically rewarded the opposite, because we believe the future of entertainment is online. Joining the Sister family feels like a natural next step for us. Their track record of backing bold, distinctive storytelling makes them an ideal partner as we take the company into its next chapter. We’re hugely excited for what comes next and for the opportunity to build on everything we’ve created so far.”
Joshua Barnett, co-founder and CEO of After Party Studios, stated: “This partnership with Sister combines our complementary strengths and shared creative ambition, opening up genuinely limitless possibilities. Together, we can continue pushing boundaries and pioneering where the industry goes next. I can’t wait to get this absolute game-changing next chapter underway.”
“Sister Group has always stood for excellence in storytelling in all its forms, enabling exceptional creative entrepreneurs to do their best work and where every company is additive to the whole,” added Elisabeth Murdoch, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, and Jane Featherstone, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer. “Callum, Ben, Josh and their ridiculously talented team are exactly that…relevant, engaging storytellers committed to excellence and to connecting with audiences wherever they are. We welcome them wholeheartedly into the Group where there are many like minds and many opportunities for new, impactful collaborations.”
Sister Group creator-led businesses span both the UK and US. In the UK these include Sister Pictures (Black Doves, Chernobyl, Gangs of London, Waiting for the Out); Dorothy St Pictures (The Greatest Night in Pop, Pamela: A Love Story and Victoria Beckham produced with Studio 99); the BAFTA nominated UK-based animation company Locksmith Animation (behind forthcoming major theatrical features Bad Fairies and The Lunar Chronicles); author-driven film company South of the River from Academy Award winning Olivia Colman and BAFTA winning Ed Sinclair (Wicked Little Letters, The Roses, Wicker); the Richard Bacon-founded non-scripted global format specialists Yes Yes Media (Silence Is Golden), and the iconic Camden music venue KOKO.
In the US, group companies include Peabody-nominated podcast studio Campside Medi; independent publishing sensation Zando; Unanimous Media, the multi-media studio behind recent hit theatrical feature GOAT and founded by NBA star Steph Curry; and AWA Studios.
The deal was brokered by Chris Fry, COO Sister Group and Joshua Barnett, CEO and Kevin Deeley, CFO for After Party Studios. After Party Studios were advised by Waypoint Partners. Sister Group were represented by CMS and After Party Studios by Harbottle & Lewis.
Financial terms were not disclosed.