Brazzers
Brazzers
Subsidiary | |
Industry | Pornography |
Founded | 22 June 2005[1] |
Founders | |
Headquarters | |
Worldwide | |
Products | Pornographic films |
Parent | MindGeek(2010–present) |
Website |
Brazzers (/ˈbræzərz/) is a pornographic production company based in Montreal, Canada. With an online network consisting of thirty-one hardcore pornography websites, the company's slogan is "The World's Best HD Porn Site!".[3]
Subsidiary | |
Industry | Pornography |
Founded | 22 June 2005[1] |
Founders | |
Headquarters | |
Worldwide | |
Products | Pornographic films |
Parent | MindGeek(2010–present) |
Website |
History
Founded in 2005 by a group of Montreal investors, Brazzers became part of a larger group of pornographic sites under the corporate name of Mansef.
In 2010 Mansef was sold to Fabian Thylmann and rebranded as Manwin Inc.[4] [5] In December 2012 Thylmann was extradited from Belgium to Germany on suspicion of tax evasion.[6]
In October 2013 Thylmann sold Manwin's assets, including Brazzers, to an internal management group, Mindgeek, headed by CEO Feras Antoon and shareholder David Tassilo.[7]
In 2014 Brazzers celebrated its 10th anniversary with a billboard in Times Square in New York City. The digital billboard was located at the corner of 47th and 7th and viewable for the entire month of August.[8] In 2010 Brazzers had used a Times Square billboard to promote its safe sex campaign and to announce its "Get Rubber!" slogan and website.[9]
Operations
Brazzers is currently headed by CEO Feras Antoon, and owned and operated by Mindgeek, a multinational officially registered in Luxembourg.[15]
Brazzers came under industry criticism for associating with streaming media sites like Pornhub. In response, in 2009 the company initiated an anti-piracy campaign.[16]
Litigation
In 2008, after being fired, producer Bobby Manila served Brazzers with a lawsuit for fraud and violation of the terms of his contract.
The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court.[17]
In February 2010 a lawsuit was filed by Pink Visual Studio accusing Brazzers' parent company, Manwin, of infringing on copyrighted content by distributing unlicensed video content on its free video-sharing sites. Brazzers' network has been accused of benefiting from unlicensed content by indirectly benefiting from traffic from sharing sites, but this was the first time a well-known studio had filed a lawsuit. A class action lawsuit was considered by other studios.[18]
Awards
2009 AVN Awards – Best Adult Website[19]
2009 AVN Award – Best New Video Production Company
2009 AVN Award – Best Big Bust Release (Big Tits at School)
2009 XBIZ Award – Affiliate Program of the Year[20]
2010 AVN Award – Best Big Bust Series (Big Tits at School)[21]
2011 AVN Award – Best Membership Site Network[22]
2011 AVN Award – Best Big Bust Series (Big Tits at School)[22]
2011 AVN Award – Best Vignette Release (Pornstar Punishment)[22]
2012 AVN Award – Best Big Bust Series[24]
2012 AVN Award – Best Membership Website[24]
2013 XBIZ Award nominee – Vignette Release of the Year (Big Tits in Sports Vol 9 and Day With a H3R); Vignette Series of the Year (Big Tits in Sports and MILFs Like it Big); All-Girl Series of the Year (Hot and Mean)[25]
2014 XBIZ Award – Studio Site of the Year (Brazzers.com)[26]
2015 XBIZ Award – Adult Site of the Year – Multi-Genre (Brazzers.com)[26]
2016 XBIZ Award – Adult Site of the Year – Video (Brazzers.com)[26]
2016 AVN Award – Best Foreign Feature - The Doctor[28]
2016 AVN Award – Best Director (Foreign Feature) - Dick Bush, The Doctor[28]
2016 AVN Award – Best Sex Scene in a Foreign-shot Production - Victoria Summers & Danny D., The Doctor[28]
2017 XBIZ Award – Best Art Direction for Storm of Kings [26]
2018 AVN Award – Best Membership Site Network[29]
2019 XBIZ Award - Marketing Campaign of the Year for Brazzers House[20]